Constantin Basica

Constantin Basica is a Romanian composer living in the San Francisco Bay Area, whose current work explores perceptual illusions in the context of audiovisual performance. His compositions include pieces for solo instruments, chamber ensembles, and orchestra. In recent years, he has been composing multimedia works for acoustic instruments, electronics, and video, which have been performed in Europe and in the United States by artists such as Séverine Ballon, Tony Arnold, Olga Berar, Bogdan Popa, ELISION Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, Distractfold Ensemble, Ensemble Liminar, JACK Quartet, Spektral Quartet, and Rage Thormbones. Constantin is the Alice Wilber Chapman graduate fellow at Stanford University, where he is working with Jaroslaw Kapuscinski and Brian Ferneyhough toward a DMA in Composition. He is also studying with Mark Applebaum and Erik Ulman. He holds an MA degree in Multimedia Composition from the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre in Germany, where his mentor was Georg Hajdu, as well as two BA degrees in Composition and Conducting from the National University of Music Bucharest in Romania, where he studied with Dan Dediu.

Official website HERE.

Composer Adina Dumitrescu was born in Bucharest, Romania on 11.07.1964. She has a PhD in Musicology at the National University of Music of Bucharest(2005 – thesis On melodies and melody, supervisor prof. Alexandru Leahu) and a Master’s degree in Composition at the same university (1998 – composition with prof. Dan Dediu and prof. Ștefan Niculescu). She also attended Aurel Stroe’s Summer Composition Courses in 2001, 2000 and 1996. Her diverse activity includes: since 2009 – codirector of Țintea Muzicală International Festival for Classical and Contemporary Music (with composer Dana Cristina Probst); 2006-2007 – researcher at University of Tampere, Department of Music Anthropology; since 2004 – member of the Suomen Säveltäjät ry (Finnish Composers’ Association); since 1998 – member of the Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România (Romanian Composers’ and Musicologists’ Union); 1994-2003 – Universitatea Națională de Muzică București (National University of Music in Bucharest, UNMB), teaching – Musical Informatics and Romanian Musical Folklore; 1998-2000 – director of OPUS journal  (UNMB).

Adina Dumitrescu was awarded the following prizes and grants:  2016-2020 – 5-vuotinen taitelija-apuraha  (5 year state grant for artists) from Taiteen edistämiskeskus (Arts Promotion Center of Finland); 2014 – finalist of the Ciudad de Orihuela composition contest; 2008-2014 – Grants for composition from Tampereen Kaupunki (City of Tampere), Taiteen keskustoimikunta (Art Council of Finland), Suomen Kulttuurirahasto (Finnish Cultural Foundation),  Madetoja säätiö (Madetoja Foundation); 2012 – Valtion taitelija-apuraha (one year state grant for artists from the Finnish Performing Music Promotion Center); 2009 – Prize of the London Schubert Players and Constantin Silvestri Foundation at the Invitation to Composers composition contest; 2004 – Prize of the Aleph ensemble at the 3ème Forum Aleph des jeunes compositeurs; 1998 – 3^rd Prize of the Romanian Radio Orchestra composition contest.

Her works have been played in various concerts and festivals: Săptămâna Internațională a Muzicii Noi – București (2016, 2004, 2003, 2000); Nordic Music Days (Copenhagen, 2015) ; concert series of  the Orquesta « Ciudad de Orihuela » ( Orihuela, Alicante, Spain 2014) ; concert series Palindromes (Lille, France 2014) ; concert series Homage to Constantin Silvestri (Paris and Bruxelles 2013); concert series Saison Théâtre Dunois Paris, France (2013, 2008, 2005, 2004); Fresh ! (Celebration kantele music concert, Helsinki, Finland, 2012); concert series with TampereRaw ensemble at Willa Mac – Tampere, Finland (2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2009, 2006, 2002); Meidän Festivaali (Järvenpää, Finland, 2012); Ketjun rengas (Chain link) – composer portrait concert, Helsinki, Finland (2010); D’aujourd’hui à demain – Cluny, France (2010); festival Musiikin Aika (Time of Music) – Viitasaari, Finland (2010, 2007, 2006, 2001); Festival Punto de Encuentro Asociation de Musica Electroacustica de Espana (2007); Festival Aspekte – Salzburg, Austria (2006); Musiques démesurées (in collaboration with Finnish Institute in Paris)  – Clermont Ferrand, France (2006) ; 3^ème Forum Aleph des jeunes compositeurs – Moulin d’Andé (2004), Reims (2004) and Paris (2004) ; Gaudeamus Music Festival – Amsterdam, Netherlands (2004); Hellerau Festival Dresden, Germany (2004). 

