"London Cello Connection - Ovidiu Marinescu, London Symphony Orchestra, conductor Miran Vaupotić" - CD Review, 23rd of May 2023

Contemporary works premiered on disc, composed by Marvin Lamb, John Robertson, Joanna Estelle, Diane Jones, Arthur Gottschalk, Peter Laurence Deutsch and Katherine Price.

"Eight exceptional composers, eight disc premieres, a legendary orchestra and a spectacular soloist. "London Cello Connectionis a captivating collection featuring contemporary compositions performed by renowned cellist Ovidiu Marinescu and the London Symphony Orchestra, with Miran Vaupotic at the rostrum." - note the representatives of the Navona Records label, where the album was released on the 10th of March and which I am premiering on Radio România Muzical. Ovidiu Marinescu is a virtuoso cellist, conductor, professor at West Chester University, poet and Romanian composer with a rich activity in the United States of America and Europe, whom we have the opportunity to hear on CD Review in pieces for cello and orchestra by contemporary North American and Canadian composers such as John Robertson, Joanna Estelle, Diane Jones and Arthur Gottschalk.

Ovidiu Marinescu studied at the George Enescu High School of Music in Bucharest, then at the University of Wisconsin with Wolfgang Lauferand at Temple University in Philadelphia with Orlando Cole. He has performed in Romania, at Sala Radio and on philharmonic stages in our country, as well as in the United States, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. He is currently a member of the Casals Trio, professor at West Chester University and director of the Casals Orchestra in Pennsylvania. He plays thee steemed Matteo Gofriller cello and produces outstanding recording projects. Ovidiu Marinescu has been an artist with Parma Recordigs for over 10 years, recording 15 albums to date. These cover a wide stylistic range, from the suites for solo cello by Johann Sebastian Bach printed in 2011 to contemporary works that occupy a prominent place in the repertoire of cellist, composer and conductor Ovidiu Marinescu.

The London Cello Connection disc was printed in June 2022 at St. Luke's Church, a historic London place of worship built in 1733 and now the home of the London Symphony Orchestra's recording and music education programmes. Ovidiu Marinescu collaborated with this renowned ensemble for his new album, which he says: "It's a fantastic project. From time to time we have opportunities that are not only exciting and important for our careers, but also meaningful. As an artist, I'm a professional but I'm also always looking for meaning and connection in everything I do, whether it's connecting with a student or performing a song. This album is unique, it includes eight mini-concerts, each about 5 minutes long... For radio broadcasting, a piece like this has its place, and composers can get their message across more easily than through a long work. We issued an invitation to the composers at Parma Recordings and this is how this album has been born," says cellist Ovidiu Marinescu, a virtuoso artist with impeccable technique, a vigorous sound, full of sonic vibration, passion and warmth.