The known French pianist Alexandre Tharaud released last month his first album, being dedicated to Serghei Rahmaninov. It's an album which includes the famous Concerto no. 2 op. 18 in C minor, in a thrilling interpretation. The pianist was accompanied by the Royal Harmonium's Orchestra in Liverpool conducted by the Russian conductor Alexander Vedernikov.

It is my pleasure to invite you to CD Review into the wonderful world of Antonin Dvořák's music, accompanied by the Czech Harmonium Orchestra, conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek. Bělohlávek studied cello with Miloš Sadlo and graduated Conservatory and the Academy of art performance in Prague.

The album includes a selection of some of the best recordings from the artist's discography, personally picked by the violinist, recordings which are mainly from her last 20 years of career.

An album released on the 2^nd of December, in premiere at Radio România Muzical: recordings by conductor Gustavo Dudamel at the stand of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with a 100% Russian programme by Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky.

On December 1^st the great Austrian pianist turned 70, whom has been and still is honored in major concert halls in the world, among which Carnegie Hall in New York, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Concert Hall of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Berlin.

Between 1955-1983, the great Russian pianist , Emil Gilels, has visited the United States of America 12 times. Unlike his coleague and rival, Sviatoslav Richter, Gilels loved the States. I first came here 22 years ago- he said in 1977. I left here, in the States, a big part of my heart and I left this place with a big part of my life.

Camille Berthollet started studying cello at the age of 4 and violin at the age of 8. In 2015, thanks to her performances in the young talents contest Prodiges

Recently, the nominees for the International Prizes of Classical Music have been announced, ICMA being one of the most important discographic prizes at the European level. The winners will be announced on the 20th of January 2017 and the rewarding ceremony will take place on the 1st of April 2017 in Leipzig.

In June 2016, the cellist Valentin Răduțiu released his newest CD, recorded with the Chamber Orchestra in Munich, conducted by Stephan Frucht, reuniting three classical concerts: no. 1 by Joseph Haydn, Concerto in D Major transcribed by Gaspar Cassado after Concerto no. 3 for horn and orchestra by Mozzart and Concerto in B flat Major by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

On the 21st of October 2016, the pianist born in Iași, with a beautiful career in her adoptive country, Great Britain, she released her first album as a concert soloist. A debut with the Royal Harmonium's Orchestra in London, conducted by Darrell Ang.

There are two names not too known to the Romanian audience, that's why I will tell you a little about their artistic life. About the Belgian instrumentalist Anneleen Lenaerts I can tell you that it's one of the most valuable harpists of the moment, being the prime-harpist of the Harmonium's Orchestra in Vienna since 2010. She has won no more than 23 awards, such as the Big Prize of the Lily Laskine International Contest.

În 14 octombrie 2016 s-a lansat la casa Deutsche Grammophon cel mai nou album al violonistului sârb de 31 ani, Nemanja Radulovic

I offer recommend you an album which has been released on the 23^rd of September 2016 by the Decca publishing house in London; on the cover we see the name of the American violoncellist Alisa Weilerstein and that of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra from Munich, under the direction of Spanish conductor Pablo Heras Casado.

This album entitled simply Fantastic Cenčić bears the mark of one of today's trendiest singers, countertenor Max Emanuel Cenčić, who wishes to prove how fantastic he is. Beyond my rhetorical question, the artist stands out with his extraordinarily bright voice, his exuberant lyricism but also with the creativity and meticulousness he chooses his repertoire with. As you will observe from listening to the recordings from this album, Fantastic Cenčić, the artist excels in music parts dedicated to sopranos but also for mezzosopranos.

It is without a doubt a tribute album, dedicated to American composer James Horner, whose premature passing shocked the music world and the film world alike. Collage -The Last Work contains the last piece of work written by James Horner, it's about the Collage concert for 4 horns and orchestra, along with a few musical fragments of soundtracks that James Horner composed for over 100 movies, mentioning: Legend of the Fall, Iris, Aliens and Wolf Totem.

The current musical conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, chose for this album three works that portray Claude Debussy's mastery in the art of orchestration, the suite Images, the danced poem Jeux and the waltz La Plus Que Lente.

After surprising his hosts with his organ concerto, held on the 14^th of January 1707, Georg Friedrich Händel, at only 22, swiftly grabbed the attention of the Roman artistic circles of that time. His compositions brought a breath of fresh air to the city’s musical environment and this caused several aristocratic and ecclesiastic figures to ask him for his services, despite his being Lutheran.

For the first time in Romania, a remarkable CD, praised already by international press, launched on the 4^th November by the Deutsche Grammophon house: the Tchaikovsky and Sibelius Concertos for violin and orchestra, interpreted by Lisa Batiashvili and the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim.

