“The Hills of Change” – A Transcultural Symphony is a Romanian-Norwegian co-production project created by the Association of Creative Industries in partnership with DAC Music Performance (Norway).
Inspired by the landscapes of Iași, Romania, and Oslo, Norway, the project redefines the concept of international artistic collaboration through an interdisciplinary approach combining painting and music.
The newly created chamber symphony within the project represents a creative collaboration between three Norwegian composers and four Romanian composers, each contributing a compositional segment to form a seven-part work.
The project aims to celebrate the natural beauty and cultural heritage of both cities through music and visual arts, promoting international artistic collaboration and cultural exchange. Both cities are surrounded by hills, which serve as a source of inspiration for both the residents and their creators. However, the poetic romanticism shaped by the “hills” of Iași represents a different benchmark compared to the wild naturalism of Oslo’s fjords.
The Norwegian composers will draw inspiration from the landscape of Iași and three paintings from the existing collection on this theme by the renowned Romanian painter Felix Aftene. Meanwhile, the Romanian composers will find inspiration in Oslo’s landscape and four paintings commissioned from a Norwegian artist. Each composer will create a movement inspired by these paintings, synthesizing the nuances of the artworks into their own musical language.
The composition, The Hills of Change, will be presented free of charge to the public in two performances, one in Oslo, Norway, and the other in Iași, Romania.
Composers
Painters
Conductor
Concertmaster
Musicians
The project aims to promote both international artistic collaboration and the development of the audience. The artistic process will be enhanced through exchanges of experience between composers and painters, who will explore the connection between visual art and music.
Additionally, the project seeks to enhance the professional skills of three employees of the promoter through their participation in exchange programs and job-shadowing sessions facilitated by the Norwegian partner, with the goal of improving the competencies of the professionals involved and promoting sustainability in cultural management.
The bilateral co-production, created by the Association of Creative Industries in partnership with DAC Music Performance (Norway), “The Hills of Change”, aims to attract over 700 spectators to the performances in Iași and Oslo and to provide international visibility for the 43 artists involved from Romania and Norway: composers, painters, musicians, and conductors.
Collaboration with the Norwegian partner DAC Music Performance and the involvement of sustainability experts will contribute to strengthening bilateral relations, knowledge transfer, and the exchange of best practices. Thus, the project not only promotes culture but also lays the foundation for sustainable models of artistic collaboration.
Once the composition is completed, it will be presented free of charge to the general public during a dedicated premiere, both in Oslo, Norway, and Iași, Romania.
To stay updated with the latest news about the project, we invite you to follow us on the Facebook page of the “The Hills of Change” project.
Project Promoter: ASOCIAȚIA INDUSTRII CREATIVE
Project Partner: DAC MUSIC PERFORMANCE (Norway)
Total Project Value: 621,972.92 RON (124,984.51 EUR)
Non-reimbursable Funding: 621,972.92 RON (124,984.51 EUR)
Duration: 4 months
Implementation Locations: Iași (Romania) and Oslo (Norway)
Website: https://asociatiaindustriicreative.com/the-hills-of-change/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHillsOfChange
This bilateral initiative is implemented by the Project Management Unit from the Ministry of Culture, Romania, acting as Programme
Operator for RO-CULTURE, in partnership with Arts and Culture Norway, acting as Programme partner, and is financed with the support of EEA and Norway Grants through the National Bilateral Fund, managed by the National Contact Point within the Ministry of European Investments and Projects.
The EEA Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, and the Kingdom of Norway to reducing economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area and strengthening bilateral relations with the 15 beneficiary countries in Eastern and Southern Europe, as well as the Baltic states. These funding mechanisms are established under the Agreement on the European Economic Area, which brings together EU member states and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway as equal partners in the internal market. In total, the three countries contributed €3.3 billion between 1994 and 2014 and €1.55 billion for the 2014-2021 funding period. More details are available at: www.eeagrants.org and www.eeagrants.ro.
The RO-CULTURA Program is implemented by the Ministry of Culture through the Project Management Unit and aims to strengthen economic and social development through cultural cooperation, cultural entrepreneurship, and cultural heritage management. The Program’s budget is approximately €34 million. More details are available at www.ro-cultura.ro.
This bilateral initiative is implemented by the Project Management Unit from the Ministry of Culture, Romania, acting as Programme Operator for RO-CULTURE, in partnership with Arts and Culture Norway, acting as Programme partner, and is financed with the support of EEA and Norway Grants through the National Bilateral Fund, managed by the National Contact Point within the Ministry of European Investments and Projects.
