The 15th edition of the Royal Charitable Concert, an edition of success stories
October 26, 2024 – An exceptional edition marked the 15th year of the Royal Charity Concert at the Romanian Athenaeum, where six young soloists captivated the audience with memorable performances, rewarded with prolonged applause. The event, organized by the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, is one of the most appreciated fundraising events in Romania, and this year’s edition once again confirmed its impact on the artistic community. The funds raised, amounting to 200,000 euros, will support 30 scholarships for talented young people with limited financial means and a complex professional development program, through the Young Talents program.
The Royal Charitable Concert, organized every year on the birthday of King Michael I of Romania, took place last night in the presence of Her Majesty the Custodian of the Crown and His Royal Highness Prince Radu, accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Muna al-Hussein of Jordan and Her Royal Highness Princess Sofia. The ambassadors of the United States of America, the French Republic to Romania, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the deputy ambassador of the United Kingdom to Romania, as well as an audience of 800 music lovers, personalities from the cultural world, artists, representatives of the business environment, the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and supporters of Romanian art took part.
Participants enjoyed a royal evening in which the young musicians – former scholarship recipients of the Young Talents program – performed on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum, accompanied by the Universitaria Orchestra of the National University of Music Bucharest, conducted by the renowned Tiberiu Soare, one of the program’s longest-standing supporters.
The audience had the opportunity to listen to the National Overture by George Stephănescu, Concerto for Two Cellos and Orchestra in G minor by Antonio Vivaldi, Navarra for Two Violins and Orchestra by Pablo de Sarasate, and Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra by Francis Poulenc, performed exceptionally by cellists Constantin Borodin and Izabela Ghergu, violinists Mircea Dumitrescu and Paul Răducanu, as well as pianists Cadmiel Boțac and Mihai Ritivoiu. Paul Răducanu and Mircea Dumitrescu performed on the Paul Kaul and Frères Silvestre violins, respectively, which belonged to George Enescu and are administered by the “George Enescu” National Museum.
In the speech delivered at the opening of the Royal Charitable Concert on Friday, Her Majesty Margareta said:
“It is a great joy to be together this evening at the 15th edition of the Royal Charity Concert, an event where we celebrate talent and generosity.
Romania needs art, and together we support talented young musicians and visual artists, offering them scholarships, mentoring, and promotion. The Young Talents Scholarship has been a chance for many artists to follow their dreams, to develop on the path of art, receiving the confidence that what they do has value and the motivation to seek excellence.
440 scholarships have been awarded from 2008 until today. Over 2 million Euros have been invested in their support. Young Talents has become a national project, which has given courage and a voice to a new generation of artists.
Currently, many of the scholarship recipients have become well-known on the international stage, in famous galleries and museums. They have placed Romania on the world's cultural map.
The 6 soloists on stage tonight are 6 success stories – Izabela, Cadmiel, Mircea, Paul, Mihai, and Constantin. We are proud that their artistic destiny has been fulfilled! Through grace, effort, and boldness. But also through the mentors who guided their steps and the generous people who support the Young Talents scholarships.”
Tiberiu Soare, conductor of the Royal Charity Concert for the fifth time, stated: “Last evening, we set out to present the audience with an artistic act of the highest quality. Music at the highest possible standards, based exclusively on the talent of the new generation, with the support of the orchestra, also made up of students from the National University of Music Bucharest. The concert soloists are former scholarship recipients of the Young Talents program. They highlighted the results of this project over the years. We wanted to impress artistically in order to convince socially, regarding the valuable support that certain people can offer to young artists at the beginning of their journey. I hope that the audience present in the hall of the Romanian Athenaeum became aware of what happens when you invest in people, what impact such a program can have, and what results it can lead to.”
In the rotunda of the Romanian Athenaeum, the guests could admire the exhibition The Passions and Interests of the Royal Family, created by young visual artists, scholarship recipients of the 2024 edition, under the guidance of mentor Associate Professor PhD Ion Anghel, during the Interdisciplinary Creative Camp held in August of this year.