Roberto Plano was distinguished in 2001 after he won the First Prize of the Cleveland International Piano Competition. In 2005 he was the Finalist of The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Also, in 2001, he was the Founder and Director of the Music Association “Alfred Cortot” in Italy at the Varesina Music Academy with the purpose of spreading as he says the joy of classical music under all of its aspects giving the priority of musical education for the young ones.

On the 28^th of October 2016, Decca Records launched a new album comprising Mozart's Concerto no. 17 and no. 25, interpreted by pianist Mitsuko Uchida and the Cleveland Symphonic Orchestra. I must admit that I was eagerly looking forward to listening to another Mozart album played by Mitsuko Uchida, the British pianist with Japanese origins who is considered one of the best Mozart interpreters of our times.

More than 5 years ago, the Dutch artist of Korean origins met the famous American composer Philip Glass, one of the most influential creators of 22^nd century. This point of meeting would have marked for Lavinia Meijer the beginning of a new musical journey orientated to his minimalism. She bore up to Glass' creation because she was looking for new sonorous landscapes that she could explore with her instrument.

It's one of the most valuable chamber ensemble of the moment. Violonist Corina Belcea is the one who founded the quartet in 1994. Alongside her at the moment the band has as members, Axel Schacher - violin , Krzysztof Chorzelski - viola , Antoine Lederlin - cello.

A little recreation by listening to an album that regards a celebration which became popular among the youngsters, the night of Halloween: on the 14th of October, Decca Records released the album 'Danse Macabre' , with records of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, conductor Kent Nagano.

Obviously, this album has entered into our competition 'Vote for the classical album of 2016' and not necessarily because it was awarded by Gramophone, but because Vilde Frang has successful discographic antecedents. In 2010, the Norwegian violinist released her first album of twin concertos in an unexpected association, Jean Sibelius's Suite for Violin and Orchestra in D Minor, beside Serghei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-Flat.

At the age of 34, Bertrand Chamayou is an emergent French pianist, who holds the success from his previous recordings in his repertoire, referring to records that contain the works of Schubert, Liszt and the highly appreciated album dedicated to César Franck. But the Ravel challenge is at a higher level.

This is the title of young pianist Sânziana Mircea's debut album, one of the most promising talents of the young generation, an artist who is building her career meticulously, passionately, and tenaciously - writes musicologist Liliana Staicu in the album's preface.

On October 9 2016 in Berlin, took place the Echo Klassik Awards, which are a kind of European Grammy Awards. For the chamber music section, the album which includes recording string quartets of Johannes Brahms No. 1 and 3, records signed by Artemis Quartet, received the grand prize. An award that the quartet members have dedicated to Friedemann Weigle, until recently the band violinist, who left this world shortly after the recording of this album.

Songs of the Arc of Life is the title of the album I present to you, which is charged with personal meanings. It is the way through which the two artists marked, last year in September, the wonderful experience that has come out of their 30 years of collaboration. The two are violoncellist Yo Yo Ma and his recital partner, pianist Kathryn Stott.

Ivan Ilić is a Yugoslav artist, resident in Paris, a pianist that tries to pass over the path of celebrity. From his musical activity in the capital of France we mention interpretations of French music, especially Debussy it was a reason for him in 2008 to win a prize from Mezzo TV. He has a few nominations in the classical albums tops made by French publications in this domain like Brass Band and Classique News, English sites like The Daily Telegraph and German ones like Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, but all of this didn`t manage him to pass over the path of celebrity which he aches for tenaciously. Of course, I am talking about the elite of the worldwide piano elite.

In actuality, the album which you are being invited to listen to was created at the Verbier Festival, 2003 edition. The records remained hidden for 15 years in the Deutsche Grammophon. The treasury? A music recital held in a warm summer night in the heart of the Swiss Alps. The atmosphere?

The I Solisti Veneti ensemble, conducted by Claudio Scimone, a prestigious interpretative name, recommends this album for Radio Romania Muzical's "Vote for the Classical Music Album of 2016" campaign.

A world premiere for the album Morricone 60, a record that marks 60 years of activity of the legendary Italian composer of film soundtrack, Ennio Morricone. The album will debut on October 7^th 2016 and it is highly anticipated worldwide, especially because the album contains some of the most popular and sung film theme songs, 2016 version, recorded by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and Choir, conducted by Ennio Morricone himself. The composer is approaching his 88^th birthday.

Starting with 2008, Antoine Francoise and Robin Green have dedicated their careers to promoting the piano duo, approaching a large repertoire in their performances, from Mozart to Ravel and Kurtag. Since then, the two artists are responsible for over 50 world premieres, that include works signed by Hanspeter Kyburtz, Ruaidhri Mannion and Gavin Higgins, or even young composers like Vlad Maistorovici, Christian Elliott, Colin Alexander, Alissa Firsova and Christian Mason.

