Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music?
When I first embarked on the journey of becoming a musician, I wasn’t aware of the implications and I certainly didn’t have a plan for what I wanted to achieve. Inspiration can come from many places. I get inspired by music that I want to play and share with other music lovers. Being able to play a piece of music that you’ve been working on for a long time, and play it well is extremely rewarding. It is this feeling, and the feeling of gratitude that you get from people whose hearts you’ve touched that keep me on this road.
Who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?
Often, it is the people that are close to you who prove to be the most influential on your ascent. A very big inspiration for me is my older sister, who was always one step ahead, paving the way and showing me that it was possible. Other important people who played a huge role in my musical development were my piano teachers, Ecaterina Baciu, Marc Rodica and Anthony Hewitt, the Olympianist. I’m quite competitive as well, so I take inspiration from many of my friends and peers who do something that really m interests me.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
I would say my career is just starting out since I only graduated a few months ago, but these last few years haven’t been lacking in obstacles. One of the biggest challenges was completing my undergraduate course at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. It was quite a transformative journey and some of the things that happened during these four years were nothing short of extraordinary from any point of view.
Which performances/recordings are you most proud of?
I focused most of my fourth year in university on two projects, which I believe were successful. One of them was the first movement & music show, in March 2019. I collaborated with professional movers for the first time and I got to express some of my deepest beliefs with my audience. The show involved various movement disciplines (Tai Chi, Parkour, Breakdance, Contemporary, Capoeira) fused with representative music and people loved the idea and the performance. My final recital is the other performance I’m very proud of. I played just under an hour’s worth of music written by Chopin in c# minor. At the end of the show, a friend of mine who has seen thousands of concerts during his lifetime came up to congratulate and thank me with tears in his eyes. That was a moment I cannot forget.
Which particular works do you think you perform best?
Romantic and Impressionist music: composers like Chopin, Liszt, Debussy are the ones who speak to me the most through their music. I think you perform best what you connect with on a deeper level.
What is your most memorable concert experience?
A recent and vivid image is the picture I currently have for my profile cover on Facebook. I will probably change it soon, but it represents all the performers of the first movement and music show, with me on top of my friend’s shoulders. Although my birthday had been the day before, that felt like a real present.
Tell us more about Musica con Moto, Parkour and piano…
Where do I begin… The two alliterations above represent basically the same combination on two different levels. I started practicing parkour in high-school and the piano always felt like the other piece of the puzzle that is Bogdan. Some of my friends used to call me ‘the parkour pianist’ and I kind of like that nickname. In terms of music and movement, they are the closest things to my heart. Musica con Moto was an idea of Yvonne Evans, director of 7 Star Arts, to whom I owe my show at the OSO. Since Italian is the language that composers most often use to notate indications on the score, I thought it was a good idea and it stuck. It has a very sexy sound to it as well. The idea behind music and movement syncretism was unifying my two lifelong passions and creating a performance, a career, an idea, a superhero, something I can call my own. The notion of human movement is being understood slowly by us, and, in my humble opinion, moving to music, which is something that even toddlers do, represents the following step. I believe there are certain elements that make us human and give us an identity as a species. The way we move, the creativity we have and the social aspect of both music and movement are things that I want to bring back into the public eye, not only because of long-term health benefits, but also due to the elevated states that music causes people to experience. I believe we can make us better humans and the world a better place with movement and music
As a musician, what is your definition of success?
Success is an intoxicating word. We hear it all the time, yet it lacks depth for many of us. To me it represents a SUCCESSion of things: working, doing something useful to you or to those around you and being pleased with what you have done. There will come a time when we have to give up everything so I’m not focused on gathering riches in material terms.
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
A book would be useful in this case, but I have a few ideas: be resourceful, constantly improve your craft, don’t settle for mediocre, make friends, trust yourself, test your limits and define your goals and your expectations. Good things come to those who know what they want and those who work for them. Make some waves!!!
Where would you like to be in 10 years’ time?
In the now.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being.
What is your most treasured possession?
My soul.
What is your present state of mind?
At peace.
Musica con Moto with Bogdan Suciu and friends is on 25 and 26 November at the OSO Arts Centre, Barnes. More information/tickets
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