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Emerging talent from Central and Eastern Europe is due to arrive at a dynamic exhibition New Wave Photography, showing at the Crypt Gallery, London from 18 to 26 February 2012.

The atmospheric catacombs of St Pancras Church, Euston, venue of the gallery, hosts 11 young photographers from 6 countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic. The exhibition demonstrates a high-level of technical ability as well as bold experimentation.

Romania is represented by Alexandra Vacaroiu and Cristina Venedict. Alexandra’s series Unconscious Body Movements analyses dreams and the traces they leave behind. Cristina’s photographs from the series Mystical places show us the world without limits, in which everything is possible.

New Wave Photography challenges the perception of Eastern European photography by displaying vibrant, experimental work that celebrates the youthfulness of the artists themselves.

All photographs shown at the Crypt Gallery are available to purchase during the exhibition. Photographs including extended portfolios are also available to buy through United Creativity’s website www.unitedcreativity.org

Performers: Jason Evans (trumpet) and Martyn Parkes (piano)

Programme

Giuseppe Tartini – Concerto for Trumpet in D
Johann Baptist Neruda – Trumpet Concerto in E flat
Stanley Friedman – Solus
Claude Debussy – Clair de lune, from Suite bergamasque
George Gershwin – I’ve got Rhythm
Alexandr Goedicke – Concert Etude Op 49
Oskar Lindberg – Andante
George Enescu – Legend

The Professor is expecting a new Pupil. The Professor’s Maid, a stout woman, worries about the Professor’s health. As the lesson progresses, the Professor grows more and more angry with the Pupil’s ignorance, and the Pupil becomes more and more quiet and meek…

Details on www.wgrsoc.org.uk

Also performed on 1, 2, and 3 February 2012

The Professor is expecting a new Pupil. The Professor’s Maid, a stout woman, worries about the Professor’s health. As the lesson progresses, the Professor grows more and more angry with the Pupil’s ignorance, and the Pupil becomes more and more quiet and meek…

Details on www.wgrsoc.org.uk

Performers: Horia Vacarescu (violin), Chiho Tsunakawa (piano)

Programme

Johannes Brahms – Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 3 in D minor, Op.108
Franz Schubert (arr. Wilhelmj) – Ave Maria
George Enescu – Aubade
Manuel de Falla (arr. Kochanski) – Suite of Spanish Folksongs

Details on www.st-james-piccadilly.org

Programme

String Quartet in G Op. 18 No. 2
String Quartet in E minor Op. 59 No. 2 ‘Razumovsky’
String Quartet in C# minor Op. 131

Building on the shoulders of giants, Beethoven assimilated the achievements of Haydn and Mozart in his Op. 18 string quartets before developing the medium’s expressive potential through his Op. 59 ‘Razumovsky’ Quartets.

The Belcea Quartet caps the latest instalment in its complete Wigmore Hall Beethoven cycle with the monumental String Quartet in C# minor Op. 131, justifiably described by Donald Tovey as the composer’s ‘most fantastic and revolutionary’ work.

Details on www.wigmore-hall.org.uk

The Romanian Cultural Institute‘s 2012 Programme opens with an evening of chamber music by the revelation of Romanian contemporary music, composer and violinist Vlad Maistorovici, on Friday 20 January. The line-up of performers includes award-winning young musicians such as violist Daniel Palmizio, pianist Diana Ionescu, soprano Eliana Pretorian and members of the Finzi Quartet, Mercury Quartet and Consortium5.

Programme

Cadence En Espace for viola and piano (UK premiere)
Night Music for string quartet
Monument for violin and piano
transScent for piano
Khadina for 8 soloists

The programme features a selection of Maistorovici’s chamber works spanning over 10 years that revolve around a nocturnal theme – inspired by the urban night, night in nature, the cosmic darkness, as well as the abstract or imaginative idea of night, in which darkness becomes light. The title of the evening’s concert is taken from his awarded string quartet Night Music which was composed in the winter of 2002 when the composer was just 16.

Maistorovici’s music features “vivid contrasts” (London Financial Times) and was praised for its “clarity of expression” (Actualitatea Muzicală Bucharest). His works Halo and Microkosmos were recently commissioned and premiered by the London Symphony Orchestra. Other notable champions of his music have been the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Britten-Pears Orchestra, European Union Chamber Orchestra and Profil Sinfonietta.

While studying in the UK, Vlad Maistorovici was supported by the Ratiu Foundation

As we commence 2012, I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year. I hope you’ve had a good year, filled with successes despite the continuing difficult economic situation. I think we have managed to have a good twelve months at the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, continuing the work started by my parents, Ion and Elisabeth Ratiu, who established the Foundation back in 1979.

Then and as now, the Foundation’s goals are to promote and support programmes which further education and research in the culture and history of Romania in particular, and also to stimulate and support civil society in its understanding and application of democracy and democratic principles the world over. We hope that our work is living up to the high expectations Ion Ratiu had of the Foundation, and, of course, to your expectations: our friends, our audience, our beneficiaries.

As for the new year, we plan to continue with many of our traditional programmes promoting Romanian and Romania-related cultural and educational events.

You can see images from the events supported and organised by the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in 2011 and earlier by visiting the Photos section of this website.

We would like to thank you all for your support and for your continuing interest in Romanian culture and education.

See you in 2012!

Nicolae Ratiu
Chairman
Ratiu Foundation