I would like to bring up to your attention an album in which the contrabass is a soloist, an instrument that only exceptional musicians manage to highlight it. Well Ödön Rácz is such a virtuoso, a Hungarian contrabassist that just turned 35 years old, an artist with an interesting soloistic record.

This is the title of a recent L.P. that I can't wait to release for you, at Radio Romania Music. Bearing a great love for Brahms, the stars of this album are violinist Joshua Bell, cellist Steven Isserlis and pianist Jeremy Denk. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields followes the in this declaired love for Brahms, under the baton of the violonist.

Theodore Currentzis is the artistic director of The Opera and Ballet State Theatre in Perm - Russia and artistic director of MusicAeterna Orchestra, and MusicAeterna Chamber Choir; the latter being founded at the same time as the orchestra in 2004. During his artistic presence in Perm, Currentzis Theodore was given numerous awards. In 2005 he received the Golden Mask, a prize given in Russia for performances in the lyric theater.

Lucas Debargue is inspired in his performance, as he declares, by literature, painting, cinema and jazz. He made a late start in classical music, at the age of 20

Being very popular in the States, with his rebel and nonconformist haircut, dressed as a pop-rock star, Cameron Carpenter graduated the faimous Juilliard School in New York

Grammy winner and 4 times Oscar nominee, Danny Elfman is also the creator of the Rabbit & Rogue ballet's music, a show that was performed in premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2008. Danny Elfman recorded the sheets of this ballet for an album that was released on the 7th of June 2016 with Berlin Session Orchestra, conducted by the composer, the one whom you'll be listening as a pianist, too.

It's about the South-African lyrical soprano Pumeza Matshikiza, one of the promising voices of the moment, known to the audience since 2014 when she made her debut at the Decca record company with the Voice of Hope album.

At the beginning of the '60s, Dmitri Shostakovich has invited the young pianist in his appartment in Moscow to play Trio with piano no. 2. A meeting which has marked the artist for his entire fabulous carrer, both as a pianist and a conducter. Vladimir Ashkenazy was and still is a convincing performer of Shostakovich's creation.

After the 2012 (Silver Violin) and 2014 albums (Homecoming), this could be the best album right now for Nicola Benedetti where she worked with the Symphonic Orchestra in Bournemouth, conducted by her current music manager, the Ucrainean conducter Kirill Karabits. In an extraordinary contrast, the violinist performed the brilliant Concerto op. 82 in A minor for violin, composed by Alexander Glazunov in 1904

The Romanian premiere of female pianist Alice Sara Ott's Wonderland, a disc released on 9^th September 2016 by Deutsche Grammophon Classical Music Label

I've decided that the first two CD reviews from the new programme of Radio Romania Muzical to be dedicated to a recently released album

On the 6^th of May 2016, the London label, Decca, has released an unique album: the first that includes all 18 nocturnes written by John Field, played by the American pianist, Elizabeth Joy Roe. This has been the second record for her at Decca Records, after the success of her first album that was launched in March 2015, which included concerts by Barber and Britten.

I want to recommend you an album released by Decca Classics on the 1^st April 2016, an album which is also included in Radio Romania Music's Campaign

On the 25^th March 2016, Sony has released Lucas Debargue's debut album, the French piano player who has caught the attention of the international world after participating in the International Tchaikovsky Competition held in Moscow, in 2015.

The 3rd of March is the date at which this unique album, so suitable for the summer time, was released: Carmen- signed by accordionist Ksenija Sidorova, an album that I present to you during the campaign Vote for the year's best classical music album.

Lately, Radio Romania Music has frequently brought before you the name of the Canadian conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin, whose rising career achieves new references, not only due to nominations, but also due to new albums.

I want to invite you to listen to an album signed by Martha Argerich, an album released on 13^th May 2016 under the Deutsche Grammophon Label. However, this is not an album with recent recordings, but with the recordings of a young Martha Argerich, never before recorded on a disc, from 1960 and 1967, when Martha Argerich was still a promising piano player and not a certitude for the world's high-class piano players.

The album was designated as the best disc of November 2015 by the Gramophone magazine and also the best disc of January 2016 by the BBC Music Magazine.

On Monday, 13^th June, 19:00, I want to suggest listening to what I believe to be a one in a lifetime audition: the newest record of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by its music director, the Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck.

