THE LIVING COMPOSERS PROJECT  

Ulpiu Vlad

(b. 27 January 1945, Zărnești).

Romanian composer of mostly orchestral, chamber, choral, and vocal works that have been performed in Europe.

Prof. Vlad initially studied music theory with Filaret Barbu and oboe with Pavel Tornea at the Music High School in Bucharest from 1958–64. He then studied with Tudor Ciortea, Dan Constantinescu, Octavian L. Cosma, Victor Giuleanu, Myriam Marbe, Aurel Stroe, Zeno Vancea, and Anatol Vieru at the Universitatea Națională de Muzică București, where he graduated in 1971. He also attended seminars in composition with Virgilio Mortari at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome in 1971–72. He later earned his DMus under the supervision of Gheorghe Oprea at the Universitatea Națională de Muzică București in 2004.

Among his honours are a prize in oboe at the Festival of Young Performers of Romania (1964), the Special Prize from the Universitatea Națională de Muzică București (1971), a Second-Class Medal for Distinction in Culture (1983), the Premiul George Enescu from the Academia Română in Bucharest (1985), First Prize from the Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România at the festival National Song of Romania in Bucharest (1987), six prizes from the Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România in Bucharest (1990, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009), and the Medal of Honour from the Universitatea Națională de Muzică București (2011). He was named an officer of the Ordinul Meritul Cultural by the government of Romania (2004).

He is also active in other positions. He researched folk music from Romania at the Universitatea Națională de Muzică București from 1971–77 and at the Institutul de Etnografie și Folclor Constantin Brăiloiu in Bucharest from 1977–80. In addition, he served as an editor for the publisher Editura Muzicală in Bucharest from 1980–84 and as its manager from 1984–92, then served as director of the department of music of the Ministry of Culture and National Patrimony in Bucharest in 1992–93. He has served as vice-president of the Romanian Community of Electronic and Computer Assisted Music in Bucharest since 2004, as vice-president of the Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România since 2006 and as a member of the board of directors of the Alianța Națională a Uniunilor de Creatori din România since 2006. He served as a member of the board of directors of the Institutul Cultural Român in Bucharest from 2009–13 and has served as president of the section in Romania of ISCM since 2013.

He has taught as a professor of score reading at the Universitatea Națională de Muzică București since 1993, where he has served in the senate since 2004.

He is married to the composer Marina-Marta Vlad and is the father of the composer Roman Vlad.

CONTACT INFORMATION

E-mail address: ulpiuvlad@yahoo.com

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL:

As Hardly from Depths (sinfonia concertante), cello, piano, orchestra, 1971, revised 1981

Dreams I, string orchestra, 1972

Remembrances, 3 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, percussion, string orchestra, 1973

The Time of Mirrors, small orchestra, 1974

Inscriptions in Hearts I – Simfonia Brevis, 1978

Symphony I, 'Roads in the Light', 1979

Dreams II (concerto), string orchestra, 1982

The Scales of Light, mezzo-soprano, small orchestra (15 players), 1982 (variation of Mosaic [1974–78])

Symphony II, 'From our Hearts', 1984

Sources (symphonic poem), small orchestra (4 clarinets [all + saxophone], 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, piano, percussion), 1987

Lights in the Sunset, 1991

From the Joy of Dreams (concerto), string orchestra, 1991

The Game of Dreams (concerto), small orchestra, 1992

Suddenly, Dreams (concerto), small orchestra, 1994

The Light of Dreams, 1995

Interlocking Dreams II, small orchestra (13 players), 1997

Resonances on a Pale Background (concerto), harp, string orchestra, 2002

Through the Light of Resonances – Piece for Cello and Chamber Orchestra, cello, small orchestra, 2004

Light for the Future I, flute (+ piccolo, bass flute, contrabass flute), harp, small orchestra (20 flutes [4 + piccolo, 6 + alto flute, 6 + bass flute, 4 + contrabass flute]), 2006

From the Sound of Earth, cello, small orchestra (15 or more players), 2007

The Light of Roads, 2011

Inscriptions in Hearts II, 2012

Wild Flowers, string orchestra, 2013

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Sonata, oboe, piano/harpsichord, 1969