Over the years, the Young Talents program has awarded 440 scholarships and supported over 300 young musicians and visual artists from families with limited resources, providing them with scholarships, mentorship, and professional development opportunities. The scholarships are not limited to financial support, but also offer access to mentoring sessions and masterclasses delivered by renowned musicians, invitations to competitions, participation in exhibitions, and many other resources that enable scholarship recipients to reach their full potential. The national selection for the new edition of the Young Talents scholarships is open until November 10, 2024.
The Royal Charitable Concert is supported by a series of sponsors and business partners, alongside whom the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation contributes to the development of Romanian culture and art. These partnerships continue to be essential for supporting young talents and for consolidating Romania's cultural heritage.
“We are extremely grateful both to the sponsors who are always by our side and to the lovers of music and art who attended the Royal Charity Concert. The amount raised at the concert will allow us to support 30 new talented young people to continue their studies and develop as artists. Supporting them does not only mean financial assistance, but an essential contribution to the future of Romanian culture,” stated Mugurel Mărgărit, Executive Director of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation.
In the 17 years of Young Talents, the Foundation has managed to raise over 2 million euros to ensure the continuity of the most important cultural support program for young people in Romania.
For more information about the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation and the Young Talents program, please visit fundatiaregala.ro/.
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Partner: Kaufland Romania
Institutional Partners: National University of Music Bucharest
Sponsors: EY Romania, B&B Collection – Kultho, PEPCO Retail, PPG Romania – Oskar, Ferrero Rocher, Dedeman, Yardi Romania, UniCredit Bank, Enayati Medical City, Highlight Agency, Casa Siqua, Easy Print Services
In-kind sponsors: Hochland Romania, Aqua Carpatica, 5toGo, Ibis Styles Bucharest City Center – Accor, Angelli, Emotion Philms Production, Editura Curtea Veche
Co-producers: TVR Cultural, Radio România Muzical
Media partners: Europa FM, Radio România Cultural, Radio România Actualități, Radio Trinitas, RFI România, AGERPRES, Forbes România, Forbes Life, ziarul cotidian diplomatic Nine O’Clock, Zile și Nopți, BIZ, Haute Culture, Adevărul, Revista CARIERE, Revista Insight Tarom, Cocor Media Channel, IQads, SMARK, Phoenix Media, mediaTRUST România, Zenith Media, Revista Cultura, Revista Zeppelin, The Institute
With support from: Filarmonica George Enescu, Muzeul Național ”George Enescu”, Eventim, Chapter 4 Communications
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About the national Young Talents program
Many talented children come from families whose financial means do not allow them to pursue their gift. As a result, Romania loses dozens of talented young people every year who could otherwise become cultural ambassadors. Romania needs art!In response to this challenge, the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation created a national program to support, mentor, and promote these talented young artists from low-income families who need financial assistance to reach their true potential and fully express their talent. Through 440 scholarships, the program has supported young people aged 14 to 24 who study music or visual arts in high schools and universities across Romania, helping them overcome financial hardship and continue to develop their artistic value.The Royal Foundation is the sole beneficiary of the annual Royal Charity Concert, organized since 2008. Funds raised from ticket sales and sponsorships are dedicated to the Young Talents program. Traditionally held on October 25, the birthday of King Michael I of Romania—Founder of the Foundation together with Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown—each anniversary edition of the concert has brought to the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum some of the most distinguished musicians of the moment and renowned orchestras, all in support of young Romanian artists.
About The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation
The Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation (FRMR) was established in 1990 by King Michael I of Romania and Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown. With 34 years of activity, the Royal Foundation supports children, youth, and elderly people through sustainable interventions based on the exchange of experience and values between generations. Over time, the Foundation has been involved in numerous social and cultural projects, as well as projects supporting education and artistic talent. More details about the Foundation's programs are available at fundatiaregala.ro/.
