Valentina Sandu-Dediu

Acclaimed musicologist and pianist Valentina Sandu-Dediu was born on November 27, 1966, in Bucharest. She is presently a professor at the Department of Musicology and Education, the National University of Music Bucharest, as well as a Permanent Fellow at New Europe College, Bucharest (since January 2010). After a Bachelor in Musicology (1990) and a PhD (1995) at the National University of Music Bucharest, she was granted Postdoctoral scholarships at New Europe College, Bucharest (1996-97) and at Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (“Andrew Mellon”, 2000). Since1993 until present she has taught courses of history of 20th century music, musicology, stylistics, theories of musical performance in N.U.M.B. Together with Ioana Pârvulescu she taught courses of literature and music (the result of a scholarship granted by New Europe College, NEC-LINK program, 2008). She has also taught during the International summer classes in Cisnădie, Icon Arts (2007-2011). Since 2005 she has been a Doctoral Advisor at N.U.M.B..

Since 2010 she has been Founder and Director of the online magazine Musicology Today, as well as Coordinator of the program Black Sea Link at New Europe College.

Publishes books: Stylistic and Symbolic Hypostases of Mannerism in Music (Bucharest, Editura Muzicala 1997), New Music between Modern and Postmodern (Bucharest, Editura Muzicala 2004), Rumänische Musik nach 1944 (Saarbrücken, Pfau, 2006), Ludwig van Beethoven (Bucharest, Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică, 2008, 115 pag.), Choice, Affect, Attitude. Style and Rhetoric in Music (Bucharest, Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică, 2010), Robert Schumann (Bucharest, Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică, 2011).

Essays: „Towards Modern Music in Romania“, in East Central Europe / L’Europe du Centre Est: Eine wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift. Budapesta, Vol.30, part 2, 2003, pp.1-19; „Rumänische Komponisten zwischen den ‚gemässigten’, den ‚radikalen’ Moderne und der Postmoderne”, in Musicology, Journal of the Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 6, Belgrade, 2006, p.147-164; “Dodecaphonic Composition in 1950s and 1960s Europe: The Ideological Issue of Rightist or Leftist Orientation”, in Journal of Musicological Research, Taylor & Francis, Volume 26, 2007, Issue 2-3, pages 177 – 192; “Zur Rezeption der Moderne in Rumänien – ein Begriff und seine Auslegungen”, in Ereignis und Exegese. Musikalische Interpretation – Interpretation der Musik. Festschrift für Hermann Danuser zum 65. Geburtstag. Herausgegeben von Camilla Bork, Tobias Robert Klein, Burkhard Meischein, Andreas Meyer, Tobias Plebuch, Edition Argus, Schliengen, 2011, p. 755-759.

Since 2004 Valentina Sandu-Dediu is an expert invited in several working groups organized by the AEC (Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Academies de Musique et Musihochschulen): for research, for the 3rd cycle and for accreditation. She is member of the following professional organisations: Romanian Union of Composers and Musicologists (since 1991), Gesellschaft für Musikforschung (since 2008), International Musicological Society (since 2012).

She has won numerous prizes, among which, The Prize of the Romanian Academy for the book Ipostaze stilistice şi simbolice ale manierismului în muzică (1997), The Prize of the Academy of Science Berlin-Brandenburg, Peregrinus Stiftung (Rudolf Meimberg, 2008) and  The Prize of the Romanian Union of Composers and Musicologists, for the book Alegeri, atitudini, afecte. Despre stil și retorică în muzică (2010).

As a pianist, Valentina Sandu-Dediu recorded the following CDs of chamber music (selection): Romanian Music for Clarinet and Piano, Ray Jackendoff – clarinet, Valentina Sandu-Dediu – piano (works by Marţian Negrea, Ştefan Niculescu, Dan Dediu, Constantin Silvestri), Editura Muzicală 018, Bucharest, 2002. UCMR-ADA 2 A 12373 and Albany Records, U.S.A., 2003; Recital de clarinette Aurelian Octav Popa, Piano – Valentina Sandu-Dediu, Fundaţia Societatea de concerte Bistriţa, Okean, 2004; Dan Dediu – Apfelwürmer: I.B.Ştefănescu (Flöte), V.Sandu-Dediu, D.Dediu (Klavier), Cavalli-Records, Bamberg, CCD 288, 2007; Dan Dediu – Piano Pieces: D.Dediu/V.Sandu-Dediu (Idyllen und Guerrillen op.76), NEOS Music (Deutschlandradio), 2007.