From Emotion to Expression: The Artistry of Alexandru Semeniuc
- WOMCO
- Apr 22
- 3 min read
Alexandru Semeniuc was the Gold Prize Winner in the Conducting Category, at the 2025 Season 1 Saint-Saëns International Music Competition.
What inspired you to choose "Let My Love Be Heard" for this performance, and how did you approach interpreting the piece as a conductor?
I did know and listened to this piece for a few years before this recording. When we decided this should be sung and conducted by me, I thought very poor of myself because I knew how difficult was to conduct this very emotional music and furthermore I didn't foresee how one could put in motion and gesture that what is not seen, but only truely felt.
And that is what I did. I did not conduct it. I lived it. This is one of my favourite songs because it deeply describes the human emotions and feelings through the soul's voice which is of course the music.
Given the good connection I had with my ensemble, which consists of my friends mostly, I could give up classical conducting technique and embrace the essence this piece was putting right in front of me.
And I did! I did as much as my humble existence could, my hands and my body becoming the embodiment of the expression music was felt present. Of course the video could not capture the spiritual side of this, but I think you can sense it by listening and watching closely: it's that chill you get right at the start of the piece.
Could you share the background of recording "Let My Love Be Heard"? How did the collaboration with the choir, composer, or production team come together, and were there any memorable moments during the shoot? We’d love to see any behind-the-scenes photos you can share!
Oh, the preparations! Always the most funny and longer part of the story! We had only one dress rehearsal to prepare us for this recording and everyone managed to be their best version in the live performance. Most of the choristers are profesional musicians, classical trained singers or conductors and this made my job a lot easier.
I had the idea of using a circle roundup when performing this song, as it seemed to me that we needed to live the music first to ourselves, gifting it to one another as we sang and then this large embodiment of light would go to the hearts of the listener.
As we stood in that circle, there was laughter, there were tears, there were simple smiles to encourage one another and least but not last, there was a lot of focus to truely live the emotion of music.
Would you like to share your experience participating in our competition and thank anyone (such as mentors, supporters, or other team members)?
Firstly, I would like to thank God for the opportunity to sing this piece and participate in the competition. Secondly, I would like to send gratitude to my conducting teacher and mentor PhD lecturer Bogdan Ionut Cojocaru from the Iasi George Enescu University of Arts.
Special thanks go to all my friends that made this recording possible: choristers, technical team, my family and all those who supported us indefinitely! I couldn't be here without any of you!
Biography
Alexandru Semeniuc is romanian conductor and composer, alumnus of “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi and currently a student at the “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iasi, majoring in academic choral conducting under the guidance of Professor Dr. Bogdan Cojocaru.
His conducting activity stands out through more than 100 concerts and both national and international competitions, leading choirs such as The Ones Vocal Artists from Iasi, Ciprian Porumbescu from Suceava, Universitas of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, the children's choir Mini Angeli, among others.
His passion for music composition was initially cultivated as an autodidact, especially in the sacred space, which he has always seen as a source of peace, inspiration, mystery, and light — and later, within the contemporary academic environment. Over 100 musical compositions, some recognized and awarded nationally and internationally, stand as testimony to this path.
Over time, he has received a number of awards and distinctions in national and international competitions, both as a conductor and as a composer.
Amongst them, we mention:
- 2 gold medals at the World Choir Games, Gangneung, 2023
- Silver medal at the European Choir Games, Gothenburg, Sweden, 2019
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes at the International Festival and Competition of Church Music “Praise the Lord”, in 2018, 2019, and 2022 respectively
- 1st and 2nd prizes at the Elite Musicians Competition, in the Film Music Composition category
- The Grand Prize of the prestigious National Union of Romanian Composers and Musicologists for Choral Composition, April 2023.
