Darlings of chamber music stages, flautist Matei Ioachimescu and pianist Mara Dobrescu grace our Enescu Concerts Series and bring British audiences a rich programme of music by Bartók, Fauré, and Charles-Marie Widor, as well as George Enescu and the Romanian contemporary composer Gabriel Mălăncioiu.
Programme:
George Enescu (1881-1955) – Cantabile and Presto
Béla Bartók (1881-1945) – Hungarian Peasant Suite
Gabriel Mălăncioiu (b. 1979) – With Resentment – London premiere
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) – Fantasie op.79
Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) – Suite op. 34
Renowned Romanian flautist Matei Ioachimescu is very active artistically performing solo or as a member of several chamber music ensembles. He is praised for his baroque and contemporary music interpretations and his crossover recitals. A graduate of the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, he won several competitions and grants (Thyl-Dürr or Yehudi Menuhin Foundation) and his collaborations with some of the most interesting musicians from Europe were unanimously appreciated by the audience in concert halls like Konzerthaus Wien, Ateneul Roman, Conservatorio Santa Cecilia, Budapest Music Center or Suntory Hall. His debut CD, Lumiére, released in 2014 with pianist Catalina Butcaru, is seen as an album of reference for the two instruments and was highly praised by critics in Austria and Romania. As a soloist, he presents classical concertos and premieres concertos of contemporary composers. Lately, he performed throughout Europe in projects like Legends, Playlist, Paris or La Vida Loca - the internationally acclaimed program, combining classical and contemporary music with world music, jazz and rock. La Vida Loca is also the title of his newest album, released in 2019 on ViennArt. Matei Ioachimescu is a founding member of the Green Thing Ensemble, a group dedicated to promoting contemporary music. His intense musical activity and the great quality of his projects brought him the title of Ambassador of Integration, granted by the Austrian Secretary of the State. In 2020, Matei Ioachimescu was appointed Professor at the West University of Timișoara.
The Franco-Romanian pianist Mara Dobresco is praised for her temperament and elegant phrasing. She gives recitals throughout Europe, Argentina, Australia, Japan, and the United States. Her numerous recordings have earned her rave reviews from the specialized press, which often compares her to Argerich and Arrau. Mara Dobresco is regularly invited to perform in recitals or chamber music with the finest musicians of her generation in prestigious venues as well as in major festivals. Mara Dobresco has carved out a very personal path in the contemporary musical landscape, offering numerous projects that intersect music with theatre, choreography, literature, and photography. Her recent projects allow us to admire her beautiful collaborations with artists such as actor Denis Lavant, director Volodia Serre, choreographer Béatrice Massin, filmmakers Claus Drexel and Radu Mihaileanu, and photographer Éric Sanger Monteros. A passionate interpreter of contemporary repertoire, she regularly collaborates with numerous composers, including Philippe Hersant, Franck Villard, Philippe Leroux, György Kurtág, and Oscar Strasnoy, who has made her the dedicatee of several of his works. A child prodigy who performed with an orchestra at the age of 11, Mara Dobresco has won numerous international competitions. She is also a scholarship holder of the Yamaha, Meyer, Tarazzi, and Nadia and Lili Boulanger Foundations and received guidance and support from Martha Argerich, Dominique Merlet, Jean-Claude Pennetier, and Pierre-Laurent Aimard, with whom she has performed in four-hands concerts. Her latest album, entitled Le Fruit du Silence, was released in September 2022 by the Scala Music label.
When: 06 Mar 2025, 19:00 – 21:00
Where: Romanian Cultural Institute, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PH, UK
