Born in 1951, Romanian composer Doina Rotaru has a B.A. and a M.A in composition at the National University of Music in Bucharest. She studied here between 1970 and 1975 with Tiberiu Olah. Since 1996 she has been a professor of composition and, since 2008, the head of the composition department at the same University. She has written so far over 100 works that cover almost every musical genre: from solo, chamber, choral to orchestral works, from works that mix instrumental with electronic music to theater music.
Her music has been performed in many concerts and festivals all over the world: Europe, Far-East, Australia, Canada, North and South-America. - some of these being "author concerts". Some of Doina Rotaru's works have been commissioned by Radio France, Radio Graz, Suntory Hall Tokyo, French Ministry of Culture, Warsaw Autumne festival, Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, ensembles and soloists from France, Germany, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Switzerland. Doina Rotaru was awarded prizes by the Romanian Academy (Bucharest,1996) and the Romanian Composers' Association (1981, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2004 and 2007). For her 2nd Symphony, she’s won in 1994 the first prize at the Gedok - Mannheim International Competition (Germany).
She was invited as a lecturer about her music in Germany (Darmstadt, Summer Courses for New Music - 1992, 1994), Holland (Amsterdam, Gaudeamus International Composers’ Workshop - 1990,1992 ), England ( Huddersfield University - 1995, Brighton - 1995), Japan (Tokyo Suntory Hall - 2001), Iceland (Skalholt, 2006), Paris and Lille (2009), Stockholm and Bari (2010).
"Doina Rotaru has an unique and a very distinguishable style, which is founded on an archetypal aesthetic: sound and timbre patterns going back to primary Romanian and trans geographical folklore as well as structural principles of symbolic value and function, circular and spiral shapes, sacred numbers." (Irinel Anghel.)
Her creation covers three Symphonies, five Flute Concertos, two Clarinet Concertos, two Cello Concertos, two Saxophone(s) Concertos, Percussion Concerto, “Shadows” for viola and chamber orchestra, "Clocks" and "Lights from a rainbow" for chamber orchestra, “5 Vitralii” and “Wings of Light “ for Flutes orchestra, "Alean" for 4 saxophones, "Noesis" for 4 percussion players, “L’Eternel REtour” for 8 celli, ”Entrelacs” for 5 Japanese traditional instruments, “Troite” trio, “Crystals” for flute and piano, “Uroboros” for 2 flutes, “Shadows” III for cello and tape, “Matanga” for D-bass saxophone and 6 percussionists, “Japanese garden” for flute and pre-recorded sounds, ”Ielele” for 10 musicians, “Geyzer” for percussion and pre-recorded sounds, “Mithya” and “Tempio di fumo”, for flute, etc.
CDs with her music have been produced by ATTACCA Records Amsterdam, Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, ELECTRECORD Bucharest, MPS United Kingdom, NOVA MUSICA, L’EMPREINTE DIGITALE and MEGALONE - France, SONOTON Germany.
Her works are published by the Musical Publishing House (Editura Muzicala) in Bucharest, Editions Leduc (Paris).