Other projects: Romanian music and literature – with Tampereen Suomi-Romania Association; New perspectives of traditional strings (Finland, Romania and Austria 2016/2017) – Austrian, Finnish and Romanian contemporary music for kantele, sheng and zither – organizer and composer; HEL-VIE meno-paluu (Vienna, Austria and Helsinki, Tampere, Finland 2011) – Austrian and Finnish contemporary music for flute and clarinet – organizer and composer; ȚINTEA MUZICALĂ, International Festival for Classical and Contemporary Music – starting in 2009, takes place every year in Băicoi, Ploiești, București – founder, manager and organizer; Invitation to Composers (Paris and London 2010) – with London Schubert Players – composer, conductor and lecturer; Der Klang Brâncuşi – Le son Brâncuşi (Vienna, Austria 2007) – multimedia project, in memoriam Constantin Brâncuşi (1876-1957) – organizer and composer; Klanglandschaft mit Brâncuşi – Hommage à Brâncuşi in Ton und Bild, Vienna, Austria (2007); 2006-2007 – composer in residence and conductor of Tampereen Lyseon Lukio chamber orchestra.

Adina Dumitrescu has written more than 70 works from the following genres: orchestral works, works for soloist and orchestra, vocal-instrumental and intrumental chamber works for small and big ensembles, choral works, works for solo intrument, works with audio and video tape. All the works are built on modal or microtonal systems, usually developed by the composer. Important titles: As they met me op. 63 concerto for bass clarinet and orchestra (2014), Audio messages op. 61  for string orchestra (2014) – awarded by Ciudad de Orihuela, Les chansons d’un assoiffé op.52 for soprano and cello orchestra (2012) (from „Les photos d’Apollinaire“ – series of works), La femme aux cheveux de flammes  op.51 for  accordion duo (2012) (from the “Pas de deux” series of works), Glass and wet rocks op.39 for kantele, wind quintet and percussions (2010), Colloquial Speech op.7 for vocal-instrumental ensemble (clarinet, trumpet, soprano, piano, accordion, percussion, violin and cello) (2003) – awarded by the 3^rd Forum Aleph, Păsări şi cruci op.30 for flute and videotape (2007), Pénitence et anthropologie op.28 for saxophones, viola and tape (2007), Les Affirmatives op.39 for 6 female voices, with theatre elements (2010), Dansatorii de Hneen op.1 for soprano, mezzosoprano, violin, percussion and children voices (2000), Juhlitaan! op.23 for Tampereen Lyseon Lukion students’ chamber orchestra (2006), and from the microtonal music series: Ua hoi !  op. 49 for 2 kantele (2011), Acrilic damunt tela  op. 48 for kantele and percussion (2011), Tuned to the real world op. 64 for kantele trio (2014) using the 31-EDO tuning system. Her scores are published at Editura Muzicală (Romania), Modus Musiikki (Finland) and Edition Avantus (Germany). 

Portraits and interviews: Composers speak in Invitation to Composers project book, interview by Anda Ansatasescu, London, August 2010; Nimikkosäveltäjä yhdisti kansanlaulut ja modernin musiikki (Composer in residence brought together traditional and art music) interview by Kati Toivanen, in Aamulehti – Tampere, december 2006; Une conversation ordinaire in Carnet de bord (Logbook) of the 3^rd International Forum Aleph, interview by Makis Solomos, Moulin d’Andé, France, july 2004.

