INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR CONTEMPORARY MUSIC (ISCM)
ISCM-Romanian Section Annual Report 2008-2009

Disseminating the values of contemporary music, especially the Romanian music, in Romania and abroad, continued to be in 2008-2009 one of the most important objectives of the Romanian Section of the International Society for Contemporary Music.

In this regard, ISCM-Romanian Section conceived and organized 4^th edition of the MERIDIAN, ISCM-Romanian Section International Festival (Bucharest, 8-12 December, 2008). Other organizers of this international music event, now traditionally been: the Ministry of Culture, Union of Romanian Composers and Musicologists; co-organizers: Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, National University of Music Bucharest, National Museum "George Enescu", National Art Center "Tinerimea Română", Romanian Association of Women in Art (ARFA), media partners being: Radio Romania Muzical, Radio Romania Cultural, "Actualitatea Muzicală", Contemporary Music – Romanian Newsletter (publication in English edited by ISCM-Romanian Section and Contemporary Music Information Center), Institute for Cultural Memory (cIMeC). 2008 edition of the Festival – which kept the generic cardinal points – included programs opposite sites of the latest contemporary signed by composers from France, Slovenia, Poland, Italy, South Korea, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Croatia, Israel , Turkey, USA, Spain, Russia, Uzbekistan, Australia, Japan, Canada, Estonia. Festival posters were presented MERIDIAN, ISCM-Romanian Section International Festival 2008 interpreters recognized the value and bands devoted to contemporary music in the country and abroad: Trio PROmoZICA (France/Romania), French saxophonist Daniel Kientzy, Ensemble MD 7 (Slovenia), Bulgarian pianist Dimitar Tsanev, ARCHAEUS Ensemble (Romania), Ensemble devotioModerna, mezzo-soprano Elmira Sebat (Romania),, Xenia Ensemble (Italy), Inter-Art Group (Romania), The Basso Moderno Duo (USA), TRAIECT Ensemble, PROFIL Ensemble (Romania), and Group "U"(Estonia). Edition 2008 of the festival included two video works signed by Liana Alexandrand Şerban Nichifor. There were held also releases CDs, music books and scores of contemporary music introduced by Valentina Sandu-Dediu, musicologist and composer Carmen Cârneci, Director, "Editura Muzicală".

ISCM-Romanian Section was co-organizer of the Contemporary Music Week International Festival – 18^th edition (Bucharest, 23-30 May 2008) and organizer, with Union of Romanin Composers and Musicologists and the Ministry of Culture, Religious Affairs and National Heritage, of the 19^th edition of the International New Music Week Festival (Bucharest, 23-30 May 2009).

We continued in this period regular updating of the official website (snr.cimec.ro – in Romanian and in English) of the ISCM-Romanian Section, in collaboration with the Institute for Cultural Memory of the Ministry of Culture, Religious Affairs and National Heritage (CIMEC).

ISCM-Romanian Section delegates attended the festival ISCM World Music Days in Vilnius (Lithuania) and the General Assemblies of the ISCM festival held there.

The contemporary music concerts organized by the ISCM-Romanian Section, or in collaboration with institutions, associations, foundations in the country and abroad or foreign cultural centers in Bucharest.

Press articles have appeared, were made radio and television to promote Romanian music and knowledge of contemporary musical values. Composer George Balint, a member of the Executive Committee of the ISCM-Romanian Section, continued to achive in 2008, at the Radio Romania Cultural, a radio broadcast dedicated to the new music.

It was ensured regular payment of annual fee of ISCM-Romanian Section the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM).

He continued to admit new members in ISCM-Romanian Section: composers Petre-Marcel Vârlan, Gabriel Mălăncioiu and Camelia Anca Sârbu, Olguţa Lupu, musicologists.

Numbers occurred 6/2006 and 7/2007 of the English newsletter of ISCM-Romanian Section: Contemporary Music – Romanian Newsletter.

Members of the ISCM-Romanian Section were artistic directors of the 2008 edition of the Contemporary Music Week International Festival: composers Liviu Dănceanu and Dan Dediu and the 2009 edition of International New Music Week Festival: composers Doina Rotaru and Sorin Lerescu.

The International Jury of the ISCM World Music Days Festival in 2009 Sweden, has selected, from the behalf of the ISCM-Romanian Section, Spectacle pour an instant, a work by Octavian Nemescu.

Another Romanian work, Chant du sommeil, by Diana Rotaru, Member of the ISCM-Romanian Section, was selected in the same festival from the behalf of ARFA (Romanian Association of Women in Art). Between ISCM-Romanian Section and ARFA exists, since 2004, a cooperation protocol to promote Romanian contemporary music in the country and abroad.

Wednesday, June 2, 2009, held in Bucharest, the General Assembly of the Romanian Section of ISCM. On this occasion the composer Sorin Lerescu was reelected as president. In the new Executive Committee were re-elected composers: Dan Dediu, Doina Rotaru, Carmen Cârneci and George Balint.

Six scores signed by contemporary Romanian composers were sent, by ISCM-Romanian Section, to be selected by the international jury of ISCM WNMD 2010 Festival, Sydney, Australia.

In the coming period we will continue identifying the most appropriate ways to promote Romanian contemporary music in Romania and abroad. We will organize a new edition of the MERIDIAN, ISCM-Romanian Section International Festival and will edit a new edition of the newsletter in English of the ISCM-Romanian Section: Contemporary Music – Romanian Newsletter. We will try to establish and develop contacts with sections and associated members of the ISCM, other organizations and institutions with a musical profile, important composers from other countries, trying to connect the Romanian music to contemporary musical values.

Sorin Lerescu, President