Do not miss this emerging duo with a distinctive artistic identity rooted in Eastern European colour and storytelling!
The March recital of our popular Enescu Concert Series is dedicated to female sensitivity and resilience. Soprano Ana-Maria Godoroja and pianist Andra Băcilă, two young and talented Romanian musicians, celebrate womanhood, its beauty and its challenges, with a superb journey into modern and contemporary repertoire which features works by Enescu, Lipatti, Brediceanu, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, and Mussorgsky, to name but a few.
Spotlighting the beautiful and both underrepresented and famous voices of Romanian and Eastern European composers, the recital is narrative-driven, culturally rich, and emotionally immersive, presenting the region’s musical identity as a living, resonant tradition as seen and understood by two by two rising young artists.
"The Tales of a Woman" is a 70-minute recital sharing a common artistic base: folkloric echoes, modal harmonies, and emotionally direct musical language. The program follows a symbolic narrative—the emotional journey of a woman wronged by fate, shaped by folklore and resilience. The concert intertwines tenderness, nostalgia, and raw expressive power, providing audiences with an engaging introduction to the region's rich musical repertoire.
Programme:
George Enescu- 7 Chansons de Clément Marot
● Changeons propos
● Estrene de la rose
● Aux damoyselles paresseuses d'escrire à leurs amys
George Enescu- Bourrée (from Suite op. 2 no. 10) in D Major
Dinu Lipatti- Le piano que baise une main frele
Tiberiu Brediceanu- Vai, Badiță dragi ne-avem
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky- Iolanta’s Aria from Iolanta
Constantin Silvestri- Baccanale
Nikolai Medtner- a selection of songs from Op. 6
Modest Mussorgsky- Hopak
Franz Liszt- Vallée d’Obermann
Alexander Vladigerov- Dilmano Dilbero Variations
Jake Heggie- Animal Passion
Ana-Maria Godoroja is a Romanian soprano recognised for her bright, expressive voice and emotional sincerity. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, London, she is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona, where she studies with Marta Matheu. Her operatic experience includes her debut as Elisetta in Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto at the Royal Academy of Music, as well as scenes and roles such as Gilda (Rigoletto), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Ilia (Idomeneo), and Zemire (Zemire et Azor). She has performed with the Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, including at the Royal Festival Hall under Semyon Bychkov.
A committed recital artist, Ana-Maria has presented solo programmes at venues including the David Josefowitz Recital Hall, St Marylebone Parish Church, and the Radio Hall in Bucharest, often acting as both performer and organiser. Her repertoire spans composers such as Mussorgsky, Handel, Puccini, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mascagni, and Verdi. Her professional engagements include a Mozart Requiem tour in Italy as soprano soloist with Varna International, diplomatic and cultural performances in Romania and the UK, and participation in the Royal Academy’s Bicentenary Schubertiade series. She performed the role of Tisbe in Rossini's opera La Cenerentola with Varna International in Rome in August 2025.
Andra Băcila is a pianist in her final year at the Royal Academy of Music, where she studies with Professor Joanna MacGregor CBE. Acclaimed for her clarity, imagination, and poetic phrasing, she performs widely across the UK and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician.
Described as an “outstanding pianist” by Silent London, Andra is a full scholarship holder and recipient of the Hargreaves and Ball Award. Since her solo debut at the Liszt Institute in Paris, she has appeared at venues including St James’s Church Piccadilly, St Pancras Church, the UniversityChurch of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford, and the Romanian Athenaeum, where she performed Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor. Upcoming engagements include her debut at Regent Hall in February and her Final Recital at Duke’s Hall, Royal Academy of Music, in May.
A committed chamber musician, Andra has performed for the Czech Philharmonic at the Czech Embassy in London in the presence of Semyon Bychkov, received Highly Commended at the Harold Craxton Prize (2024), and collaborated with Talent Unlimited, joining the Foundation in 2024. At the Royal Academy of Music, she has participated in major projects including Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring for two pianos, Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage, Kurtág’s Játékok, and the Improvisation to Film project with Neil Brand. Her interest in silent film has led to invitations to perform at Le Giornate del Cinema Muto in Pordenone and the Netherlands Silent Film Festival in Eindhoven.
When: 05 Mar 2026, 19:00 – 21:00
Where: Romanian Cultural Institute, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PH, UK
Details and bookings available at https://www.rcilondon.co.uk/event-details/the-tales-of-a-woman-conveyed-by-ana-maria-godoroja-and-andra-bacila-in-the-enescu-concert-series
