Alexandra Dariescu to be First Female Romanian Pianist to Perform at the Proms

This year, on August 5, the BBC Proms celebrates its first-ever female Romanian pianist. Born in Iasi, Alexandra Dariescu began studying piano at the age of seven. Despite only learning the instrument for two years, Dariescu managed to have her concerto debut with the Moldova Philharmonic Orchestra at just the age of nine!

As a pianist, Dariescu recognizes the importance of performing female composers. In particular, she will be performing Nadia Boulanger’s Fantasy for piano and orchestra. Boulanger is mostly known as one of music’s greatest pedagogues, teaching composers like Aaron Copland, Astor Piazzolla, and Philip Glass. However, Boulanger also made her own compositions. “[H]er own compositional voice is just so powerful and original,” Dariescu stressed. Describing the Fantasy, Dariescu says, “There are influences from Fauré, Stravinsky, Rachmaninov – but the voice is unmistakably hers.” The piece has a certain intimacy to her as she made its UK premiere in 2019. 

Along with Boulanger, the program will also feature Ravel’s La vallée des cloches, orchestrated by Colin Matthews, and Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony. Conductor Kahchun Wong will be leading the Hallé orchestra through these two orchestral works.