On the occasion of the celebration of Romanian National Culture Day, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing (ICR Beijing), in collaboration with Choi Centre Cloud House, successfully organized two extraordinary piano concerts performed by pianist Matei Rogoz, as well as the opening of two exhibitions dedicated to promoting Romanian cultural heritage in China:
**1. January 15 – Extraordinary Piano Recital and Opening of the Exhibition "The Faces of Romanian Culture 15 Canonical Figures" Photo Exhibition | AI-Generated Portraits ** at Choi Centre Cloud House, Beijing
The first event took place on January 15 at Choi Centre Cloud House in Beijing and opened with a 60-minute piano recital performed by Matei Rogoz, followed by the inauguration of the exhibition "The Faces of Romanian Culture 15 Canonical Figures", created using artificial intelligence–based digital generation and processing techniques. Opening addresses were delivered by H.E. Dan Horia Maxim, Ambassador of Romania to the People’s Republic of China, Gilbert Choi, President of the Jonathan K. S. Choi Foundation, and Liviu Țăranu, Director of ICR Beijing.The event was moderated by Andreea-Ema Stoian, Principal Officer for Cultural Relations, with interpretation provided by Liu Yizhe. The program concluded with a reception.
The event brought together over 150 attendees, Chinese and international, lovers of classical music — students, professors, and diplomats — including Professor Dong Xixiao, Vice Dean of the Faculty of European Languages and Cultures at Beijing Foreign Studies University; Claudiu Florian, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of Romania in China; and Sandra Durand Castillo, Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of Spain in the People’s Republic of China.
The exhibition "The Faces of Romanian Culture 15 Canonical Figures"proposed a visual reflection on canonical figures of Romanian culture, bringing together fifteen portraits of emblematic personalities from literature, music, visual arts, theatre, diplomacy, and intellectual life: Mihai Eminescu, Constantin Brâncuși, George Enescu, Nicolae Grigorescu, Mircea Eliade, Eugen Ionescu, Maria Tănase, Ion Popescu-Gopo, Nicolae Titulescu, Liviu Ciulei, Hariclea Darclée, Ion Luca Caragiale, Vasile Alecsandri, Queen Marie, and Nicolae Iorga. Through the use of contemporary digital technologies, the portraits explored the intersection of historical memory, technological innovation, and artistic interpretation, offering a contemporary visual language through which these canonical figures are recontextualized for today’s audiences. The exhibition was curated by Andreea-Ema Stoian, Principal Officer for Cultural Relations, and remains open to the public until 12 February 2026, contributing to the increased visibility of Romanian culture within Beijing’s cultural landscape.
The first event dedicated to Romanian National Culture Day took place at Choi Centre Cloud House, a high-profile cultural venue devoted to international artistic dialogue. Supported by the Jonathan K. S. Choi Foundation, the space is the former residence and studio of Chinese artist Huang Rui, founder of the 798 Art District.
**2. January 17 – Second Piano Recital, Eminescu Poetry, and Opening of the Exhibition “Eminescu – Genius in Manuscript”** at the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing
On Saturday, January 17, at 6:00 p.m., the second piano recital by Matei Rogoz took place at the headquarters of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing, followed by the opening of the exhibition “Eminescu – Genius in Manuscript.” ICR Beijing welcomed a large and select audience of over 130 guests, lovers of classical music and Romanian culture. We were honored by the presence of Romanian and Chinese university students and professors, journalists, musicians, as well as diplomats from the Embassies of the Republic of Moldova and Romania in China.
The exhibition “Eminescu – Genius in Manuscript” offered the public a rigorous selection of photographic reproductions based on rare facsimiles from the collections of the Library of the Romanian Academy. These manuscripts originate from the poet’s famous trunk, donated to the Romanian Academy in 1902 by Titu Maiorescu. The documents were later organized into 45 notebooks and published in full between 2005 and 2009, under the coordination of Academician Eugen Simion.
The exhibition provides privileged access to the depth, complexity, and creative process of Eminescu’s work, revealing the intellectual and artistic dimension of one of the most important European poets of the nineteenth century. The exhibition was curated by Andreea-Ema Stoian, Principal Officer for Cultural Relations, and can be visited Monday to Friday, 9:00–16:00, at the ICR Beijing headquarters until 17 February 2026.
Matei Rogoz is a Romanian pianist with a solid artistic and academic career firmly anchored in the European cultural space. He pursued his musical studies at the “Dinu Lipatti” Music High School and at the National University of Music in Bucharest, where he was trained under leading figures of the Romanian piano school, including Sandu Sandrin and Nicolae Brânduș. From 1997 onward, he continued his advanced studies in France at the École Normale de Musique in Paris, under the guidance of Françoise Thinat, as well as at the National Conservatory of Music in L’Haÿ-les-Roses, further completing his training through masterclasses held by François-René Duchâble and Boris Bloch at the Mozarteum Salzburg. Over the years, Matei Rogoz has performed recitals and concerts in major cultural centers across Europe, America, and Asia, including Bucharest, Vienna, Paris, London, New York, Washington D.C., Havana, and Beijing, and has collaborated as a soloist with the Arad and Iași Symphony Orchestras.
On Sunday, January 18, at 4:00 p.m., pianist Matei Rogoz held a masterclass at the headquarters of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing, with students and young musicians from the Beijing Conservatory of Music.
