The Romanian Cultural Institute in Tokyo, the Embassy of Romania in Japan and the Japanese organization Min-On Concert Association, announce the co-organization of the first edition of the festival.
The festival celebrates the genius of the legendary Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti, whose aesthetics defined by clarity, restrained elegance and profound modesty in front of the score resonate perfectly with Japanese spiritual and cultural values. The tragic fate of Dinu Lipatti, who died at only 33 years old, gives him an aura of mythical nobility in Japanese culture, transforming him into an eternal symbol of musical purity.
Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan has often expressed her deep admiration for the recordings of the Romanian artist (according to H.E. The Ambassador of Romania to Japan, Mr. Radu Șerban, in his volume "Tokyo Station-Ambassador's Journal", published by Cartea Românească-Educație - 2018, 2021 and by Coresi – 2022).
Detailed Festival Program and Repertoire
- October 10 (6:00 PM) – Official Inauguration: The event will be held at the Min-On Culture Center. The opening will include an extraordinary recital performed by Ryugo Yoshino - the Japanese pianist who won the national competition organized by the Japan-Romania Music Society. The evening will continue with musical intermezzos and a demonstrative medley performed by all invited artists.
- October 11 – Classical, Traditional, and Jazz Diversity:
- 11:00 AM – Concert by Constantin Sandu (piano) and the Pitești Philharmonic String Quartet:
- Repertoire: Dinu Lipatti (Nocturne in F-sharp minor — a piece dedicated to Clara Haskil, Sonatina for Violin), Constantin Silvestri (Concert Piece No. 3), George Enescu (Ballade for Violin), Mircea Chiriac (Serenade), Constantin Dimitrescu (Peasant Dance), Koumatsu (Japanese Folk Song Suite), and Paul Constantinescu (Concerto for String Quartet).
- 2:00 PM – Concert by the "Doina Argeșului" Ensemble:
- Repertoire: Mădălina Lupu – pan flute, flute, ocarina, bagpipe (Doina of Hope, Hora from Argeș, Ca la Breaza, Suite of Oltenian Sârbas); Florin Pană – accordion (Hora as in Muscel, Sârba after Marcel Budală, Fragments of Brâu, Ungurică for Cătălina, Hora of Cântică Boieru); Iordache Virgil Florin – violin (Purtata, Hora from Argeș, The Brâu from Câmpulung, Sârba in the Cart, The Skylark).
- 5:00 PM – Concert by the FilJazz Trio and Anita Petruescu:
- Repertoire: Cole Porter (You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To), Bob Dorough (Devil May Care), Burt Bacharach (A House Is Not a Home), M. Tiberian (Magic Bird), Ivan Lins (Madalena), H. Moculescu (Willow on the Shore), Marius Țeicu (People), J. Răducanu (The Cimbalom Play), Jule Styne (People), Anita Petruescu (Light), and G. Gershwin (Home Blues).
- October 12 – Vocal and Chamber Masterpieces:
- 11:00 AM – Lyrical Recital (Tenors Liviu Indricău and Andrei Petre, accompanied by Constantin Sandu):
- Repertoire (Lyrical and melodic adaptations): Dinu Lipatti (Nocturne in F-sharp minor, Songs on poems by Paul Verlaine — including Il pleure dans mon cœur, Serenade, Four Melodies for Voice and Piano featuring the pieces Sensation and Les Pas); Gyorgy Ligeti (Musica ricercata — Part V Lamentoso and Part VII Cantabile); Frederic Chopin (Waltz Op. 69 No. 1 in A-flat Major — "Farewell Waltz"); George Enescu (7 Chansons de Clément Marot Op. 15, Trois Mélodies Op. 4, Three mélodies on poems by Fernand Gregh Op. 19, Lieds on lyrics by Carmen Sylva).
- 2:00 PM – Piano and Violin Recital (Ștefan Doniga and Diana Jipa):
- Repertoire: George Enescu (Sonata No. 3 for Violin "in Romanian Folk Character" - a famous work historically performed by Dinu Lipatti alongside George Enescu) / Theme with Variations on Folk Dancesby D. Lipatti from Sonatina for violin and piano,with which Lipatti won the "Enescu" composition prize at the age of 16 / Henri's March- An arrangement made by Diana Jipa and Stefan Doniga for violin and piano, after the last piece composed by D. Lipatti for piano four-hands, 3 months before his death (dedicated to the doctor who cared for him);
In addition to the musical component, the Tokyo public will be able to visit a rare documentary exhibition sent by the "Dinu Lipatti" Memorial House Museum, which brings together photographs, vintage posters, and materials dedicated to the life of the great pianist, as well as the diplomatic activity of his brother, Valentin Lipatti.
About the Invited Artists and Ensembles
- Diana Jipa (violin) and Ștefan Doniga (piano): A world-renowned elite duo arriving in Tokyo directly from the stage of the famous Carnegie Hall in New York. The artists established a Guinness World Record for the fastest series of concerts held across all five continents and received the MUSICRIT Excellence Award in 2023.
