Eliade served as a diplomat for his country for several years. His journal kept during World War II when he was posted in Lisbon at the Romanian Legation has been translated from the Romanian by Professor Mac Linscott Ricketts, and is published in April 2010 by the State University of New York (SUNY) Press in the USA. This publication has been subsidised by the Prodan Foundation, to enable translations of key primary source documents of the period, which have never before been made public, to be included. Eliade’s journal and papers for this period fill a hole in our knowledge of the secret political, diplomatic, and espionage intrigues taking place in Lisbon during the Second World War. All historians of the period will find this material useful, and Eliade enthusiasts will be fascinated to learn of the author and scholar’s intimate involvement in such exciting events of his time.

Click here to enlarge and
view reverse cover (PDF )

The Foundation sponsored the 2009 Romanian Film Festival held in London from May 1st to May 4th at the Curzon Cinema Mayfair. The Festival was organised by The Ratiu Foundation, The Romanian Cultural Centre in London, The National Centre of Cinematography in Bucharest (CNC) and The Curzon Cinema Group.

.
Here is the link to the Romanian Film Festival web page:
http://www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk/filmfestival/

Madalina Rusu got through to the final of the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition, whichwas on Saturday 14th of March, at the White Rock Theatre, Hastings, East Sussex at 6pm. She played the Grieg Concerto with the Sussex Concert Orchestra.

Romanian Orthodox service in Shettlestone Old Parish Church, Glasgow

The first dedicated Romanian Orthodox Church in Britain was inaugurated on Sunday 18th January 2009 in Glasgow. The Foundation made a contribution to this excellent venture.The grand opening was a concert of Byzantine music in the presence of His Eminence Archbishop Metropolitan Joseph Pop, who flew in from Romania for the occasion.

Shettleston Old Parish Church, is the host church.
The address is: 111 Killin Street, G32-9AH, Glasgow, Scotland.

For more information:
http://shettlestonold.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=30
http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news/nr010109.htm

The Prodan Foundation has recently awarded Madalina Rusu The Brancusi Music Award 2008. She was recommended to the Foundation for an award by Stephen Walsh, former music critic for the London Observer, as she recently came second in a British competition of which he was judge. After hearing Madalina’s recordings of Rachmaninoff, her extraordinary talent was easily recognised. Madalina was born in Romania in 1985 and started to play the piano at the age of 8. From 2000 to 2004 she attended the National Academy of Music in Bucharest, and since 2004 has studied at the Guildhall School in London, where she has now commenced work towards her Masters Degree.

Madalina won First Prize at the National Olympiade of Music in 2000 in Romania, and First Prize at the National Stage of Concours Musical de France in 2002. She has also won First Prize at the International Competition Pro-Piano in 2002 and the Croydon Concerto Competition in 2007. She has won several other prizes in competitions, as well as the Beethoven Piano Prize at the Guildhall in 2005 and the Romantic Piano Prize at the Guildhall in 2008.

Madalina has given numerous recitals and concert performances of chamber music as well as concert performances of concertos, including the Grieg Piano Concerto and the Liszt No. 1 Concerto as part of the 2007 London Proms.

Madalina gave a recital as part of the Rachmaninov Festival at London's Barbican Hall on 20th September 2008.   The concert was deemed the biggest success of the festival by one critic:

22/09/2008

Adolfo Barabino receiving applause after his recital

The Foundation sponsored a recital by the talented Italian pianist Adolfo Barabino on Sunday 20th April at Hever Castle in Kent. The programme included Dinu Lipatti’s Second Nocturne and his transcription of Bach’s ‘Sheep May Safely Graze’, both being First British Performances of these pieces. Details of the recital may be downloaded here.

Adolfo Barabino recital (Jpeg file, 235KB)

The Foundation has supported the Mihai Eminescu Trust with their restoration programme. We are delighted they have won this award for their excellent heritage conservation work.

Eminescu Press Release (Word document, 120KB)

"Such competence and passion provoke my unconditional praise. A young musician of great talent." Aldo Ciccolini

The Later Art of the Fugue : An Exploration
Wednesday November 16th, 2005 at 7:30pm

A pre-concert talk was given by Prof. Robert Temple at 6.45pm in the Bechstein Room.

The concert was sponsored by the Prodan Romanian Cultural Foundation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stefano Greco studied piano under the guidance of Antonio Serrano and graduated with full marks at the "Tito Schipa" Conservatory in Lecce, Italy. He has been awarded prizes in numerous national and international piano competitions.

In 1994, he studied with Hector Pell, at the Accademia Superiore "G. Curci" in Barletta. From 1995 to 1998 he attended the Triennial International Master of Piano Performance and Technique at the Accademia "A.Ciccolini" in Trinitapoli, with Aldo Ciccolini, during which time Greco gave lectures at the Academy on "The Mechanics of Piano Technique", "The Golden Section", "Proportions" and "Bach's Polyphony". He graduated from the Accademia "A.Ciccolini" with full marks, Summa Cum Laude and Honourable Mention.

His extensive repertoire includes Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier and all of Chopin's Etudes.

In 2001, he made a concert tour in the United States of America, Canada and Japan, where he made his debut in some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world, such as the Alice Tully Hall, in New York's Lincoln Center, and the Opera City Concert Hall in Tokyo. More recently he has performed throughout Europe, in the Middle East and returned to North America and Japan. Future engagements include recitals in Italy and South America.

Stefano Greco has recorded J. S. Bach's Goldberg Variations on the Phoenix classics label.

Stefano Greco & Robert Temple

"Elegant and spirited, his performance was a joy to hear. While following Bach's score with upmost integrity, Greco's own personality and take on this music were both striking and intriguing: one would hope that he will return to present the full set sometime soon."
Darrell Rosenbluth, "The New York Concert Review", on Stefano Greco's New York Debut at Alice Tully Hall, 2001

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Programme

Bach - Trans. in D minor of J S Bach's Violin Sonata No.2 in A minor BWV964 (Trans. W F Bach)
Beethoven/Mozart - Prelude Op.39 No.1 / Fugue in C major KV394
Puccini - Fugue in C minor from "Fughr per Quartetto d'archi" (Trans. S Greco) world première
Scriabin - Fugue in E minor Op. post.
Fauré - Fugue in A minor from Pièces Brèves Op.84
Schumann - Fague in G major and Fugue in C sharp minor from Six Contrapuntal Studies Nos. 2 & 5
Lipatti - Fugue in E minor (Edited S Greco) world première

Interval
Mozart/Enesco - Fragment of a Suite KV399 / Suite No.1 Op.3 "Dans le Style Ancien" in G minor
Chopin - Prelude in A minor Op.28 no.2 / Fugue in A minor Op. post.
Mendelssohn - Prelude and Fugue Op.35 No.3 in B minor
Saint-Saëns - Prelude and Fugue in F major from Suite Op.90
Bruckner - Prelude in C major and Fugue in D minor Op. post.
Scriabin / Rachmaninoff - Canon in D minor Op. post. / Fugue in D minor Op. post.

Programme front cover and order of performance (PDF - 0.3MB)

Two articles were written by Stefano Greco and Robert Temple to be included in the printed programme. These articles concerned the Fugue and can be viewed here:

Concerning the Fugue by Stefano Greco (PDF - 0.2MB)

The Philosophy of the Fugue by Robert Temple (PDF - 0.5MB)

Autographed photo of Georges Enesco for Paul Prodan, who was Mia Prodan's uncle. He was director of the Romanian National Theatre and an author.