To celebrate Mărțișor, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Tokyo, in partnership with the Romanian Embassy in Japan, the Union of Performing Artists of Romania (UCIMR), the Romanian Music Society in Japan, and the “Nicolae Tonitza” National College of Arts, is organizing a special event that combines music and visual art. The event will take place on March 3, 2025, at the Romanian Embassy in Tokyo, and will include two components: a concert featuring Romanian performers and the opening of an exhibition of handmade Mărțișor decorations.
Mărțișor Concert
The concert will bring two remarkable names in Romanian music to the stage:
Antonia Beteag – soprano, winner of the Grand Prize at the Romanian International Performing Competition Tokyo 2024, currently a master’s student at the Anton Bruckner University in Linz.
Constantin Sandu – internationally renowned concert pianist, piano professor, and head of the Music Department at the Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo in Porto.
Repertoire:
1. Constantin Sandu, piano:
CLÁUDIO CARNEYRO – Aeolian Harp, Perpetual Motion
PAUL CONSTANTINESCU – Toccata
GEORGE ENESCU – Pavane, Op. 10
DAN DEDIU – Folk Burlesque
2. Antonia Beteag, soprano:
Oh, my dear, we are so dear – Tiberiu Brediceanu
Those blue eyes are so lovely – Eduard Caudella
You kissed me – Sabin Pautza
From dear dreams, poems – Sabin Pautza
Hide the moon in the clouds, Lord – Tiberiu Brediceanu
Hatsukoi / First Love – T. Koshitani
I love you, my pride – Tiberiu Brediceanu
Mărțișor Exhibition
On the same day, there will also be the opening of an exhibition of mărțișoare created by a group of students from the “Nicolae Tonitza” National College of Arts, under the guidance of artists and teachers Smaranda Isar (graphic artist, designer, illustrator) and Victor Costache (artist in decorative arts, photography, and design).
The exhibition features 30 ceramic mărțișoare, inspired by traditional Romanian symbols from various regions of the country. These reflect the ancestral meanings of the mărțișor, associated with protection, good luck, purification, and abundance.
The exhibition will be open to the public until the end of March and can be visited by those interested in the concert and exhibition, as well as by people visiting the embassy for other reasons, and by guests from friendly embassies of countries that also celebrate Mărțișor.
A project to promote Romanian culture
This event aims to promote Romanian culture and traditions through a harmonious combination of classical music performed by Romanian artists from different generations and a thematic exhibition dedicated to Mărțișor. Through this initiative, Romania strengthens its cultural visibility in Japan, facilitating intercultural dialogue and promoting traditional values within a contemporary artistic setting.