At just twenty six years old the young French orchestra conductor was given the position as a Chief Conductor and a Musical Director

During the entire course of its prestigious existence, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has enjoyed the collaboration with the exceptional

She is one of the singers who is now leading the old music interpreters. I cannot not notice the unique legato, the silver purity of her voice which makes Simone Kermes to have such a special voice

The Romanian violinist who graduated the National University of Music Bucharest and the Royal Academy of Music in London. The violinist

Martin Fröst is consistent in his recordings, his latest album entitled Roots, which was released this year on March 11th, presents a subjective selection of sounds collected from almost 2000 years of musical development, including but not limited to the Western world. On this album, the clarinet player brings together music inspired from folk art, excerpts from sacred rituals, pure entertainment music, echoes of the Early Middle Ages, a Gregorian Chant, works signed by Hildegard von Bingen, Georg Philipp Telemann, Bernard Henrik Crusell, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Bela Bartok and Astor Piazolla, all of these composers united by the inspiration of traditional music and dance.

On February 19th 2016, Archiv Record Label released the latest album of Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena on an international level. The album includes the works of Claudio Monteverdi, with short orchestral interludes composed by Marco Ucellini, Tarquinio Merula and Biagio Marini. In the first half of the 17th century, a new musical style emerged in the world of Italian music - the Baroque style.

After 20 years since her first debut acclaimed by the critics, at Salzburg Festival, in the character of Susanne from "Figaro's Wedding", Dorothea Roschmann

March 21st - Johann Sebastian Bach's date of birth and the European Day of Early Music, as it was instituted in 2013, for the very reason that March 21st is the anniversary of the day on which Johann Sebastian Bach, the greatest of early music composers, was born.

On the 26^th February 2016 Deutsche Grammophon Music Label has launched a new album of the Chinese pianist Yundi. It contains Chopin`s Four Ballads, Berceuse Op.57 D Flat Major and Mazurka Op.17 No.4. The Chinese pianist Yundi continues his connection in the world of Chopin`s music- last year in September 2015

The name of Nikolaus Harnoncourt is directly related to the regret of his recent death and to the fact that this maestro of the baton and his orchestra Concentus Musicus Viena did not leave us an integral set of Beethoven's symphonies. On 5^th February 2016 was released the album which includes Symphony No. 4 and 5, recorded just ten months before Nikolaus Harnoncourt's death.

This is a daring project and I hope Decca Classics will complete it successfully. There have been other attempts. I would mention here the incomplete series started by Hogwood and his Academy of Early Music, and also Roy Goodman's Project with Hanover Band. This is yet another promising start, which I will be very interested in following, for our listeners. And in order to encourage this project, during four editions of CD Review

It's entitled Sol Gabetta - Vasks: Presence and was released on 13^th November last year. Special attention is given to the worldwide recording premiere of Concerto No. 2 for Cello and String Orchestra "Presence" (Klātbūtne)

I will bring into focus an album of Treasures of Bel Canto. It is about the CD released by the French tenor of Mexican origins Rolando Villazon in October 2015. Actually, the CD is made of Italian lounge arias of 18^th century signed by Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini and Verdi. Most of the works were written for voice and piano, but Villazon wanted them to have orchestral accompaniment, saying: As I was hearing in my ears, they asked to be interpreted with the orchestra. The orchestration was made by Robert Sadin and Daniel Barnidge.

This is less about an album and more about a novel sound experience proposed by the pianist Hélène Grimaud in her latest album, released on January 29th, 2016 by Deutsche Grammophon. For Water is not just an album, it is a remarkable sound experience, which encompasses piano music

The event-album was released on 5^th of February by the British violinist Daniel Hope at the Deutsche Grammophon Record House. "My tribute to Yehudi Menuhin" album has a certain purpose: on 22^nd of April, there will have been a century since Yehudi Menuhin, one of the most important musicians of 20^th century, was born.

Over 25 years have passed since his death, and his name stirs yet admiration all over the world. It is perhaps because he lived in a time when leaving your personal mark meant everything for a true artist. Vladimir Horowitz was one of the 20^th century's most brilliant pianists, who, according to critics, represented for the art of piano what Franz Liszt was almost a century before.

Even if they are 19 and 22 years old, the Dutch pianists brothers, Arthur and Lucas Jussen are well-known in the concert halls of Europe, together but also as soloists. It is said that they are the protegees of Maria Joao Pires and thanks to her they`ve started to collaborate with important orchestras worldwide. Beyond that, the Jussen brothers prove on this Mozart album, which I invite you to enjoy it in two CD reviews, that they`ve got a lot of talent. One reason would be that they are on their fourth album launched under the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label.

On 15^th of January 2016 the Deutsche Grammonphon label released a double CD that included records of the well-known Russian pianist Grigory Sokolov. This was after exactly a year ago in January 2014, when the same label record was releasing the first album of records signed by Grigory Sokolov, an album that had a great success being one of the best-seller titles of Deutsche Grammophon, appreciated by the critics that offered him a Echo reward at the best pianist category, interpret of the 19^rh century music.