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ISCM General Assembly
International Society for Contemporary Music Hong Kong 2007
National Sections Reports
ISCM-Romanian Section Annual Report 2006 – 2007
Throughout 2006 and 2007 the Romanian Section of the International Society
for Contemporary Music – a representative organization for Romanian music
acting within the Union of Romanian Composers and Musicologists – has
continued its work of promoting contemporary music values in Romania and
abroad.
The most important event organized by the Romanian Section was the "MERIDIAN-
Zilele SNR-SIMC" International Festival, whose second edition took place
in Bucharest between 9 and 13 December 2006. This international musical
event has been organized by the Romanian Ministry of Culture, the Union
of Romanian Composers and Musicologists and the ISCM-Romanian Section,
alongside the "George Enescu" National Museum Bucharest and the Romanian
Association of Women in Arts – ARFA. Media coverage was provided by Radio
Romania Muzical "George Enescu", TvRM, Actualitatea Muzicala, "Contemporary
Music-Romanian Newsletter" (an English language newsletter published by
the ISCM-Romanian Section and the Centre for Information on Contemporary
Music), cIMeC and PORT.ro. The Brazilian Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Florida International University have been among the sponsors for
the Festival’s second instalment, themed "Cardinal Points", which
has aimed to achieve a necessary openness towards today’s music
world, in order to connect ideas from and facilitate communication between
Romanian and overseas composers. In attendance were Velislav Zaimov, president
of the Bulgarian Composers’ Union and of the Bulgarian Section of
ISCM, Harry Crowl, president of the ISCM-Brazilian Section, Orlando Jacinto
Garcia representing the United States, Leontios Hadjileontiadis from Greece,
representing the ISCM-Greek Section, Cristian Marina, representing the
ISCM-Swedish Section, as well as internationally well-known contemporary
soloists and performers: Satoko Inoue from Japan – piano, the Sofia Trio
from Bulgaria made up of Rossen Idealov – clarinet, Georgita Boyadjieva
– cello, Dragomir Yossifov – piano. Conferences were organized on the
theme of contemporary music in their respective countries by Velislav
Zaimov, Harry Crowl, Orlando Jacinto Garcia and Leontios Hadjileontiadis,
while also contributing with their premieres to the Festival’s events.
Romania contributed its share of ensembles and artists from the contemporary
music and dance scene to the Festival’s list of events, with the
likes of Violoncellissimo, Traiect, Archaeus, Inter-Art, devotioModerna,
Florilegium, Marin Cazacu or Liliana Iorgulescu. The Festival’s
second edition also included an electronic music concert as well as a
book and CD launch with Valentina Sandu-Dediu and Petre Codreanu as hosts.
The Romanian Section of ISCM has also been involved, as an organizer,
with the Contemporary Music Week, well-known international new music Festival,
which took place between May 23 and 30 in Bucharest under the aegis of
the Romanian Ministry of Culture and the Union of Romanian Composers and
Musicologists, the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Society and ArCuB – The
Centre for Cultural Projects of Bucharest Municipality.
A new issue of the "Contemporary Music-Romanian Newsletter" has been edited
and published by the Romanian Section in this relevant period, reflecting
the Romanian music scene in the aesthetic and stylistic context of the
international music scene.
German city Stuttgart played host in July 2006 to the ISCM World New Music
Days Festival. The international jury of the ISCM has not, unfortunately,
selected any of the works submitted by the Romanian Section for this edition
of the Festival. Romanian contemporary music has been, however, represented
through the Sogni tra suoni – Korean Interferences (for special
duo, tape & video performance), by Mihaela Stanculescu-Vosganian, a Romanian
Section member as well as the president of the ARFA, an associate member
of the ISCM.
The same situation having repeated itself at the 2007 ISCM –ACL
World Music Days Festival in Hong Kong – that is, none of the works
submitted by the Romanian Section having been selected to feature on the
Festival’s programme, with the only Romanian work acknowledged being
Carmen Maria Carneci’s "-embER(die Stille,ich)" work, submitted
through ARFA. As a sign of protest against the organizers’ treatment
towards the Romanian Section – an active and significant member of ISCM
– , the Romanian Section’s Executive Committee has voted that voluntary
contribution to the Member Support Fund – a fund administered by
the ISCM – be ceased.
On Monday, June 4, Sofia hosted, in its Filip Kutev auditorium, a Romanian
chamber music concert organized by the Bulgarian Composers’ Union
with the Romanian Section of ISCM. The concert programme included works
by Tiberiu Olah, Doina Rotaru, Theodor Grigoriu, George Balint, Stefan
Niculescu and Maia Ciobanu. Attending, following the president of the
Bulgarian Composers’ Union’s invitation, were composers Sorin
Lerescu, president of the Romanian Section, Doina Rotaru, member of ISCM-Romanian
Section Executive Committee and Maia Ciobanu, a former president of the
Romanian Section.
The General Assembly of the ISCM-Romanian Section was held in Bucharest,
on 6 June 2007. The Assembly voted Sorin Lerescu’s re-election as
Romanian Section president. The Executive Committee also saw re-elections
for the following composers: Dan Dediu, Doina Rotaru, Carmen Maria Carneci
and George Balint.
The ISCM-Romanian Section has concluded an agreement, in 2007, with the
ARFA aimed at increasing the number of works to feature at the 2008 ISCM
World Music Days Festival in Vilnius, Lithuania, by Romanian composers,
members of the two organizations.
The Romanian Section of ISCM has also strengthened its ranks through the
following composers who have joined it: Diana Rotaru, Elena Apostol, Diana
Iulia Simon, Adrian Borza, Cristian Bence-Muk, Ciprian Pop, Serban Marcu,
Ionica Pop, alongside musicologists Constantin Secara, Stefan Angi and
Pavel Puscas.
The ISCM-Romanian Section’s future activities include organizing
between 9 and 14 December the third edition of the "MERIDIAN – Zilele SNR-SIMC"
International Festival in Bucharest. We are also persevering in our effort
to obtain funding for releasing the Romanian Music Today (vol.2) double
CD. The Romanian Section is also considering hosting at our Headquarters
contemporary music soirées and is now preparing a new issue of its
own "Contemporary Music-Romanian Newsletter".
Sorin Lerescu, President
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