EJN Staff Exchange Programme

Sending EJN member: Latvian Music Information Centre (Latvia)
Hosting EJN member: UCIMR (Romania)
Dates of the exchange: 10–18 August 2025

After learning about the EJN Staff Exchange programme, I decided to apply and join UCIMR, the Union of Interpretative Creation of Musicians in Romania, for a week in August. UCIMR is run by a close-knit team, both professionally and personally, led by Diana and Sebastian Gheorghiu and driven by genuine passion. Among their more than 200 events per year, I had the opportunity to experience The Jazz Cave Festival, which for the fifth time brought over 22 bands from around the world to Vâlcea County.

I spent the first days at the UCIMR office in Bucharest, learning about the team’s daily work and finalising preparations for the festival. We then travelled to Râmnicu Vâlcea, in the Transylvanian Alps. After a press conference held in the courtyard of the art museum, the following mornings started early as I joined the crew at the salt mine. This was an extraordinary experience in itself: we drove 250 metres underground to enter the Neolithic salt mine, an unforgettable concert venue. Most preparations were already completed, so we focused on setting up the stage and audience areas, placing final promotional materials, briefing staff, managing international artists and guests, and maintaining continuous communication on social media.

In addition to this unique setting, concerts also took place on the “Dreamland” stage in Zăvoi Park and the “Arts District” stage at the art museum, where the Her Voice series highlighted female voices in Romanian jazz. During the professional programme of the festival, I was also invited to give a lecture on communication as a key element of contemporary artists’ self-promotion.

In short, I felt very well welcomed, was able to contribute meaningfully, and left convinced that The Jazz Cave Festival organised by UCIMR has great potential to grow further and to reach audiences well beyond Romania.

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