Welcome Concert to the newly arrived Ambassadors

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Cotroceni National Museum and Societatea Muzicala organised the Welcome Concert that we all offer to the newly arrived Ambassadors: Jorge Alejandro Tagle Canelo (Chile), Sofia Grammata  (Greece) and Adrian Zuckerman (USA), at the beginning of their mandates in Romania.

Cotroceni National Museum (Cotroceni Palace)
The Concert Hall (Marele Salon de Receptie)

Monday, February 10, at 3:30 p.m.

Musicians:

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Program 60 minutes (no interlude):

• Kokopeli – K. Hoover: Ioana Balasa (Flute Solo)
• Vocalise – S. Rachmaninov: Michèle Ramis, Jan Sekaci
• Prelude BWV 855a in B Minor – J. S. Bach: Madalina Pasol
• Three Preludes (Allegro ben ritmato e deciso, Andante con moto, Agitato) – George Gershwin: Madalina Pasol
• Drink to me only with thine eyes – Old English Song: Nina Achilov, Iulian Ochescu
• Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera – A. L. Webber: Nina Achilov, Iulian Ochescu
• Sto Perigiali – Mikis Theodorakis: Nina Achilov, Iulian Ochescu
• Strose to stroma sou – Mikis Theodorakis: Nina Achilov, Iulian Ochescu
• Memory, Cats – A. L. Webber: Nina Achilov, Iulian Ochescu
• Por una cabeza – Carlos Gardel: Nina Achilov, Iulian Ochescu
• Cantabile et Presto – George Enescu: Ioana Balasa, Iulian Ochescu
• Piece en forme de Habanera – Maurice Ravel: Ioana Balasa, Iulian Ochescu
• Menuet et Badinerie – Suita în si minor : Ioana Balasa, Iulian Ochescu
• Libertango (arr. Pașol) – Astor Piazzolla: Madalina Pasol
• Joc dobrogean (toccata) – Paul Constantinescu: Madalina Pasol

Wine offered by:

Villa VINEA

Cakes offered by:

Lulu’s Cake

Sponsor

Ioana Balasa

Born in 1989, the Romanian flutist Ioana Bălaşa is currently a member of the “George Enescu” Bucharest Philharmonic. Previously she held the flute position at the “Mihail Jora” Bacău Philharmonic.

As a Principal Flute player she has worked with important conductors including Alexandre Bloch, John Axelrod, Leo Hussein, Cristian Măcelaru and with leading Romanian orchestras as the “Romanian Youth Orchestra” and the “Romanian Royal Camerata”.

Beside the work she has been part of in Romania, she had been invited by maestro Gustav Kuhn to play with Tiroler Festpiele Erl Orchestra in 2016.

She commenced her musical studies in her hometown at the age of 8 and in 2012 she graduated with Bachelor’s Degree the Bucharest National University of Music. During her studies, she has been for one year an Erasmus student at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg under the guidance of Mario Caroli. In the pursuit of developing her flute performance, she attended masterclasses with renowned flutists including Kersten McCall, Walter Auer, Jean-Claude Gerard, Michael Kofler, Erwin Klambauer and many others. Since 2018 she holds a Master Degree in Chamber Music at the Bucharest National Univerity of Music.

Ioana Balaşa has appeared as a soloist from the age of 15 with the “Mihail Jora” Bacău Philharmonic. As a chamber music player she performs in places like the Romanian Atheneum, Suțu Pallace, “Dinu Lipatti” House, “George Enescu” Museum and she is open to new experiences and musical encounters. More recently she is collaborating with Laurențiu Sima on tuba, with whom she founded “Limite” Ensemble, where she plays the piccolo-flute.

Mădălina Pașol is a celebrated Romanian pianist, born in a musicians’ family. Her father was lead cellist in the Romanian Radio Orchestra, where her grandfather performed for over 40 years.

At age 9, she had her first orchestral appearance with the Chamber Sinfonietta Orchestra in the Romanian Athenaeum, performing the F Minor Keyboard Concerto by Johann Sebastian Bach.

She is an alumus of the University of Arts in Berlin and studied under Georg Sava and Pascal Devoyon. Winner and laureate of numerous international competitions, including ARD Munchen, Busoni Competition and Artur Schnabel, Mădălina Pașol has appeared on the most important European and Asian venues and recorded among others for Japan Television Production, RBB Kulturradio or the Romanian Television.

In Romania, she performed under the direction of Cristian Brâncuși, Ludovic Bacs, Iosif Conta, Jin Wang, Paul Popescu and Robert Houlihan among other.

Mădălina Pașol made a Dinu Lipatti Last Recital Tribute tour in Europe, appeared at the George Enescu Festival in 2017 and continuously promotes young artists at the International Institute of Arts, which she presides.

In November 2019, she opened a musical salon in Bucharest, Chopin&Champagne, a project initially started in Berlin, meant to make classical music more accessible and attractive, in an intimate atmosphere.

Jan Sekaci was born on 4th of February 2001. He started to play the cello at the age 10 in his hometown Oradea at the High School of Arts Oradea. Since 2015 he studies with Octavian Lup at the National College of Arts „Dinu Lipatti”.

He won many prizes at national and international competitions, like 3rd prize at „Antonio Janigro”Cello Competition in Porec, Croatia, 2nd prize at „Young virtuosos” International Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria, 1st prize at Klaipeda International Competition, Lithuania, 1st prize at ProArt Competition in Khmelnitsky, Ukraine, 4th prize at “Johannes Brahms competition”.

He participated at masterclasses held by: Marin Cazacu, Octavian Lup, Mihai Marica, Denis Severin, Frans Helmerson, Judith Ermert, Jacob Shaw, Romain Garioud, Raphael Pidoux, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt.

In 2018, Jan was selected as an active participant at the Kronberg Academy Masterclasses, studying with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. He is now currently taking part in the Classe d’Excellence de Violoncelle de Gautier Capuçon.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Cotroceni National Museum and Societatea Muzicala organised the Welcome Concert that we all offer to the newly arrived Ambassadors: Jorge Alejandro Tagle Canelo (Chile), Sofia Grammata  (Greece) and Adrian Zuckerman (USA), at the beginning of their mandates in Romania.

Cotroceni National Museum (Cotroceni Palace), The Concert Hall (Marele Salon de Receptie), Monday, February 10, at 3:30 p.m.