CD-s:

• ADINA DUMITRESCU – CHAMBER MUSIC WORKS FOR KANTELE Inkoon Musiikki IMU CD-152 (2015) - Fresh,  Ua hoi !,  Acrilic damunt tela,  Pas de deux:n keskustelu matkalla kotiin,  2 Songs for Apollinaire: Clotilde and Le pont Mirabeau, Tuned to the real world (5 preludes for kantele trio) /  Eva Alkula, Jenny Vartiainen, Heidi Äijälä, Emili Losier, Mikko Raasakka, Janne Tuomi

• ELIANGELIS Contemporary Finnish Music for Clarinet –  ALBA ABCD 368 (2014) - Necklace for bass clarinet solo / Mikko Raasakka

• A EUROPEAN ODYSSEY Nimbus Records LC5871 (2012) - J’ai trouvé les histoires / Yuri Zhislin, Alberto Portugheis, London Schubert Players

• ECHO MEMO Nova Musica NMCD 5122 (2008) - Pénitence et anthropologie / Trio ProMozica

• Résonances triangulaires Nova Musica NMCD 5121 (2007) - Lundi rue Christine  (from „Les photos d’Apollinaire” series of works) / Trio Alto

Sebastian Dumitrescu (born 1989,Bucharest, Romania) lives in Finland since 2003. He has studied composition at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with Tapio Nevanlinna and Juhani Nuorvala, graduating with the Master of Music degree in 2015. His studies also included an Erasmus exchange inViennawith Karlheinz Essl. He has also had private lessons with Hans-Peter Kyburz, Peter Bruun, Michael Finnissy, Hans Abrahamsen, Brian Ferneyhough and Sampo Haapamäki. He has participated in composition workshops at Musiikin Aika festival in Viitasaari, Finland(2008, 2009, 2015), George Enescu international festival in Bucharest, Romania(2011), Esbjerg Ensemble composition workshop, Esbjerg,Denmark(2012), Ereprijs ensemble, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands and Pasimusic festival in Kuopio,Finland(2015).

Some of his recent works are Super Good Time!, a video game with electric guitar and electric bass accompaniment, performed at the Musica Nova festival, Suvilahti, Helsinki, February 2013; Fantasia for four-handed 31-tone pipe organ, performed by Ere Lievonen and Susanne Kujala on the microtonal Fokker organ at the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t Ij, Amsterdam, March 2014; and Fomalhaut for orchestra, performed by the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in theUNM festival, Oslo, August 2013.

In 2014 he was commissioned a work for jazz singer, jazz trio and orchestra. It was performed in June 2015 by Elena Mîndru ensemble and the “Transylvania” State Philharmonic, Cluj, Romania. In October 2015 he conducted the premiere of his work double pendulum for quarter-tone septet inKuopio,Finland, at the Pasimusic festival.

Sebastian has many years been an active member of the Helsinki-based young composers’ society “Ears Open”. He plays the electric bass in the recently formed Ears Open improvisation ensemble.

SoundCloud HERE.

Born on the 2nd of May 1944 in Reuseni, Suceava, composer Viorel Munteanu studied at “George Enescu” Conservatory from Iasi. He graduated in Music Pedagogy and in Composition under the guidance of Professor Vasile Spătărelu. He attended the composition course with Stefan Niculescu, Aurel Stroe and Anatol Vieru in Piatra Neamt (1972 – 1980). Additionally he specialized in Counterpoint and Composition with Roman Vlad at “Santa Cecilia” Academy in Rome (1980). Since then he became interested in Roman Vlad’s work, which he promoted constantly in Romania, especially by dedicating his doctoral thesis to Vlad’s creation and by translating and editing his musicological writings.

Viorel Munteanu has worked at Iasi Radio-Television until 1985 and has taught at the Conservatory at the same time. He works as professor in “George Enescu” University of Arts since 1991 and he coordinates PhD thesis since 2001. He has been the rector of “George Enescu” University of Arts from Iasi (2004 -2008 and 2008-2012). He is a member of The Union of Composers and Musicologists from Romania since 1990 and he is also the coordinator of The Union Iasi subsidiary.

His work includes symphonic and vocal-symphonic, vocal and instrumental chamber music, and choir. His creations have been performed in over 400 concerts and international festivals in Romania, England, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Switzerland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Republic of Moldova, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and USA.

Awards (selection): Romanian Academy Award (1981, The Voices of Putna); Attestation at the International Competition of Composition from Ancona, Italy (1986); The Award for Creation given by The Union of Composers and Musicologists from Romania in 2001 and 2006; Opera Omnia prize of Bucovina’s Cultural Foundation (2003); Education Prizes Gala – University Professor of the Year 2009 (3rd Prize) given by Dinu Patriciu Foundation; Medal of Honor from the National University of Music, Bucharest, 2011; The Doctor Honoris Causa title given by “Ovidius” University from Constanta (2006), “Valahia” University from Târgovişte (2009) and “Stefan cel Mare” University from Suceava (2011).

