Alexandra was born inBucharest, Romania, on 27 May 1947.[2] From 1965 to 1971, she studied at the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory (now theNational University of Music Bucharest) underTudor Ciortea andTiberiu Olah and took composition courses in 1974, 1978, 1980 and 1984 inDarmstadt, Germany.[3][4] She had a doctorate in musicology and taught composition, orchestration, and music analysis at the Conservatory from 1971 until her death in 2011. A prolific composer in theneoromantic style, Alexandra had over 100 of her works performed and published in Romania.[5] According to musicologist Octavian Cosma, she was "in her element with orchestral and chamber music, employing repetitive and evolving techniques, with melodic lines which suggest lyricism and meditation" and an instrumentation that used "a palette of delicate, pastel colours."[3] Iuliana Porcos described her work as"characterized by a clarity of orchestration and particularly by an evolving repetitive structure which induces a feeling of plenary meditation. Her composing style is defined by simplicity, accessibility and clarity, in accord with the 20th century composers’ wish to approach consonance (a new type of consonance), minimalism and archetype."[6] Her music was associated with the "New Simplicity" movement by revewers of the 1980 Darmstadt Festival, who praised herIncantations II derived "in an original manner from elements of Rumanian folk music".[7]
Alexandra married the Romanian cellist and composerŞerban Nichifor in 1978. They performed together as Duo Intermedia from 1990 and were co-directors of the Nuova Musica Consonante - Living Music Foundation Festival.[4][5]
Liana Alexandra died at her home in Bucharest on10 January 2011 of acerebral hemorrhage at the age of 63.[8] On 12 January 2011, two days after her death, the broadcastUnivers muzical românesc onRadio România Muzical was dedicated to her.[9] In May of that year,Liana Alexandra: Marturii despre muzica ei (Liana Alexandra: Confessions about her Music) was published by Editura Stephanus in a bilingual Romanian and English edition. Edited by Şerban Nichifor, the book is an anthology of writings on Alexandra's music by composers, critics and musicologists includingViorel Cosma,Grete Tartler,Robert Voisey, andJacques Leduc. Later that month, her 1987 operaÎn labirint (The Maze) was performed in her memory by theBanatul Philharmonic of Timișoara as the closing concert of the Timișoara International Music Festival (31 May 2011).[10][11]
Composer Liana Alexandra playing piano, concert at "International New Music Week" Festival, Bucharest, "George Enescu" Museum, 2002Liana Alexandra and her husbandŞerban Nichifor. The couple performed together as Duo Intermedia.
Cantata for women's choir and orchestra, verses by Lucian Blaga (1971)
"Valences", symphonic movement (1973)
Concerto for clarinet and orchestra (1974)
Cantata II for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus and orchestra, verses by Lucian Blaga (1977)
Cantata III "Country-land, country-idea" for women's chorus and orchestra, verses by Nichita Stanescu (1977)
Symphony II "Hymns" (1978)
Concerto for flute, viola and chamber orchestra (1980)
Symphony III “Diacronies” (1981)
Symphony IV (1984)
Symphony V (1985-1986)
Symphony VI (1988-1989)
Symphonic poem "Jerusalem" (1990)
Concerto for string orchestra (1991)
Concerto for piano for four hands and orchestra (1993)
Symphony VII (1996)
Symphony VIII (1995-1996)
Symphony IX "Jerusalem" (1970)
Concerto for saxophone and orchestra (1997)
"Pastorale" for wind orchestra (1999)
Concerto for organ and orchestra (2002). Premiered at the Mihail Jora Concert Hall, Bucharest, 13 November 2002, with Radio Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Cristian Brancusi and Ilse Maria Reich as organist.
Computer music (2003) - Bassoon Quartet, Barcarola, Pastorale, Dancing Visions (12 variations), 1 CD
"Parallel musics" for saxophone, cello and piano (2001)
"Incantations" III for cello and tape (2002)
Books
Componistica muzicală: Un inefabil demers între fantezie şi rigoare (Musical composition: An ineffable act between fantasy and mathematical rigor). EdituraUniversității Naționale de Muzică, 2005[13]
Contemporary Music IV - music by Paul Constantinescu, Pascal Bentoiu, Liana Alexandra, Laurentiu Profeta,et al. Conducted byMarin Constantin, 1998, re-released 2005. Electrecord 260
Symphonies number 2, “Imnuri”, and number 3, “Diacronii”, were released on Electrecord LP ST-ECE 02183, recorded in 1977, performed by the Romanian Radio & Television Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Iosif Conta and Liviu Ionescu.
^Cohen, Aaron I. (1987).International encyclopedia of women composers. 2: Sai - Zyb, Appendices (2. ed., revised and enl ed.). New York: Books & Music. pp. 13, 617.ISBN978-0-9617485-1-7.
^Heinrich, Adel (1991).Organ and Harpsichord Music by Women Composers. New York: Greenwood Press. p. 242.ISBN978-0-3132-6802-1.
^abCosma, Octavian. "Alexandra, Liana (Moraru)".Grove Music Online. Retrieved23 April 2013.(subscription required).
^abSmith, Sidney Bertram (2005).Classical Musicians Speak Out as a New Century Begins. Cambridgeshire: Melrose Press. p. 41.ISBN1905226020.OCLC61294964.