Septet, flute (+ percussion), oboe (+ percussion), clarinet (+ percussion), bassoon (+ percussion), French horn (+ percussion), trumpet (+ percussion), piano, 1970

Thoughts, flute, harp, 1971

Sketch I, flute, 1974

Sketch II, viola, 1975

Quintet, clarinet, trumpet, violin, viola, piano, 1977 (variation of Mosaic [1974–78])

Commentary on 'Mosaic', 8 French horns, 1977

Mosaic, violin, viola, cello, 1978

Watercolours, oboe, 1981

Winter Landscape, piccolo, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, piano, 1981 (variation of Mosaic [1974–78])

Flowers for Peace, string quartet, 1982

Mosaic, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1983

The Spring (string trio no. 1), violin, viola, cello, 1984

Codex Caioni, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1984

Voices of Peace, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, fixed media, 1986

Portraits, harp, 1987

String Trio, violin, viola, cello, 1987

Sunlit Landscape (string trio no. 2), violin, viola, cello, 1987

On This Sunny Land I (string trio no. 3), violin, viola, cello, 1988

String Trio, violin, viola, cello, 1990

The Joy of Dreams I, flute, violin, viola, cello, percussion, 1990

The Joy of the Passage (string trio no. 4), violin, viola, cello, 1991

The Secret of Dreams I, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1992

The Time of Dreams, flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, 1993

The Secret of Dreams II, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, harp, 1993

The Joy of Dreams II, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, 1994

The Legend of Dreams, flute/oboe, clarinet, bassoon, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 1994

Flash of Dreams, flute, violin, viola, cello, 1995

From the Light of Dreams I, flute, violin, viola, cello, 1995

From the Light of Dreams II, flute, violin, viola, cello, 1996

Beyond Dreams IV, any number of winds, any number of strings, any keyboard instrument, 1996

The Secret of Dreams III, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, piano, percussion, 1996

Interlocking Dreams I, 3 flutes, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, violin, viola, piano, accordion, percussion, 1997

Resonances on a White Background, soprano saxophone (+ alto saxophone, bass saxophone), trombone, piano, percussion, 1999

Resonances on a Mauve Background, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2000

Resonances on a Light Blue Background I, flute, cello, 2000

Resonances in the Future (11 solo pieces), flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, harp, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 1997–2001

Resonances on a Green Background, flute, harp, cello, 2001

Resonances on a Light Blue Background II, flute, trumpet, cello, 2004

Resonances on a Red Background II, flute, piano, percussion, fixed media, 2004

The Light of Blue Resonances I – Concertino, mezzo-soprano, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, B-flat trumpet, harp, violin, viola, cello, double bass, fixed media, 2005

The Light of Blue Resonances II, viola, fixed media, 2005

Flowers and Resonances – Trio for Saxophones, Viola and Piano, saxophones (1 player), viola, piano, 2005

Lamento I, French horn, fixed media, 2005

White and Resonances, viola, fixed media, 2005

On This Sunny Land II, string quartet, 2006

Light for the Future II, flute, harp, 2006

Resonances on a White Background, soprano saxophones (+ alto saxophone, bass saxophone), trombone, piano, percussion, 2006

Grey and Resonances, harp, fixed media, 2006

Beyond Dreams VI, piccolo (+ flute), alto flute (+ bass flute), violin, viola, piano, accordion, percussion, fixed media, 2006