Sebastian Androne (b. 18th of July 1989) finished his Master’s and Bachelor’s Degree in composition as a valedictorian at the National University of Music from Bucharest (N.U.M.B). He studied composition under Dan Dediu, Nicolae Coman, Dan Voiculescu and Mihaela Vosganian. He also studied under Joe Cutler, Howard Skempton and Ed Bennett at the Birmingham Conservatoire during the Erasmus program, in 2013. In 2014 he began his Doctorate of Music studies at the N.U.M.B., under professor Dan Dediu. Among other numerous prizes he won: the Prize of the symphonic section of the „George Enescu” composition competition (2014), the Prize of the International Summer Academy – Austria (2013), 2nd Prize at the International Composition Competition „Left Coast Chamber Ensemble” (2011), nominalization for the „Prometheus Grand Prizes” (2011), 1^st  Prize at the „Mihail Jora” competition (2011), 1^st  Prize at the „Ștefan Niculescu” competition (2010), 1^st  Prize at the „Paul Constantinescu” competition (2009), 3rd Prize at the International competition „From Romanticism to Contemporary” (2009). About his music, Sebastian writes: 

“From the beginning I was interested in the compositional processes that shape a musical piece into a verisimilar entity, into a colorful canvas, into an engaging tale or speech, into a conceptual representation or even into a roller-coaster or a labyrinth. I’m inclined to a meta-stylistic approach of music, often starting from a visual stimulus. I value stylistic versatility and I try to acquire it, composing in as many styles of new savant music, but also in the style of film or pop music.  Sometimes I use different musical idioms and techniques as mere tools, colours or building blocks, but almost always aiming for a homogeneous musical discourse, binding and melting together different and – very often – dichotomous elements. When I limit myself to a single musical idiom, I always look for binomial elements inside the idiomatic field trying to create a screenplay with them and also to enlarge the expressive palette. This  is the way I did things until now. I do not know where the questions I have now will  lead me to in the future and what consequences will have on my music.”

Website HERE

SoundCloud HERE

Music on the web:

Opriți războiul! (Stop the war!) for 16 string instruments 

Moara lui Călifar (Călifar’s Mill) - chamber opera

Official website here

Ana Giurgiu-Bondue is a Romanian – French composer, pianist, and harpsichordist whose interests encompass multiple aspects of composition and performance. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in composition and piano from the National University of Music in Bucharest, Romania in 2001 and 2002. She carried out research on myth in music and in Enescu’s Œdipe opera at the Sorbonne Paris IV University where she obtained a Master Research’s degree in 2007. In 2008, she received her Ph.D. in composition from the National University of Music in Bucharest with her thesis The Musical Syncretic Performance, which focused on the interplay of myth, drama, and esotericism in opera.

She has earned composition grants and scholarships in Romania, Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic and has also been awarded in several piano performance and composition competitions in Romania, France, and Italy. Her work as a composer includes songs, chamber works, choral works, orchestral works, and three chamber operas. Her interests also extend to theatre and film music.

Since 2005, she has lived in France, where she works as a composer, pianist, and piano teacher. Over the last four years she has also studied the harpsichord and early music performance at Orsay Conservatory. She has composed for ancien instruments various works (Toccata for harpsichord, Concertino for harpsichord and baroque ensemble).

Since 2000, she has collaborated on some original programmes with mezzo-soprano Adriana Epstein, to whom she also dedicated several of her compositions (such as the cycle of songs Robaiates, The Fire for voice, viola, and piano). She collaborate regulary with the Romanian young cellist Laura Buruiana for modern and baroque music.

She is Artistic Co-Director of the contemporary music ensemble Une bouteille à la mer in Lille, France.

Elena Apostol was born in Focsani, Romania. She studied composition at the University of  Music in Bucharest with Liviu Danceanu. In present she is a candidate for a doctor’s degree at UNMB, at Liviu Danceanu’s class.
She composed choral, chamber and orchestral music. Her works have been selected and performed at several music festivals. She is a member of The Union of Composers and Musicologists from Romania, SNR-SIMC and ARFA.

Website HERE