(b. 14 September 1951, Bucharest).
Romanian composer of mostly orchestral and chamber works that have been performed throughout the world.
Ms. Rotaru studied composition with Ștefan Niculescu and Tiberiu Olah at the Universitatea Națională de Muzică București from 1970–75. She later studied composition with Theo Loevendie in Amsterdam in 1991, on a grant, and earned her PhD in musicology at the Universitatea Națională de Muzică București in 1998.
Among her honours are ten prizes from the Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România in Bucharest (1981, 1986, 1989–90, 1994, 1997, 2001, three from 2003–15), Erster Preis in the competition GEDOK in Mannheim (1994, for Symphony II) and the Premiul from the Fundația Națională pentru Știință și Artă in Bucharest (1996). Her music has been performed in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the UK.
She has taught as a professor of composition at the Universitatea Națională de Muzică București since 1990, where she also served as chair of the department of composition from 2008–13. She lectured at the Internationale Gaudeamus Muziekweek in Amsterdam in 1990 and 1992, at the Ferienkurse in Darmstadt in 1992 and 1994 and later in the UK in 1995, Japan in 1998, 2001 and 2011, Iceland in 2006, Sweden in 2010, Italy in 2011 and 2019), Poland in 2018, and Spain in 2019.
In addition to the works listed below, she has composed choral and didactic music, as well as a treatise on the counterpoint of Johann Sebastian Bach and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1986, Editura Muzicală).
She is the mother of the composer Diana Rotaru.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL:
Symphony I, 'Dorul pământului', large orchestra (60 players), 1985
Concerto I, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute), small orchestra (2 percussion, 13 strings), 1986
Concerto, cello, orchestra (58 players), 1987
Symphony II, large orchestra (73 players), 1988
Concerto II, 'Spiralis II', flute (+ alto flute, bass flute), orchestra (50 players), 1991
Lights from a Rainbow, small orchestra (flute, alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, 2 percussion, 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, double bass), 1993
Concerto I, 'Seven Levels to the Sky', soprano saxophone (+ alto saxophone, baritone saxophone), orchestra (57 players), 1993
Concerto III, 'Cercles magiques', flute (+ piccolo, alto flute, bass flute), orchestra (8 winds, 3 percussion, 30 strings), 1993
Clocks II, small orchestra (15 players), 1994
Concerto IV, 'Florilegium', flute (+ alto flute), small orchestra (4 piccolos, 8 flutes, 6 alto flutes, 6 bass flutes), 1996
Umbre I, viola, small orchestra (2 percussion, 14 strings), 1999
Concerto, percussion, orchestra (41 players), 2000
Wings of Light, 24 flutes (+ percussion), 2000
Métabole II, clarinet (+ E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet), small orchestra (28 players), 2001
Symphony III, 'Spirit of Elements', large orchestra (92 players), 2001
5 Vitralii – 5 Stained-Glass Windows, small orchestra (10 flutes, 6 alto flutes, 6 bass flutes, 2 contrabass flutes), fixed media, 2002–03
Concerto II, 'Umbre IV', cello, large orchestra (68 players), 2004
Concerto II, 'Masques et miroirs', sopranino saxophone (+ alto saxophone, baritone saxophone), orchestra (42 players), 2006
Concerto V, 'L’Ange avec une seule aile', flute (+ piccolo, alto flute), small orchestra (25 players), 2010 (also larger version for flute [+ piccolo, alto flute], orchestra [42 players], 2010)
Clocks III, large orchestra (61 players), 2010
Fragile II, clarinet, orchestra (37 players), 2015
Nymphéa, orchestra (39 players), 2019
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Sonata, cello, 1978
Cumpăna Luminii – Balance of Light, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 1982
Légende, flute, resonator, 1984
Jeu de miroirs, 4 flutes (4th + alto flute), 1984
Aux portes du rêve, flute, percussion, 1985
Quatrotempi, cello, percussion, 1985
Clocks, clarinet, piano, percussion, 1987 (also versions for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 1987; flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 2007)
Metamorphosis, bass clarinet, 1987
Masks, clarinet, cello, 1989
Dor, alto flute, 1989
Troïte, clarinet (+ soprano saxophone), piano (+ synthesizer), percussion, 1990
Over time, shakuhachi (bamboo flute from Japan), bass flute, 1992
Spiralis III, alto flute, guitar, 1992
Noesis, 4 percussion, 1995
Fum, clarinet, 1995
Reina, soprano saxophone, fixed media, live electronics, 1996
Legend II, oboe/soprano saxophone, 1996
Alean, 4 saxophones, 1997
Tempio di fumo, flute, 1997
Uroboros, 2 flutes, 1998, revised 2013
Métabole I, A-flat clarinet, 3 clarinets, 2 alto clarinets, bass clarinet, 1999
L'Éternel Retour, 8 cellos, 2000
Libellule – Dragonfly, piccolo, 2000
Crystals, flute, piano, 2002
Dincolo..., oboe, percussion, 2002
Umbre II, violin, cello, piano, 2002
