With positive and negative moments, 2021 is coming to an end and what it generated leaves an imprint on the destiny of the person, family, the country. IPN spoke with those who care and have what to say about victories and failures, hopes and letdowns, achievements and losses. How 2021 was for the woman and musicologist Svetlana Bivol, director general of the National Philharmonic “Sergey Lunkevich”, president of the Union of Musicians.
Unlike 2020, 2021 was a generous year for Svetlana Bivol, who said that her personal accomplishments derive primarily from professional attainments, results achieved at the National Philharmonic “Sergey Lunkevich” and at the Union of Musicians.
Despite the pandemic, 2021 was a year full of cultural events. She managed to organize all the planned concerts. These included the musical performance “Youth of the Romantic Song” that was staged on December 9 under the direction of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO and involved the Orchestra “Folclor” and soloists from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. On September 17, there was held another concert that featured the famous Romanian singer, composer and actor Tudor Gheorghe and the Ensemble “Concertino”. The performance of Latin-symphonic music that was held in Butuceni, Orhei, with the participation of the Symphonic Orchestra of the National Philharmonic “Sergey Lunkevich” and the concert of the Academic Choir “Doina” given at the Organ Hall on March 5 are also among the main events that brought inner satisfaction to Svetlana Bivol.
“Among the important accomplishments are the Excellence Gala of the Union of Musicians and the International Academic Song Contest “Alexei Stârcea”. We organized these cultural events with our own forces, with funds of the Philharmonic and of the Union of Musicians, without the support of other institutions or organizations. The state didn’t allocate funds for staging these cultural events as they didn’t go through the contest of cultural projects,” said the director of the National Philharmonic “Sergey Lunkevich”.
For the artists who work at the Philharmonic, it was a difficult year as the musicians had to give concerts not in their building, but at the Place of the Republic as the Philharmonic’s building hasn’t yet been renovated after the devastating fire of the autumn of 2020. “They performed in different conditions that weren’t really appropriate for rehearsals and concerts, but we ultimately did what we planned for this passing year. The musicians felt fulfilled even if the salaries in this sector are yet very low. The average salary of a musician in the Republic of Moldova is of only 4,000-4,500 lei,” stated Svetlana Bivol.
She is yet hopeful that the 230 employees of the National Philharmonic “Sergey Lunkevich” will soon work in the rehabilitated building. “A working group was constituted under Parliament to prepare the set of documents needed for launching a contest of projects and I’m sure that things will move on slightly,” said Svetlana Bivol.
The COVID-19 pandemic left the artists of the Philharmonic without tours abroad. Only the Ensemble “Concertino” performed in Romania. Tours were however staged in the country so that the public in Cahul, Bălți, Soroca, Strășeni, Ialoveni could admire at home the talent of the Philharmonic’s artists.
During the last days of 2021, Svetlana Bivol is yet at work as she wants to surprise the music lovers with new concerts, works, artists devoted to music the coming year.
Svetlana Bivol has managed the National Philharmonic “Sergey Lunkevich” since 2003, while the Union of Musicians of the Republic of Moldova since 2017. She is a Master of Arts and was awarded the Labor Glory Order and the Order of Honor.
