Bucescu Duo
The Bucescu Duo delves into the essence of the music they perform, aiming to uncover the deeply moving emotions and meanings within it. They focus on classical music, jazz and traditional folk music, striving to make these genres more accessible to everyone.
Emilian Danila Bucescu (viola & violin) and Diana Ioana Hrituleac (piano) are originally from Romania, where they first met. In 2019, they moved to Scotland to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Having performed together for many years, they decided to form the Bucescu Duo in 2023 with the aim of bringing lesser-known music to new audiences.
Alongside the standard classical repertoire, they champion overlooked works by Romanian and British composers, as well as traditional Romanian folk music and Eastern European jazz. More recently, they have also explored the world of historically informed performance, playing baroque viola and harpsichord. Above all, they believe that every concert is an opportunity for people to connect with the music and with one another. They bring this to life by sharing the stories of the people behind the music and creating accessible, imaginative programmes that offer entry points for everyone, regardless of their musical background. They also enjoy incorporating other art forms into their performances, including poetry, visual art and theatre.
Emilian plays both the violin and his principal instrument, the viola, with which he has premiered contemporary works by British and Romanian composers. He is also a composer, with his most recent work being a suite for viola and piano, and has recently begun his conducting career by leading the Lotus Orchestra.
Diana is deeply passionate about the piano and its repertoire. She enjoys collaborating on creative projects with other artists and has a particular interest in contemporary music, having recently worked with Rolf Hind as part of her Master’s degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Teaching is also central to her work, and she is passionate about finding ways to make piano tuition more accessible.
The Bucescu Duo has performed across the UK and Romania and has been fortunate to receive guidance from distinguished musicians including David Watkin, Saša Gerželj, Scott Dickinson, Fiona Winning, Hector Scott, Jane Atkins, Nicholas Ashton and Greg Lawson. In 2023, they were awarded the Watson Forbes Prize.
Live Music Now Scotland’s mission deeply resonates with Emilian and Diana, and they are delighted to have joined the LMNS musician cohort in March 2026.
What They Play
A few highlights from our repertoire:
Classical:
Sonatas by J.S. Bach, Mozart, and Schubert
Works by Schumann, Mendelssohn and Brahms
Pieces by Rebecca Clarke, Paul Hindemith, Bohuslav Martinu, and Arthur Honneger
Romanian works by Mihail Jora (Viola Sonata), George Enescu (Concertpiece for viola and piano, Violin Sonata no. 1, no. 2 and Childhood Impressions for Violin and Piano)
British music by Arthur Bliss (Viola Sonata), York Bowen (Phantasy for Viola and Piano, Sonatas) and Arnold Bax (Viola Sonata)
Various other pieces including own compositions
Traditional Folk Music:
Romanian Trad sets, including dances, songs, carols and other authentic Romanian folk music
Scottish Trad sets, including reels, jigs, songs, and others
Jazz:
Various standards such as Autumn Leaves, All of Me, Fly Me to the Moon, But Not for Me, Blue Bossa, Blues, etc
Romanian Jazz written by musicians such as Richard Oschanitzky, Florin Raducanu, Adrian Enescu