The idea of the music that lives arises straight out of the very essence of our art: the paper we follow when playing is nothing but a set of instructions, which the composer has laid down following an alchemy only known by himself; our role as interpreters is to bring that creation to life, in a continuous form, such as our own lives unfold, captive within the dimension of time,while being fascinated by the direct mediation of the instruments, made up of organic materials, played on so far by hundreds and thousands of others before us, and having remained impregnated by their spirit. Our energy, sentiments and passions are thus miraculously sent over and assimilated by the listeners through infinities of shades, far beyond any possible description in words.
Our Ensemble harmoniously blends the voice of reason with the adventurous temperament and the craziness of the themes. This duality is the starting point of our nucleus: the tandem between the passion of the cello and the strength of the piano. The two instruments can further on blend together with the high voice of the violin, the humour of the clarinet or the darkness of the viola, and, sometimes, with the exotic timbre of an accordion or a human voice.
In time, we have developed a variety of repertoires, played in various formulas, on different Romanian and European scenes. Some of them were Enescu (Kassel, 2005), Beethoven’s Trios Integral (2011-2012 tour) and Dialogues with Music (2013-2016). Together with our artistic family, we have extended the concept of the music live to that of Symbiosis of Arts through the following shows: Sound, Matter, Word (Bucharest, 2009) and E(mi)nescu – Romanian Soul (Prague, 2016 and Bucharest, 2017).
We have had the honour to play on prestigious scenes, such as Kassel Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonic, Bucharest Radio Hall, University of the Arts in Berlin, and in several towns in Romania; we are present in the Golden Phonotech of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company with repertoire titles and pieces taken over from our concerts.
As a result, Musica Viva Ensemble was selected for one of these pieces by the European Broadcasting Union and BBC Radio Classics amongst the Romanian music representatives, and since December 2013 onwards we have been broadcasted in the European space. Andreea Butnaru and Florin Mitrea have created together the concept of Musica Viva.
Andreea Butnaru
studied piano ever since an early age and followed her inner powerful voice which lead her to the University of Music in Bucharest and then the University of the Arts in Berlin. Having graduated music academic studies in Solo Piano Interpretation and Pedagogy both in Bucharest and Berlin, she then completed her PhD thesis in the field of Chamber Music.
Andreea Butnaru loves the scene and the music more than anything else; the combinations of instruments and the dialogues between the arts are to her as fascinating as exploring new geographical areas. She loves both group work and her soloist presence, as it is made obvious in her itinerary of concerts and contests she has won so far. She is happy to learn about several musicians’ opinions about her work, evinced in various rubrics. An illustrative example is Peter Haischer’s review written in 2005 for Hessisch-Nordrheinische Allgemeine where he was appreciating Andreea’s „touching interpretation, firm and brilliant technique”. Another one is the chronicle signed by Dr. Markus Fischer in 2012 in Allgemeine Deutsche Zeitung, praising „the amazing, truly seductive sensibility displayed by Andreea Butnaru leading us all into an enchanted musical world“.
Amongst the moments she proudly cherishes she counts her presence with nineteen years of age at the Music Festival in Kyoto, the award she won at the Emmanuel Durlet contest in Belgium, as well as the title she received as Honour Artist of Romania in 2005.
Florin Mitrea
is an authentic artist, inheriting his music talent from his father, who was a clarinettist, and his perfectionism from his mother. His family intended him to follow his father’s line in the study of clarinet, but his destiny led him onto the study of cello, an instrument that has gradually become the most important part of his professional life.
He studied in Bucharest and Berlin and has played passionately ever since in prestigious orchestras and cameral ensembles, as well as in soloist hypostases. Florin Mitreais is highly appreciated by other musicians for his kindness and for the passion he employs in music expression. Many times he finds it easier to express his feelings through sounds, than in words. Specialised critics have noticed Florin Mitrea‘s artistic virtues, such as his “warm, passionate and bright tone” praised by composer and musicologist Doru Popovici in Matinal de weekend radio chronicle, or his “high virtuosity in the service of the artistic act” celebrated by composer Ludovic Bacs in his review published in Acord music magazine.
Although deeply attached to the classical traditional music, he has learned the meanings of amplified music, electrical instrument and took part in Band Tours, thus gaining experience in other fields of the great family of music.
