Diana Rotaru - "Shakti"

“Shakti” (or “Sakti”) symbolizes, in the Indian art and philosophy, the Cosmic energy, the latent force and dynamics, and  also the feminine element of every being. In this case, the saxophone is the one that “gives energy” to the orchestra- that takes over and develops its most striking elements-, thus being created the universe of the piece. It is also the saxophone that presents the two thematic elements that are developed in the four main sections of the work (the first element, in the Ist and IIIrd section, the second one, in the IInd and the IVth section).

The work tries to create a synthesis between the “usual” contemporary musical language and the archaic one – by using the idea of “imaginary folklore” (as an atmosphere, as an expression and also as a type of musical development, of music material, music figures etc.). The saxophone part also creates an opening to the techniques used in jazz improvisation – due also to the experience of Daniel Kientzy, the author of “Saxologie” (the treatise from which all the effects were taken). Daniel Kientzy is also the musician to whom this piece is dedicated and who performed it for the first time.

Diana Rotaru
Born in Bucharest, 1981, she studied composition at the  National University of Music in Bucharest with  ?tefan Niculescu and Dan Dediu. In 2006 she graduated the “master” course of “Compositional Style and Language”  of the same University.

During 2005-2006 she was an Erasmus student at the “Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris” where she attended the classes of F. Durieux, M. Levinas, Y.Geslin, L.Naon and T.Mays.
She participated at different summer courses: Voix Nouvelles-Royaumont (2002 and 2006),the International Bartok Seminary-Szombathely (2003) and the Contemporary Music Summer Courses in Breaza (2003, 2004 and 2005) - thus studying with composers such as B. Ferneyhough, M. Jarrell, F. Paris, J.Harvey, T. Loevendie, M. Stroppa etc.

She has won numerous prizes, among which the “George Enescu” Prize ex-aequo for chamber music in 2003 and for orchestral music in 2005 at the “George Enescu” International Competition (Bucharest); the IRINO PRIZE (Tokyo) for orchestral work in 2004 and the “Prometheus Prize-Opera Omnia” (Bucharest) in 2005. Her works have been performed in concerts in European countries as well as in Japan.

In 2005, her work, “Shakti” was among the works recommended at the “International Rostrum of Composers”, Vienna. Three of her works have been so far included on CDs. Her creation includes chamber and orchestral music and a chamber opera.