In my opinion, a perfect radio transmission must be able to combine the maximum rotational speed of a ″changing engine″ - both as technology and a media reality- with the constant, subtle, but efficient message of a cultural event. This is why, for the last four years, I have regarded as a necessity the opportunity of my annual departure for New York; at the moment, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York (the MET) displays the most qualitative seasons and has the most important artists in the music domain; this way it acquired the attention of the whole world. In addition, the MET is the only artistic institution having a radio station of its own and the live transmission of a whole performance can be broadcast in its studios; a great advantage for the listeners is the opportunity of receiving a broad visual comment of the performance, when the transmission is broadcast live.

Watch soprano Anita Hartig and tenor Vittorio Grigolo in rehearsal for Puccini's "La Bohème." Clip taken from the intermission features of the Live in HD transmission of Massenet's "Werther," hosted by Patricia Racette, on March 15, 2014.

On 29^th March, the performance of La Sonnambula by Vincenzo Bellini will be broadcast live, starring the German soprano Diana Damrau (photo) - who, in an exclusively interview, declared that she owed her musical education to a Romanian professor, the soprano Carmen Hanganu - and the great conductor Marco Armiliato - who proudly wanted to specify that the first performances he conducted over 20 years ago, took place... in Timisoara. It is a performance that I will have the opportunity to comment from the radio booth offered, as usual, by the Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. Our direct collaborators will be Mia Bongiovanni, Director of Media & Presentations and Ed Hartley, the sound engineer, together with my guest, the pianist Vlad Iftinca, who is a coach at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and the only Romanian hired at such an important an artistic institution.

Apart from the most important points, which have just been mentioned, the main reason of my departure for New York at this moment of the season was the coincidence with the soprano Anita Hartih′ s debut at the MET. Our young compatriot has just made her debut on the most important lyrical stage, with a very important score for her voice, in the role of Mimi, from the opera La Bohème by Puccini; it is a very popular role and, at the same time, extremely powerful. On 5^th April, during my show, I will enlarge on this subject with my guest, Anita Hartig, who accepted to give us an audio-video interview exclusively for the Radio Romania listeners.

Besides these main objectives, as always, another series of audio materials will be available; the only thing you have to do is to stay tuned to the radio frequencies of Radio Romania Music and Radio Romania Culture - on Saturday, 29^th March, starting at 18:50 - and to listen to a new edition of An Evening at the Opera show - brought to you with the support of the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations in New York.