Pianist Andrei Gologan will give an extraordinary recital on Wednesday, November 13th, 2024, in the Great Hall of the Romanian Athenaeum as part of the series "Heirs of Musical Romania," organized by Radio România Muzical and the Rotary Club Pipera. In the last part of a conversation with our colleague, Ioana Țintea, Andrei Gologan shares more details about his debut on the Athenaeum stage, as well as other aspects of his artistic journey so far.

The recital at the Athenaeum is held under the auspices of Heirs of Musical Romania. When did you first hear about this project initiated by Radio România Muzical, and what impact has it had on your career?

I was already familiar with the project because several musician friends of mine had also performed in this series, and it's wonderful that such things happen. We need more initiatives like this in Romania, and I am extremely grateful for being able to return to my home country and perform as part of this series. It is essential for young musicians to be invited back to their homeland. So many Romanian musicians have left the country; they studied abroad and stayed there, and many of them rarely return to share their experiences. Through this concert series, I am happy that young musicians are coming back to perform on the Athenaeum stage.

Chamber music plays an important role in your artistic activity, especially through the chamber music festival you organize in Salzburg with your wife, pianist Roxana Cîrciu, with whom you also form a highly regarded piano duo. How has this direction influenced your vision of classical music?

I don't want to make too much of a distinction between solo music and chamber music. It is still music; it is a form of expression, of course, under different parameters, I should say. When you are alone on stage, you do feel you have some freedom, but you lack the element of communication, especially with the audience. However, when you are performing with other musicians, whom you ideally appreciate and communicate with in real time, that too is an extraordinary feeling. I have never wanted to distinguish between chamber music, collaboration with other musicians, or performing solo on stage. They all belong to the musical universe, and I believe it is extremely important for a pianist and a musician to explore all the facets of music. And chamber music is a vital part of this complex universe.

Why do you believe it is so important for a musician to dedicate themselves to chamber music as well?

When we are alone, most of the time-particularly us, pianists, who often spend hours on end alone in front of the keyboard, facing the sheet music-we don't need a collaborator, an accompanist; we only need the keys. We are so often alone, and I think that is when we lose the element of spontaneity that you need to have when collaborating with someone, whether in a duo, quartet, or quintet and orchestra. Whenever you make music with other people, it is essential to be creative, spontaneous, to collaborate and communicate with others. I notice so often how, for the most part, extraordinary musicians-pianists, instrumentalists-, dedicate themselves entirely to their instrument, yet this element of creativity may be missing. This is exactly what I value so much, and that's why I created the chamber music festival near Salzburg and dedicate my time to chamber music.

What projects you are planning for the near and medium-term future?

For now, I am very excited, as I am about to start teaching at the university in Freiburg. It is a great honour. It is a very high-level institution. I am looking forward to getting to know the class and the students and seeing how we can further cherish the wonders that the composers have left us. Artistically, I will be recording my debut CD in December with the German radio. The CD will be released next year and it will feature works by Brahms, including Sonata No. 3, which I will perform at the Athenaeum. I have various concerts coming up in Romania, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Albania, where I will be spending a few weeks at a chamber music festival-so, plenty of activities ahead.

Finally, an invitation for those who would like to see you perform at the Romanian Athenaeum.

I invite everyone who is willing to spend a pleasant hour of music with us and to enjoy together those wonderful works that the composers left us, allowing us to see the world, perhaps, from a whole new perspective.