Composer Horatiu Radulescu, one of the most important exponents of spectral music compositional technique, will be celebrated during a concert arranged by Accademia di Romania on January 31th in Rome. After Horatiu Radulescu graduated the Bucharest Conservatory, he first settled in France, and then in Switzerland and Germany, and his opuses have been performed at contemporary music festivals from all around the world since back in the 70s. We wanted to find out more about the event which the institution in Rome came up with, so we talked about it with the Accademia's Programme Director, Mr. Cornel Baicu.


Accademia di Romania will pay a homage to Romanian-born composer Horatiu Radulescu on January 31, 2010. On what occasion are you organizing this concert?

The Scelsi Foundation, which made the largest contribution in order to arrange this memorial concert, has its headquarters here in Rome. I would like to add that the Foundation has been permanently in touch with the composer's family since his passing away, two years ago. This concert is dedicated to Horatiu Radulescu, but not only to him; the schedule comprises other well-known names in spectral music, which enjoys a certain acclaim here in Italy, despite its uncommon character. These other composers are Tristan Murail, Claude Vivier and Costin Miereanu, whose works will be performed here at Accademia di Romania during the Sunday musical event.

Horatiu Radulescu is renowned in many circles of specialists and I must emphasize that this musical genre is rather unconventional and is intended for the erudite public. We do not want to transform this concert into a meeting of the elite but considering the importance of this composer, the friendliness he was shown to during his life and the wide appreciation his music is still enjoying after his death, I think this is a very suitable and well deserved homage and we are very happy to host this event.


The performers of the works this concert consists of are Italian; are these two musicians specialized in playing contemporary music, new music?

Right. We are talking about Maurizio Barbetti - viola da gamba - and Francesco Cuoghi - guitar and live electronics. The latter is in fact both the heart and the hands of this arrangement, and a member of the Scelsi Foundation. Francesco Cuoghi contacted us an asked for our cooperation in this matter and we granted it, of course. The performers are well-known in Italy and are also active promoters of this musical genre.