“My Cultural Bucharest – from Radio Orchestras to Contemporary Art”

Dear friends, we invite you to participate in a prize-winning contest, entitled "My Cultural Bucharest-from Radio Orchestras to Contemporary Art", organized by Radio Romania International jointly with Radio Romania "Music". The contest is devoted to Bucharest, a cultural city of European importance and is focused on symphonic music and contemporary art.

The 1st edition of the International Radio Orchestras Festival is due to take place in Bucharest, between September the 23rd and 29th 2012. The festival is designed to bring together the most important symphony orchestras of leading radio broadcasters, in the Romanian capital city, in the years when Romania does not host the "George Enescu" International Festival and Contest.

The festival is held under the artistic guidance of pianist and conductor Christian Zacharias and will present to the public at large world-famous orchestras and soloists, on the stages of two of the main concert halls in Bucharest: the Palace Hall and the Radio Hall.

Performing will be: the National Radio Orchestra, the Radio Chamber Orchestra, the "Voces" Quartet

(Romania), the RAI Turin Orchestra, the Radio France Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, together with soprano Ruxandra Donose, violinist Alexandru Tomescu, conductor Juraj Valcuha, pianist and conductor Myungwhun Chung, cellist Jian Wang, conductor Horia Andreesu, violinist Maxim Vengherov, conductor Neemi Järvi, pianist Dan Grigore, etc.

Between May the 25th and July the 22nd, Bucharest will also host the 5th Contemporary Art Biennial Exhibition, BB5, coordinated by Anne Barlow (Great Britain/ the US). No less than 20 international artists from each continent have already announced their participation.

The previous editions of the Biennial were held in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

BB5 is meant to encourage and enhance the artists' creativity, to grant wider access to culture, to promote art, culture and intercultural dialogue, to offer the public the chance to get thorough knowledge of the history and cultural heritage of peoples from Europe and outside it. The exhibition will be held in unconventional places (including an old textile factory) as well as in public spaces in Bucharest (among which the Free Press House).

We invite you to listen to the programs broadcast by RRI, visit our website, www.rri.ro , access our profiles on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr and send your correct answers, in writing, to several questions. You stand a high chance to be among the winners. The contest comes to an end on July the 31st 2012, the post date.

The Grand Prize is a 7 night stay for two, in Bucharest, FB, between September the 23rd and 30th. The winners will find accommodation in the "Hotel Royal" and will also have the opportunity to go to all festival concerts hosted by the Palace Hall. The contest is sponsored by "Hotel Royal Bucharest".

The partners of the contest are the Ministry of Culture and Cultural Heritage, the Bucharest Prefect's Office, the Official Gazette, the Bucharest Transport Public Utility, the Romanian National Peasant Museum, the contemporary art portal Modernism.ro, the Casa Radio Publishing House, the NOI Media Print Publishing House.

As usual, you will have to cover your travel expenses from your residence to Bucharest and back, and, if necessary, the cost of the visa for Romania. We also offer many other prizes to those who don't win the Grand Prize. The smaller prizes consist in objects related to Bucharest and Romanian culture, in general, and are offered by our partners.

And here are the questions:

- Who is the artistic director of the International Radio Orchestras Festival?

- What is the name of the main contemporary art museum in Bucharest?

- Mention at least 3 cultural, historical and tourist attractions in Bucharest.

- What cultural, historical and tourist landmarks of Bucharest would you like to visit, if you win the Grand Prize, and why?

Please write to us what has made you take part in the contest and, please, mention your sources of information, others than the programs of our radio station, the site of RRI or the Facebook profile. Our

address is: 60-64 G-ral Berthelot Street, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania, PO Box 111, code 010165, fax 00.40.21.319.05.62, e-mail : engl@rri.ro The winners will be announced shortly after August 1st, to have time to make preparations for their stay in Bucharest. Good luck !

(Newsletter Radio Romania International, No. 45, 22 June 2012)