- Constantin Sandu: An internationally reputed Romanian pianist based in Portugal and a university professor at ESMAE Porto. He is highly appreciated on major European stages for the depth and sensitivity of his interpretations.
- Pitești Philharmonic String Quartet: A chamber ensemble of technical excellence and sonic homogeneity. The lineup consists of musicians Tiberiu Dragoș Oprea (1st violin), Alexandra Mirea (2nd violin), Ovidiu Achim (viola), and Emese Achim (cello).
- Liviu Indricău and Andrei Petre: Top-tier tenors and core soloists of the Bucharest National Opera. They are internationally recognized for their remarkable vocal qualities, holding major awards in profile competitions (such as the Ionel Perlea Competition).
- Anita Petruescu & FilJazz Pitești Trio: A vibrant collaboration on the contemporary jazz scene, bringing to the forefront the vocalist and composer Anita Petruescu, acclaimed at European festivals. The trio features special guest pianist Toma Dimitriu, alongside Alex Iordache (bass) and Gabi Matei (drums).
- "Doina Argeșului" Ensemble: A historic collective founded in 1955, a true ambassador of traditional culture from the Argeș-Muscel region. The delegation sent to Tokyo is formed of virtuoso instrumentalists Mădălina Lupu, Florin Pană, and George Nedelea, under the coordination of conductor Virgil Iordache.
About the Organizers and Partners
About ICR Tokyo
The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) in Tokyo functions as a strategic cultural bridge between Romania and Japan. The institution initiates, organizes, and supports major projects that highlight Romanian artistic excellence, facilitating academic, artistic, and inter-institutional exchanges within Japan and promoting national cultural heritage on Tokyo's grand stages. Main quarter is in Bucharest-Romania, the institution has 19 branches all around the world.
About the Embassy of Romania in Japan
The diplomatic mission of Romania in Tokyo manages the bilateral political, economic, and cultural relations between the two states. On the cultural-diplomatic dimension, the Embassy facilitated the consolidation of collaboration with the Min-On Concert Association, coordinates the promotion of the festival, and intermediates official dialogue with the Imperial House of Japan to obtain the High Patronage for this large-scale event.
About the Min-On Concert Association
Founded in 1963, the Min-On Concert Association is an independent cultural organization dedicated to promoting international cultural exchange and peace through music and the performing arts. Since its founding, Min-On has welcomed thousands of artists from more than 100 countries to stages across Japan, while also supporting performances by Japanese artists abroad, fostering mutual understanding and friendship among people around the world. For the Dinu Lipatti TokyoMusic Festival, Min-On serves as one of the co-organizers.
About UCIMR
The Romanian Musicians’ Union of Performing Creation (UCIMR) is a public utility non-profit organization established in 1995. With over 10,000 members, the union supports performing arts and funds part of the soloists' travel for this festival, fully covering the costs for the complex technical rider required by the jazz sections. It is the main partner of the festival.
About other institutional partners
The project is supported by the Pitești Philharmonic (travel expenses FilJazz Trio and the String Quartet) and the "Doina Argeșului" Cultural Center (travel expenses). The "Dinu Lipatti" Memorial House Museum (Argeș) participates by sending unprecedented documentary materials, the Argeș County Council provides regional support, and the Romanian Music Society in Japan brings to the stage the winner of its performance competition.
Additional Information and Media Contacts
For full details regarding the program, venue access, delegation composition, and festival updates, the public and journalists can access the official platforms of the co-organizers and partners:
- Diplomatic and cultural updates (Romanian Cultural Institute in Tokyo):
- Online platforms: Official Website www.icr.ro/Tokyo | Facebook ICR Tokyo | Instagram @icr_tokyo | X (Twitter) @ICRTokyo | YouTube ICR Global
- Media Contact / Accreditations: E-mail: tokyo@icr.ro | Tel: +81 (0) 3-5414-2458
- Diplomatic and political updates (Embassy of Romania in Japan):
- Online platforms: Official Website | Facebook Ambasada Romaniei | X @RO_Emb_Japan | YouTube Embassy of Romania
- Media Contact / Accreditations: E-mail: tokyo@mae.ro | Tel: +81 (0) 3-3479-0311
- Information on venues, access, and local programming (Min-On Concert Association):
- Online platforms: Official Website | Facebook Min-On Global Music Network | Instagram @minon.global.music.network | YouTube Min-On
- Updates on organization and artistic support (Romanian Musicians’ Union of Performing Creation - UCIMR):
- Online platforms: Official Website | Facebook UCIMR | Instagram @ucimr | X @UCIMR_ | YouTube UCIMR România
- Media Contact / Accreditations: E-mail: office@ucimr.ro | Tel: +4021-307-9222
- Details about the Performance Competition and the winning pianist (Japan-Romania Music Society):
- Online platforms: Facebook Japan-Romania Music Society | Instagram @jrms_tokyo | X (Twitter) @jrms_info
- Media Contact / Accreditations: Available through the official community page on Facebook.
For press accreditations, requests for exclusive interviews with Romanian artists, or high-resolution images, media representatives can directly contact the press office of ICR Tokyo or the Embassy of Romania using the contact details grouped above.
