Matei Ioachimescu, one of the most virtuoso flautists of the moment, university lecturer at the Faculty of Music and Theater of the Western University of Timișoara, is preparing the ICONS national tour, which will take place between 9 and 25 May 2024. He invites the public from nine cities (Timișoara, Sibiu, Cluj Napoca, Bistrița, Baia Mare, Brașov, Buzău, Ploiesti and Bucharest) to participate in a thrilling show that promises to redefine the experience of a regular concert.
The shaping of the music of "iconic" names such as Michael Jackson, Queen, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Guns N' Roses or Aerosmith takes on new creative dimensions thanks to an original chamber group: a mini-orchestra of flutes, bass marimba and drums.
Alongside Matei Ioachimescu, a (re)known artist of international stages, considered a real "rockstar" of classical music, will be on stage the marimba player Irina Rădulescu - the only Romanian artist of international rank dedicated to this instrument, The Romanian Flute Ensemble - consisting of flutists Tabea Bebeșelea, Katica Lázár, Eduard Miclea, Bella Moisa, Romina Onișor and Riana Savu - and Maria Rizea on drums, musicians known to the public thanks to successful projects such as "Legends", "inSuflu", "La Vida Loca" or "Marimba -The Journey".
Creativity and virtuosity are the essential attributes of the ICONS project, results of the collaboration between prestigious artists and composers such as Gabriel Almași, Dande Popescu, Ciprian Pop, Mihai Popean, Jorge Rojas and Aurelian Băcan. Another mission of this itinerant project is to discover and train young talents, by organizing workshops and master classes with the artists involved.
The program of events of the ICONS national tour includes nine cities:
Timișoara, May 9, 19 p.m., Casa Tineretului;
Sibiu, May 11, 19 p.m., State Philharmonic;
Bistrita, May 14, 19 p.m., Palace of Culture;
Cluj-Napoca, May 15, 19 p.m., Casino Urban Culture Center;
Baia Mare, May 17, 19 p.m., ATP Tech Center;
Brașov, May 19, 19 p.m., Apollonia Cultural Center;
Ploiesti, May 20, 19 p.m., "Paul Constantinescu" Philharmonic;
Buzău, May 21, 19 p.m., "George Ciprian" Theater;
Bucharest, May 25, 18:30 p.m., ARCUB Sala Mare (Concert in the International New Music Week Festival).
The ICONS national tour is organized by the Music Stage Association and co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN). The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.
Main partners: University of West Timișoara, Faculty of Music and Theatre.
Strategic partners: Haute Culture Association, Rotary Club "Opera" Timișoara.
Institutional partners: Timiș County Youth Foundation, Sibiu State Philharmonic, Sibiu County Council, Bistrița City Hall, "George Coșbuc" Bistrița Cultural Center, "Niște Oameni" Association, Donors' Sphere from Transylvania, Cluj Napoca City Hall and Local Council, Cultural Foundation EUROART Baia Mare, College of Arts Baia Mare, Cultural Center Apollonia Brașov, High School of Music "Tudor Ciortea" Brașov, Philharmonic "Paul Constantinescu" Ploiești, College of Arts "Carmen Sylva" Ploiești, High School of Arts "Margareta Sterian" Buzău, Union To Composers and Musicologists from Romania, ARCUB, Bucharest City Hall.
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About the artists:
MATEI IOACHIMESCU
The flautist Matei Ioachimescu maintains an impressive concert activity, being recognized for the interpretations of the baroque and modern repertoire, but also for cross-over recitals. He is a graduate of the Vienna University of Music and laureate of several awards and scholarships (Thyll-Dürr, Yehudi Menuhin Foundation). Matei Ioachimescu collaborates with some of the most interesting musicians in Europe, on important stages such as Konzerthaus Wien, Ateneul Român, Conservatorio Santa Cecilia, Budapest Music Center or Suntory Hall. As a soloist, he presents both classical concerts and first auditions of contemporary composers, together with philharmonic orchestras from the country and abroad. He is known for the national and European tours: "Legends", "Romanian Rhapsody" and "La Vida Loca" - the project with international success on stages in Romania, Austria, Poland and Estonia, which brought in March 2019 the album of the same name, released at ViennArt record company. For his intense activity and the high quality of the projects supported, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria awarded him the title of "Ambassador of Integration" in 2013. He is invited as a member of the jury in international competitions and holds workshops in Austria, Japan, Hungary, Romania and Croatia. Since 2020, Matei Ioachimescu is a flute teacher at the Faculty of Music and Theater of the Western University in Timișoara.
IRINA RADULESCU
Irina Rădulescu is a tireless artist, dedicated to percussion and especially the marimba, an instrument that has already consecrated her, both as a soloist and in various chamber ensembles and as a member of symphony orchestras in Romania. Laureate of several competitions, including the Tokyo International Competition and winner of the Scholarship of Excellence for her entire activity from the National University of Music Bucharest, Irina Rădulescu was noted both for her exceptional stage presence and her captivating artistic maturity in international music festivals new, as a soloist and with prestigious ensembles. One of the greatest achievements of the young artist is the establishment and at the same time the management of the duo PERCUSSIONescu, the only chamber percussion group in Romania, focused on melodic percussion instruments, namely the marimba and the vibraphone. In addition to her career as a soloist, Irina Rădulescu dedicates her time to mentorship, the percussion class at the "George Enescu" National College of Music becoming a reference in the Romanian space.
MARIA LAUGHED
Maria Rizea is a student at the "George Enescu" National College of Music in Bucharest, in the percussion class of Prof. Irina Rădulescu. Despite her very young age, she already stands out for her extremely mature approach to the percussion repertoire, paying particular attention to the solo marimba and the drum set in equal measure. This fact is evidenced by a series
impressive achievements and recognitions obtained over time, among which we mention: First Prize at the National Music Olympiad - national stage 2023, Grand Prize of the International Scherzo Competition - Bucharest, 2023, First Prize at the International Competition
Aulodia, Brașov 2023, First Prize at the Vasile Sândean Ovadiuc Interpretation Competition - Cluj 2023. In addition to solo appearances, Maria Rizea is also a member of the percussion ensemble "Enescu Percussion Group", with which she has already participated in percussion recitals held at the higher artistic level. In the summer of 2023, she receives a scholarship within the JazzX project held in Timișoara, a project in which the percussionist benefited from a series of Masterclasses with some of the biggest names of the world's jazz scene.
ROMANIAN FLUTE ENSEMBLE
Romanian Flute Ensemble, founded at the initiative of teacher and soloist Matei Ioachimescu, is an ensemble with a composition that varies from 4 to 8 young flautists, in a new instrumental formula: a mini orchestra that brings together the whole family of modern flutes, from on the piculina bass flute. The members of the Romanian Flute Ensemble are students of the Faculty of Music and Theater in Timișoara and represent the new Romanian wave of exceptional flutists, aligned to Western European standards of interpretation and thinking. Romanian Flute Ensemble managed in a very short time to attract the attention of the public in Romania and abroad, through the high artistic level and contagious enthusiasm with which it presents various programs, from baroque music to first auditions of contemporary Romanian composers. In 2023, The Romanian Flute Ensemble was invited to perform a concert in Rome, on the famous Conservatorio Santa Cecilia stage.
