(Founder)

Bogdan Bacanu has been professor of marimba at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz (Austria) starting at the age of 23 and is thus the youngest professor of his kind, world-wide.

In 1998 he was awarded ,Musician of the Year' in Australia and in 2010 a honorary professorship by the University of Sechuan / China. Since 2011 he also teaches at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

Bogdan Bácanu studied marimba at the Mozarteum University in his present hometown Salzburg, with his great mentor, Professor Peter Sadlo.
Since then, Bogdan Bácanu has given solo concerts and concertos with orchestra and ensembles, touring in Norway, Denmark, Holland, England, Germany, France, Spain, Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Japan, Korea, China, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Switzerland, Mexico and the United States. He has performed with well-known artists like Keiko Abe, Gidon Kremer, Peter Sadlo, Heinrich Schiff, Momoko Kamiya. In a variety of concert projects, he has collaborated with conductors like Cristian Mandeal, Dennis Russell Davies, Kent Nagano, Seiji Ozawa and Horia Andreescu, among others, orchestras like Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Heilbronner Symphonieorchester, Radio Symphony Orchestra Bucharest, Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and various Ensembles out of Orchestras as Los Angeles Philharmonics, New York Philharmonics, Madrid Philharmonics, London Philharmonics, Berlin Philharmonics. Renowned, international awards and exuberant concert reviews from around the world have continued to attend his career as soloist and educator in equal measure.

He has been invited repeatedly to renowned music festivals such as the Biennal Brisbane (Australia), Princeton Marimba Festival, Percussion Festival of Thessaloniki, Lockenhaus Music Festival, Voices of Percussion Wien, Musiksommer Grafenegg, Wörthersee Festspiele, Carinthischer Sommer, Donaufestwochen, World Marimba Festival Osaka, 'les museiques' Festival Basel/Schweiz, Salzburg Festival, 2nd International Marimba Competition 2004 in Belgium, International Marimba Competition 2005 in Slovenia, International Percussion Competition PENDIM in Plovdiv / Bulgaria, Zeltsman Marimba Festival in the USA, International Marimba Festival in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico where he gave concerts with greatest success and reviews.

Bogdan Bácanu is professor at the International Summer Academy in Salzburg, and was guest professor at the Zeltsman Marimba Festival, USA, the 4th International Marimba Festival 2004 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico, The First Australian Marimba Festival, IKM Marimba Academy Poland and was invited by distinguished universities and festivals to give master classes in The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Cypress, Greece, Japan, China, Australia, Turkey, Mexico as well as the USA.

He was a Jury member in International Marimba Competitions such as the International Marimba Competition Belgium, Pendim Competition Bulgaria, International Marimba Competition Ljubliana, First Chinese Marimba Competition.

Due to the resounding, continual success of his festivals, he then founded the International Marimba Competition in Linz in 2006 (Artistic Director), featuring a prestigious jury. From 2009 on, the competition is triannually held in cooperation with the Mozarteum University and the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg.

Composers like Hannes Schalle (Austria), John Thrower (Canada/Germany), Alexander Müllenbach (Luxembourg/Austria) and Emmanuel Sejourne (France) have composed pieces and concertos dedicated to him which he has released in part on his CDs.

In 2008 Bogdan Bacanu founded The Wave Quartet (BB, Christoph Sietzen, Vladi Petrov, Emiko Uchiyama) that soon performed in important concert halls in Europe (Konzerthaus Berlin, Großes Festspielhaus Salzburg) and Asia, where they met enthusiastic resonance. Already in the first concerts the Quartet had followed their passion for Baroque Music and performed a Concerto for originally 2 harpsichords by Johann Sebastian Bach. Their respectful and historically informed approach enthralled public and critics. Since then baroque music embodies a focus in the Quartets repertoire.

In order to that, the Quartets debut CD ,Aurora Borealis' was followed in 2009 by a recording of all three Concertos for 2 harpsichords by Bach, Peter Sadlo was hereby conducting ,Salzburg Barock' on period instruments.
This fascinating fusion of 2 ages also received great regards.

