The Talent 35 anniversary concert celebrated the talent of the new generation of musicians
January 20, 2025
On Saturday, January 18, the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation organized the anniversary concert Talent 35 at the Romanian Athenaeum. The event, held in the presence of Her Majesty Margareta, His Royal Highness Prince Radu, Her Royal Highness Princess Sofia, and 800 guests, celebrated the art and talent of the new generation of Romanian musicians. Young soloists of lyrical stages, born after 1990, delighted the audience with the exceptional performance of a rich opera repertoire.
35 years after its establishment, the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation continues its mission to support and promote emerging artists and to open new cultural horizons for them, through the bilateral initiative ”Talent 35 – Supporting and Promoting Emerging Artists and Contemporary Art”, carried out in partnership with Nedland Kultur from Norway.
The concert debuted with the Royal Anthem and the speech of His Royal Highness Prince Radu, marking the 35th anniversary of continuous social involvement by the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation.
The musical program of the Talent 35 concert included opera selections from the repertoire of great classical composers – R. Wagner, G. Verdi, W. A. Mozart, G. Puccini, G. Bizet, C. Gounod, J. Massenet, P. Sorozabal, C. Saint-Saëns – introduced by lyrical pieces by the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. The voices of soprano Georgiana Dumitru, mezzo-soprano Adelina Cociobanu, tenor Andrei Petre, and baritone Sergiu Garabajii shone and brought emotion, freshness, and diversity to the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum, accompanied by the Royal Camerata, under the baton of conductor Tiberiu Soare, and with the participation of the Ascendis Choir, conducted by Eduard Dinu.
Tiberiu Soare, one of the most appreciated Romanian conductors, a benchmark of artistic performance and a successful career, enthusiastically joined the Royal Foundation in supporting the new generation of musicians, becoming a talent scout and a mentor for them at the start of their journey.
Since 2009 and up to the present, the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation has developed the national program Young Talents, through which it has provided 440 scholarships for pupils and students at vocational educational institutions who needed support to reach their true potential and express their talent. The financial support dedicated to artistic development was complemented by intergenerational mentorship, promotion, and international cultural exchanges. Thus, a significant number of the scholarship recipients supported at the beginning of their journey by the Foundation and its partners have progressed and established themselves in the world of classical music, currently enjoying national and international exposure and successful careers.
Through the anniversary concert Talent 35, young musicians were highlighted, performing on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum as soloists and as members of the orchestra and the choir, who have benefited from the support of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation over time, confirming their artistic value on important cultural stages.
Between January 18 – February 23, 2025, the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation and the National Museum of Art of Romania present to the public the visual art exhibition Talent 35, in the Kretzulescu Halls (entrance via Walter Mărăcineanu Street, opposite the Kretzulescu Church), a collection of works in various techniques by visual artists supported over time through scholarships.
35 years since the establishment of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation
On January 18, 1990, Her Majesty Margareta and Her Highness Princess Sofia, under the guidance of King Michael, initiated the first humanitarian actions when they arrived in Romania for the first time. Over 35 years, the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation has developed numerous sustainable projects in the fields of education, culture, community development, and civil society, through which it has contributed to the spiritual and social renewal of Romania.
Photo by: Anca Arambașa
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Talent 35 – Supporting and Promoting Emerging Artists and Contemporary Art is a bilateral initiative financed through the EEA and Norway Grants – the National Bilateral Fund within the RO-CULTURE Programme. The total value of the bilateral initiative is 618,840.41 lei (EUR 124,355.03). Together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.
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About the EEA Grants
EEA Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, and the Kingdom of Norway to reducing economic and social disparities within the European Economic Area and to strengthening bilateral relations with the 15 beneficiary states in Eastern and Southern Europe and the Baltic states. These financing mechanisms are established based on the Agreement on the European Economic Area, which brings together EU member states and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway as equal partners in the internal market.
În total, cele trei state au contribuit cu €3,3 miliarde între 1994 și 2014 și €1,55 miliarde pentru perioada de finanțare 2014-2021. Mai multe detalii sunt disponibile pe: www.eeagrants.org and www.eeagrants.ro.
About the EEA and Norway Grants
EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway to a green, competitive, and inclusive Europe. There are two general objectives: reducing economic and social disparities in Europe and strengthening bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries from Central and Southern Europe and the Baltic States. The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). Between 1994 and 2014, the donors provided EUR 3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes. For the 2014-2021 period, the EEA and Norway Grants amount to EUR 2.8 billion.
About RO-CULTURA
The RO-CULTURE Programme is implemented by the Ministry of Culture through the Project Management Unit and has the general objective of strengthening economic and social development through cultural cooperation, cultural entrepreneurship, and cultural heritage management.
The Program's budget is approximately 34 million euros. More details are available on www.ro-cultura.ro.
About The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation
Established in 1990 by Her Majesty Margareta together with her father, King Michael, the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation is an elite non-governmental organization that, throughout its 35 years of activity, has developed numerous sustainable projects in the fields of education, culture, community development, and civil society, through which it has contributed to the spiritual and social renewal of Romania. More details are available on fundatiaregala.ro/.
About Nedland Kultur
Nedland Kultur is a private company from Norway with over 20 years of experience in cultural projects, intercultural collaborations, organizing concerts and festivals, music digitalization, etc. The company has implemented projects in Norway, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi, Russia, Palestine, Israel, Vietnam, and Egypt, including Romania. Through numerous projects in varied locations, Nedland Kultur has brought people together, inspiring them to enjoy getting to know each other, learning from one another, and respecting each other, based on the firm belief that there are always more things uniting people from different cultural and/or geographical backgrounds than what separates them. More details are available on www.nedlandkultur.com.
