Iaşi, 18 September 2014. The International festival of Literature and Translation (FILIT), which will take place between 1 and 5 October, will offer a musical selection perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the event. A symphonic concert presented by the “Moldova” Philharmonic orchestra, the performances of Alexandrina Hristov and her band, by Maria Răducanu and Maxim Belciug, by the KUMM band and by the local musicians Cosmin Vaman, Alexandra Andrei and Spam are on the menu this year at the largest literary event in Romania.
The second FILIT Night (which will include a debate held in the Grand Auditorium of the National Theater starting with 8 p.m., the main guest being the Mexican writer Guillermo Arriaga) will close with a concert featuring Maria Răducanu & Maxim Belciug: When to her lute Maria sings.
Maria Răducanu and Maxim Belciug form a unique duo, with superb musical achievements. Each of the two has her/his own career: Maria Răducanu – the voice – is probably the most moving and vibrant presence on the Romanian music scene, while Maxim Belciug made his name as a guitar player and as the author of the delightful album “Încântări”.
On Friday, 3 October, after the meeting with Herta Müller, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, the Moldova Philharmonic will present an extraordinary concert, designed especially for FILIT. The conductor will be Mihnea Ignat (Spain), and the violin solos will be played by the young musician Mălina Ciobanu (Iasi, Romania). On the programme: G. Bizet – Selections from the Carmen Suites, W.A. Mozart – Violin concerto no. 3 in G major, KV 216, . Dvorák – Symphony No. 9 in E minor, From the New World, Op. 95.
Also on the 3rd of October, Casa FILIT will host a night show, which will begin five minutes before midnight and feature Cosmin Vaman, Alexandra Andrei and the Spam band.
The fourth FILIT night, which is dedicated to the writer Mircea Cărtărescu, will host Alexandrina & Band. Alexandrina Hristov is a complex artist, devoted to music, as well as to painting and poetry. Alexandrina sings in Romanian, French and Russian. Her music style is hard to define, but it seems to fit somewhere between acoustic pop, contemporary rock, alternative, jazz and soul, with innovative elements in composition and lyrics. Alexandrina often appears on stage together with a band; other times she sings accompanied only by a piano.
At the top of her musical preferences is Tori Amos, with whom Alexandrina shares several features: warmth, voice versatility, piano virtuosity, touching and sometimes nonsensical lyrics. Other artists that have also influenced her style are PJ Harvey, Bjork, Morcheeba.
“Noaptea Albă a Poeziei” / “The White Night of Poetry”– NAP 2 will be accompanied this year by music made by KUMM. The event is scheduled for Saturday, 4 October, at Casa FILIT, starting with 22.30. The rock band KUMM has had numerous concerts outside Romania, in Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary, where they have played at festivals such as Pepsi Sziget, Sárvár, 4+4 Days In Motion and Peninsula. In various configurations, the band has launched six studio albums and seven videos. Current band members include: Eugen Nuţescu (Oigăn) – guitar, vocals, harmonica, Kovács András – keyboard, Mihai Iordache – saxophone, Uţu Pascu – bass, John Ciurea – drums.
The entire schedule of FILIT can be found on the festival’s website, at www.filit-iasi.ro. On the same site you can find the biographies of all the guests, as well as updated information on the festival’s second edition. Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/filit.iasi.
All in all, the 2014 edition of FILIT will bring together over 300 prominent guests from the international and Romanian literature, as well as translators, cultural managers, critics and cultural journalists.
The International Festival of Literature and Translation held in Iaşi is funded by the Iaşi County Council through the Iaşi Museum of Romanian Literature. FILIT 2014 will take place under the high patronage of the European Commission Representation in Romania and will have as a partner the National Bank of Romania.