"Its Excellency, Music 75" is the anniversary concert's title. The event is scheduled on Sunday, 10th of March, and starts at 7 pm at the Romanian Athenaeum. Three of the institution's ensembles will perform together with soloists who graduated said college - the soprano Laura Tătulescu, violinist Ștefan Aprodu, cellist Cornelius Zirbo - and the young trumpeter Materi Gheorghe (a student in his third grade). Venera Babeș, headmistress of the "Dinu Lipatti National College of Art"in Bucharest, and violinist Ștefan Aprodu offered us more details about the concert during Wednesday's edition of Perpetuum mobile (6^th of March).

Welcome!It's good to have you here!

Venera Babeș:Thank you, it's good to be here!

We're talking about a special concert, which is going to take place on Sunday, 10th of March, at the Romanian Athenaeum - an event which celebrates "Dinu Lipatti National College of Art"'s 75^th anniversary. Headmistress, we would like to hear a few words about this moment. What did you prepare for the Bucharest audience during this anniversary hour?

Venera Babeș: It is such an important event for the Romanian music school in general. This is the first music school in Bucharest which, technically, became the pioneer of institutionalized education. Under such circumstances, when we have to celebrate generations which have contributed to this school for 75 years, we thought about a repertoire that has a peculiar beauty to it, its attractiveness stemming from the soloists we have invited. What do I mean by that? The soloists are our alumni. For example, Ștefan Aprodu - violinist, and I am here joined by him; the cellist Cornelius Zirbo, the soprano Laura Tătulesscu, and, to pass the baton to the next generation, we even have a trumpeter who is in primary school.

It is an interesting and beautiful repertoire. We will have two orchestras on the stage: The Wind Orchestra, which will open the concert and perform Khachaturian and Dvořák; The Symphony Orchestra, accompanying the soloists. I should also mention the fact that our chorus will be on stage as well, performing the school's hymn -a piece composed by Valentin Mandaric, composer and professor in our school. Thus, it is a piece written especially for the "Dinu LipattiNational College of Art"; naturally, it hasn't been composed recently, but a few years prior.

Since I brought up Valentin Mandric… he is going to bring us another gift on the occasion of this anniversary hour - 75 years since the founding of the first music school in Bucharest - he composed another piece, "Memories", which will be performed for the first time at the concert taking place on the 10^th of March. An interesting piece. We invite you to listen and take in what it has to say. A truly enthralling experience!

Another reason not to miss the concert.

Ștefan Aprodu, what is your role going to be during the concert? What will you be performing?

Ștefan Aprodu: Since I was little, I felt very inspired and drawn to these musical ways. I have never been set on one instrument only. That is why, at some point, I took the path of the viola and became so engaged in this double work. I will work together with my colleagues in the orchestra as a reminder of the viola. Moreover, I will perform Tchaikovsky's original Valse Sentimentalefor the piano, this time through the lens of a symphonic orchestra and a solo violin.

How is the comeback, together with your colleagues from "Dinu Lipatti"?

Ștefan Aprodu: It's an interesting experience. On one side, I'm meeting new people, who address me with "mister". For me, that is… maybe "impressive"is not the word for it, but it makes me feel a bit timid. I'm not used to this "politeness". But, at the same time, I have made so many friends and I'm still making more, since I feel like our ages and experiences are so similar. I am so grateful and glad for that. Every time I'm there, I feel like I am home.

A national college of arts,such as "Dinu Lipatti", is becoming, inevitably, a second home for each of its students, since we spend a lot of time there - 8 hours, 10 hours. Apart from the usual courses we take, we also have music hours, orchestra and chorus ones, etc.

Madam Venera Babeș, what are you working onduring this anniversary year, apart from the 10^th of March concert? Since it's an anniversary year.

Venera Babeș: If you allow me, I'd like to add a few more details about our anniversary concert. We have two more special moments. At the "Dinu LipattiNational College of Art", there is also the "Art of the actor" section. Since the National College of Art is called "Dinu Lipatti"... That is why, we have a moment involving the students from the "Art of the actor" section. They will enact some letters of Dinu Lipatti's, which have been put into a play by Monica Ciută. It is a special moment for the symphony concert, which highlights said section.

Moreover, I would like to add that we will also present a film of about 10-15 minutes by Loredana Baltazar. It features some of our alumni and former teachers saying a few words about our school and the atmosphere of the place when they were there.

As for 2024, we decided it is going to be all about this 75-year event, which has been so much more emphasized than other future events. One of them is the graduates' concert from the 2^nd of June, which will also take place at the Romanian Athenaeum - they will be the Graduates of 2024. Furthermore, we have prepared an homage for professor Elisabeta Tomescu Ciomu - a violin teacher, who taught many generations of violinists. The event is scheduled in October. In the same month, - let's not forget that school starts in September (July and August are holiday months) - we scheduled a book release. This is another surprise. Our professors, Nicolae Racu and Andrei Racu, put together a book that contains images, scraps of thoughts from our alumni, former teachers, actual students and teachers. The book will be released by the Grafoart Press. It is another gift for the anniversary year.

It is a volume that I cannot wait to leaf through. My request to you is for each of you to address an invitation to the public, to those who listen to us, for the Sunday evening concert - 10^th of March, the Romanian Athenaeum, 7 pm. How do your invitations sound?

Venera Babeș: We are gladly waiting for you and we're inviting you to a truly unique symphony concert!

Ștefan Aprodu: Come and join us to come together as one within this classical music shared sentiment, to understand and learn how to build a more beautiful and musically-educated society.