The Travelling Piano, the extraordinary tour of the pianist Horia Mihail, is now back after last year's success with a new edition to be held between 21^st May and 30^th June, 2012.

For 50 days, the pianist Horia Mihail will hold 22 concerts and recitals in 20 cities in Romania (with a postscript in Chisinau on 11^th July, at the Piano Nights International Festival), crossing the country from North to South and from East to West, from Baia Mare to Caracal and from Mamaia to Sânnicolau Mare.

The travelling piano will accompany him in some of the places where there are no high performance concert pianos that can allow organising such events.

On 30^th June, in the city where the famous composer Bela Bartok was born, The Travelling Piano - the second one, a Bluthner provided by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company for this three-year project, initiated and directed by Radio Romania Cultural and the Accendo Cultural Association - will be consigned to the local community of Sânnicolau Mare.

The first edition of this tour was held in April 2011, in 12 cities, marking Franz Liszt's 200th birthday, and was conceived following the example of the famous tour of the famous romantic pianist and composer, held between 1846 and 1847 in the Romanian lands. While Liszt would travel and hold concerts on an Erard piano that accompanied him everywhere, the first Traveling Piano, a Steinway concert grand piano, left the Radio Hall along with pianist Horia Mihail and the technical team heading for cities where there are no such instruments - Hunedoara, Deva, Alba Iulia, Dumbrăveni.

After a highly successful series of concerts, the piano will remain in the Traube Hall in Medias, being entrusted to the local community for a period of three years.

A piano brought to life, a tremendous journey

This is what Horia Mihail stated one year ago: We have come to the end of an absolutely incredible journey. We were acclaimed with such enthusiasm and interest by the audience in all towns we visited; for me, this was an amazing experience and I cannot wait to do it again. It is hard to say good bye to the piano that became my friend during this journey. However, the joy I am feeling for having managed to bring it to life, make this sadness go away.

It is with great happiness that Horia Mihail has the chance to repeat the experience at a new scale.

The second tour announces a rich and exciting programme including recitals and orchestra concerts, starting in Medias on 21^st May, in the hall where it finished last year.

You can follow its route on: www.pianulcalator.ro or on our public radio broadcasts.

Travelling Piano Itinerary

Mediaş - 21^st May, Traube Hall

Dumbrăveni - 22^nd May, Armenian Cathedral

Sighişoara - 23^rd May, Cultural Centre

Mamaia - 17^th June, Radio Vacanţa

Buzău - 18^th June, George Ciprian Theatre

Focşani - 19^th June, Dramatic Theatre

Roman - 20^th June, Cultural Centre

Caracal - 26^th June, Dramatic Theatre

Reşiţa - 27^th June, Cultural Centre

Sânnicolau Mare - 30^th June, Cultural Centre

Recitals Itinerary

Braşov - 27^th May, Reduta Cultural Centre Hall

Oradea - 2^nd June, Philarmonic Hall

Baia Mare - 3^rd June, Rotary Concert Hall of the Baia Mare Arts High School

Cluj-Napoca - 5^th June, Hungarian Opera

Piteşti - 8^th June, Cultural Centre

Bucureşti - 12^th June, Radio Hall

Iaşi - 24^th June, Ion Baciu Hall of the Moldova State Philarmonic

Orchestra Concerts Itinerary

Târgu Mureş - 31^st May, Palace of Culture. Târgu Mureş Philarmonc Orchestra, conductor Alexandros Myrat

Braşov - 7^th June, Military Circle. Braşov Philarmonic Orchestra, conductor Bogdan Chiroşcă

Bucureşti - 15^th June, Radio Hall. National Radio Orchestra, conductor JinWang

Bacău - 22^nd June, Athenaeum. Bacău Philarmonic Orchestra, conductor Ovidiu Bălan

Timişoara - 29^th June, Capitol Hall. Banatul Philarmonic Orchestra, conductor Gheorghe Costin

Chişinău - 11^th July, Harmonium Hall. Moldavia Chamber Orchestra, conductor Valentin Doni