Today's guest is harpsichordist Alina Rotaru. Alina studied piano and choral conducting at the music academy in her hometown of Bucharest. After moving to Germany, she studied harpsichord with Siegbert Rampe and Wolfgang Kostujak at the Folkwang University of the Arts Essen, with Bob van Asperen at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and with Carsten Lohff and Detlef Bratschke at the University of the Arts Bremen. She is an active soloist and ensemble player, and also in charge of various orchestral, opera, and sacred music projects of the German Early and Late Baroque as an artistic director. As a soloist, she has performed across most of Europe, as well as in Japan, South America and USA. She teaches at the University of the Arts in Bremen. Her solo recordings of harpsichord works by JP Sweelinck, JJ Froberger, and English virginalists have earned excellent reviews in the music press and among their peers. Together with viol player Darius Stabinskas, Alina is the co-founder of the ensemble MORGAINE, which focuses on the music of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In this conversation, we talk about her love for early music, playing harpsichord and Sigismundus Lauxmin International Harpsichord Contest which she organised the 2nd time this year.

Relevant links:

https://alinarotarumusic.wordpress.com

http://www.bmfestival.lt

http://www.bmfestival.lt/bmf2022/en/contest.html​

http://fontesmusicae.pl/notes-editions-c-series/​

http://fontesmusicae.pl/szelest-en/​