Umbre III, cello, fixed media, 2003
Crystals II, flute, piano, percussion, 2003
Entrelacs, shō (mouth organ from Japan), shakuhachi, shamisen (wide-necked lute from Japan), 13-string koto (zither from Japan), percussion from Japan, 2004
Colinda, baritone saxophone, harp, celesta, percussion, violin, viola, cello, 2005
Matanga, contrabass saxophone, 6 percussion, 2005
Tristia, 4 bass flutes (1st, 2nd + piccolo, 3rd, 4th + flute), 2005, revised 2011
Japanese Garden, bass flute (+ piccolo), fixed media, 2006
Prana-Apana, flute, cello, percussion, 2006
Mithya, bass flute, 2007 (each of its three sections may be performed separately: I, 'comme une prière'; II, 'comme une "colinda"'; III, 'comme une "doïna"')
Ielele, flute, oboe, clarinet, piano, percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2007
Geyser, percussion, fixed media, 2008
Obsessivo, soprano saxophone (+ tenor saxophone), viola, fixed media, 2008
Cantus austerus, alto flute, 2009
Epistrophe, flute, 2009
Vivarta, string quartet, 2009, revised 2017
Salcia (in memoriam the victims of the earthquake in Tōhoku), flute, 4 percussion, 2011
Elegie, flute, piano, 2011
Centrifuga, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 2011
Métabole III, 5 clarinets, 2012
Epistrophe II, 3 flutes, 2013
Fragile, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2014
Ogives, 10 flutes, 2016
Il Pianto del Ghiaccio, 4 flutes, 2016
Jyotis, flute, 2017
Legend III, oboe, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2018
Obsessivo II, recorder, flute, harp, harpsichord, 2018
VOCAL:
Trias, mezzo-soprano, flute, piano, 1999
En rêvant ... au saxophone (text by André Malraux), female voice, soprano saxophone (+ tenor saxophone), live electronics, 2003
Pan, soprano (+ percussion), 3 flutes, 2013
Bocet, soprano, alto flute, 2013
Bocet IV, soprano, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2015
PIANO:
Răscrucea Macilor – The Crossroads of the Poppies, 1980
Sonatina (for beginners), 1981
Samaya, 2005
DISCOGRAPHY
Légende; Cumpăna Luminii; Sonata. Pierre-Yves Artaud, flute; Anca Vartolomei, cello; Musica Nova (Electrecord: ST-ECE 02889) (LP)
Concerto (cello); Symphony II. Anca Vartolomei, cello; Ludovic Bács/Orchestra Națională Radio (Electrecord: ST-ECE 03669) (LP)
Troïte. Ensemble Contrastes (Attacca Babel: 9265/66)
Symphony II. Ludovic Bács/Orchestra Națională Radio (Editura Muzicală: EM 007)
Légende; Crystals; Dor; Libellule; Uroboros (original version); Tempio di fumo; Jeu de miroirs. Ion Bogdan Ștefănescu, piccolo, flute, alto flute; Horia Maxim, piano (Editura Muzicală: EM 024)
Over time. Yoshikazu Iwamoto, shakuhachi; Pierre-Yves Artaud, bass flute (Editura Muzicală: EM 1002)
Clocks (original version); L'Éternel Retour; Concerto IV, 'Florilegium'; Symphony III, 'Spirit of Elements'. Pierre-Yves Artaud, flute; Trio Contrastes; Violoncellissimo; Pierre-Alain Biget/Orchestre Français de Flûtes; Norichika Iimori/Tōkyō Philharmonic Orchestra (Electrecord: EDC 461)
Légende; Uroboros (original version); Tempio di fumo; Mithya. Mario Caroli, flute, bass flute (L'Empreinte Digitale: ED 13232)
Elegie. Krzysztof Kaczka, flute; Lilian Akopova, piano (hänssler CLASSIC: HC21060)
Concerto I; Symphony II; Concerto I, 'Seven Levels to the Sky'. Pierre-Yves Artaud, piccolo, flute, alto flute; Emil Sein, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone; Barrie Webb/Huddersfield University Orchestra (MPS Music and Video: MPSCD007)
Concerto I, 'Seven Levels to the Sky'. Daniel Kientzy, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone; Emil Șimon/Filarmonica de Stat Transilvania din Cluj (Nova Musica: NMCD 5105)
Concerto II, 'Masques et miroirs'; Colinda; Matanga; Obsessivo; Reina; En rêvant ... au saxophone; Concerto I, 'Seven Levels to the Sky'. Yumi Nara, female voice; Daniel Kientzy, sopranino saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, contrabass saxophone; Reina Portuondo, fixed media, live electronics; Trio PROmoZICA; Alexandru Matei/Ensemble Game; Bogdan Voda/Ensemble Pentruloc; Horia Andreescu/Orchestra de Cameră Radio; Emil Șimon/Filarmonica de Stat Transilvania din Cluj (Nova Musica: NMCD 5124)
Concerto II, 'Spiralis II'; Dor; Concerto III, 'Cercles magiques'; Concerto IV, 'Florilegium'. Pierre-Yves Artaud, piccolo, flute, alto flute, bass flute; Ludovic Bács/Orchestra Națională Radio; Pierre-Alain Biget/Nederlands Fluitorkest, Orchestre Français de Flûtes (Radio România: DRCD-1001)
Over time; Metamorphosis; Masks; Tempio di fumo; Troïte; Noesis. Yoshikazu Iwamoto, shakuhachi; Pierre-Yves Artaud, flute, bass flute; Vasile Mocioc, clarinet; Emil Sein, bass clarinet; Anca Vartolomei, cello; Trio Contrastes; GAME Ensemble (Radio România: DRCD-1002)
Cantus austerus; Crystals; Libellule; Dor; Japanese Garden; Epistrophe; Salcia. Mario Caroli, piccolo, flute, alto flute, bass flute; Horia Maxim, piano; Ensemble Game (Stradivarius: STR 37034)
Japanese Garden. Keiko Murakami, bass flute, piccolo (Stradivarius: STR 37070)