The follow-up project ,Senza Ripieno' impresses with mostly unpopular, but precious baroque works, without accompaniment, and very intimate.

In February this year the quartet made their debut with 3 concerts in the Great Festival hall Salzburg with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, conducted by Carlos Domínguez-Nieto, which they received standing ovations.

Highlights of the upcoming season are a Japan-Tour, concerts in the USA, a cooperation with the austrian film music composer and producer Hannes M.Schalle as well as a CD and TV recording with the Orchestra Romana de Tineret conducted by Christian Mandeal in the Atheneum Bukarest.

Bogdan Bácanu himself loves and respects the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach. His greatest desire is to see the marimba established in the music world as a solo instrument. His arrangements of the Concertos BWV 1060 to BWV 1062 for harpsichord demonstrate his respect for the original composition by absolute adherence to the text, shown on his newest CD release, in which he shares the stage with "The Wave Quartet", Peter Sadlo (conductor) and the Salzburg Baroque Orchestra. Even Baroque music specialists were enthusiastic in regards to the perfection and the rich sounds of the marimba in works by J.S. Bach. Further arrangements by Bácanu like the Chaconne in d-minor BWV 1004 and the Concertos for Harpsichord, BWV 1052, 1054 and 1056 have been released on CD and also as music scores with the Norwegian edition, NORSK.

Bogdan Bácanu performs exclusively on ADAMS ALPHA Series Marimbas.

The renowned instrument manufacturer has developed the 'Bogdan Bácanu Signature Series' of marimba mallets.

His highly successful cooperation with Classic Concert Records since 2004 resulted seven CD recordings and is evidence of the artist's versatility.

For 2013 Bogdan Bacanu and Composer/Mediaproducer Hannes M. Schalle are preparing a multimedia driven performance programme which will be premiered in autumn in Salzburg and released on the web.

 

Press Voices:

For me the culture of touching the keys and musical perfection of Bogdan Bacanu on the Marimba can be compared to the way someone like Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays the piano.
Prof. Dr. Peter Sadlo

Music is art, and when Bogdan plays on his marimba he creates artwork. There are only a few marimba-players that go beyond "playing a piece of music", and Bogdan is definitely one of them.
Frans Swinkels / Manager from ADAMS Musical Instruments

He is different, he has depth, spirituality and strength.. music is much more than a religion for him, it is what defines him as an artist;
it is his reason for being alive!
Elisabeth Michot de Jowers

The splendid concert was of the highest level. ..... Bogdan Bácanu is obviously amongst the best marimbists that exist....... simply fabulous..... impeccable technique and fabulous musicality.... dynamics go from the most subtle pianissimos to the most vigorous fortissimos....he stood out for his virtuosity and the numerous contrasts, great subtlety and clarity in the phrasing....
Wave Quartet performed a spectacular concert at the International Music Festival in Valencia (Spain). This incredible ensemble is headed by the sensational Austrian musician Bogdan Bácanu. This original concert exalted the spirits of the audience and provoked complete enthusiasm ending in standing ovations.

Bogdan Bácanu and his excellent musicians made the audience vibrate at the International Madiran Festival of music... the devil is amongst us ... we do not want to offend him by calling him a devil, but for more than an hour, he jumped from one end to the other of the marimba resolving ever increasing difficulties with great master ship .... diabolical. Superb performance that made not only the walls of the castle vibrate but also the hearts of the audience.

Wave Quartet, directed by the great Bogdan Bácanu, delighted the audience with an original concert at the 'Teatro Principal' ... their creative repertoire ranged from versions of Bach to original repertoire written for the marimba, an impressive instrument which was played magnificently by Bácanu, Sietzen, Petrov and Uchiyama with fantastic technique and interpretation, accompanied by the corporal dynamism. One minute they made us vibrate with the loud, impacting and rhythmical percussion and the next, they made us feel emotional with warm melodies from Bach, Matthesson, Le Roux, Groban, Piazzolla...