Do not miss this inaugural collaboration with London Chamber Music Society!
The Enescu Concerts Series, the oldest and most successful permanent programme of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, celebrates the beginning of its twentieth season, 2026-2027. The opening recital marks a premiere collaboration between the RCI and the reputed London Chamber Music Society, an institution that boasts a proud history of Victorian music-making in London, tracing back to the regular Sunday Concerts that developed at South Place from the 1880s.
On 1 October, we are proud to present British-Romanian classical guitarist Alexandra Păceană joined by The Valegro Quartet – Takanori Okamoto and Sophia Molina (violins), Haruka Makino (viola) and Doraly Gill (cello). The ensemble will present an unmissable programme full of the rich expressive possibilities of combined plucked and bowed strings. The programme features works by Mozart, striking new arrangements of music by J.S. Bach and George Enescu, and one of the best-loved guitar quintets in the repertoire, the Quintet that Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco composed for Segovia in 1950.
Programme:
Mozart – String Quartet in E-flat K.428 (26)
J.S. Bach – Prelude and Fugue for organ BWV. 539 (arr. gtr. and strings, Okamoto) (9)
Enescu – Songs from Sept Chansons de Clément Marot Op.15 (arr. violin, guitar and cello) (10)
Tedesco – Quintet for Guitar and Strings Op.143 (30’)
Alexandra Păceană and the Valegro Quartet will present, in collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute, the opening concert in the LCMS 2026/27 series, on 27 September at 6. pm at St John’s Church, Waterloo. You can book tickets for this event and check out the details HERE.
Alexandra Păceană is a Romanian classical guitarist and composer currently completing a Master of Music at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studies classical guitar with Michael Lewin and Stephen Goss, and composition with Louise Drewett. Born in south-western Romania, she began studying music at the age of six and took up the guitar at eleven. Just one year later, she made her solo recital debut at the Oltenia Philharmonic in Craiova. During her school years, she won numerous prizes at national and international competitions before moving to London in 2020 to continue her musical education. In 2023, Alexandra graduated with First-Class Honours from Middlesex University London and was awarded the Turton Prize for Music in recognition of her outstanding achievements. As a performer, her repertoire ranges from Baroque masterpieces to contemporary works, reflecting her versatility and curiosity as a musician. Alongside performance, she is an active composer. Her Master's research explores the musical traditions of south-western Romania during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, to bring this largely unexplored repertoire into the classical guitar tradition through new arrangements and compositions. Alongside her performing career, Alexandra has a strong interest in teaching, literature, music promotion, and contemporary music. She hopes to combine these passions by developing an international career as a performer and composer while establishing her own music school.
Valegro Quartet is a London-based string quartet founded in October 2023 at the Royal Academy of Music, recognised for its high technical standard and “fearless artistry.” The quartet consists of Takanori Okamoto (violin), Sophia Molina (violin), Haruka Makino (viola), and Doraly Gill (cello), and has performed at prominent venues and concert series, including Lisa Peacock’s Discoveries series at Leighton House and St James’s Church, Piccadilly.
In April 2024, the ensemble took part in the String Quartet Masterclass at West Dean, led by all four members of the Chilingirian Quartet, and intends to return in 2025. Later that year, in October, they participated in the Oxford Chamber Music Festival, where they received several coaching sessions from the second violinist and violist of the Ébène Quartet. Most recently, the Valegro Quartet was Highly Commended in the Royal Academy of Music’s Wolfe Wolfinsohn Prize for their performance of a Schumann string quartet.
When: 27 Sept, 6 PM/ 01 Oct 2026, 7 PM
Where: St John’s Church, Waterloo / Romanian Cultural Institute, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PH, UK