Through the Sound of Resonances, flute, harp, cello, piano, 2007

Thoughts and Resonances, violin, viola, cello, fixed media, 2007

The Sparkle of the Mosaic, cello, fixed media, 2007

Red and Resonances, flute, harp, cello, piano, fixed media, 2007

From the Sounds of Sight I, double bass, fixed media, 2007

From the Sounds of Sight II, cello, fixed media, 2007

From the Sounds of Sight III, flute, fixed media, 2007

From the Sounds of Sight IV, violin, fixed media, 2007

From the Sounds of Sight V, double bass, 2007

From the Sounds of Sight VI, cello, 2007

From the Sounds of Sight VII, flute, 2007

From the Sounds of Sight VIII, violin, 2007

Lamento II, bassoon, fixed media, 2007

Lamento III, cello, fixed media, 2008

Through the Sounds of Sight II, violin, fixed media, 2008

Light for the Future III, flute, 2008

Through the Sounds of Sight III, cello, 2008

Through the Sounds of Sight IV, violin, 2008

Through the Sounds of Sight I, cello, fixed media, 2008–09

In the Light of Evocation – Dan Constantinescu, oboe, fixed media, 2009

In the Light of Evocation – Anatol Vieru, cello, fixed media, 2010

For You, soprano, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2011

Flowers for You, string quartet, 2012

Echoes I, violin, piano, 2012

Echoes II, violin, cello, piano, 2013

Resonances on a Yellow Background I, violin, cello, 2014

Resonances on a Yellow Background II, violin, cello, piano, 2014

CHORAL:

Lead (text by George Bacovia), 4 mixed voices, flute, clarinet, 2 trombones, tuba (any player + gong), 1970

This is the Earth (cantata, text by Eugen Frunză), mixed chorus, orchestra, 1970

The Joy of Achievement – Wedding Songs, mixed chorus, 1988

VOCAL:

The Tears (text by Lucian Blaga), soprano, English horn, piano, 1970

Mosaic (24 solo pieces, text by the composer), soprano, alto, tenor, bass, piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, B-flat trumpet, trombone, tuba, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, piano, 3 percussion, 1974–78 (also three variations: Quintet; Winter Landscape; The Scales of Light)

Mosaic, mezzo-soprano, clarinet, 1984

Interlocking Dreams III (text by the composer), soprano, small orchestra (13 players), 1999

The Poetry of Dreams (text by the composer), soprano, small orchestra (12 players), fixed media, 2003

PIANO:

Resonances in the Future XI B, piano, fixed media, 2004

ELECTROACOUSTIC:

Resonances on a Red Background I, fixed media, 2004

DISCOGRAPHY

Winter Landscape; The Scales of Light. Steliana Calos, mezzo-soprano; Matei Corvin, piccolo; Virgil Frâncu, flute; Radu Chișu, oboe; Valeriu Bărbuceanu, clarinet; Mihai Tănăsilă, bassoon; Ion Rațiu, French horn; Iancu Văduva, trumpet; Marin Soare, trombone; Ion Ivan Roncea, harp; Mircea Opreanu, Octavian Rațiu, violins; Mihai Sofonea, viola; Vasile Țugui, cello; Ștefan Tomasz, double bass; Șerban Soreanu, piano; Costin Petrescu, percussion (Electrecord: ST-ECE 01980) (LP)

Dreams I. Paul Staicu/Orchestra Camerata (Electrecord: ST-ECE 03516) (LP)

Beyond Dreams III. Partita Radicale (Edition Pro Viva: ISPV 186, 1998)

Beyond Dreams V. Partita Radicale (Edition Pro Viva: ISPV 193, 2004)

The Legend of Dreams. Pro Contemporania (Editura Muzicală/Star Media Music: 037, 2005)

Mosaic (1974–78). Valeriu Bărbuceanu, clarinet; Iancu Văduva, trumpet; Mircea Opreanu, violin; Mihai Sofonea, viola; Paul Rogojină, piano (Nova Musica: A003, 2007)

Flowers and Resonances – Trio for Saxophones, Viola and Piano. Daniel Kientzy, saxophones; Cornelia Petroiu, viola; Mihai Vârtosu, piano (Nova Musica: NMCD 5121, 2007)

Suddenly, Dreams. Dorel Pașcu Rădulescu/Concordia, Concerto (Editura Muzicală: EM 006)

The Joy of Achievement – Wedding Songs. Constantin Marin/Madrigal (Electrecord: ST-EXE 03475)

The Joy of Achievement – Wedding Songs. Dorel Pașcu Rădulescu/Madrigal (Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România: ROSAF125012655)