On the occasion of the Giacomo Puccini Centenary, 100 years since whose passing into eternity, the Italian Institute of Culture, together with ARTEXIM, organizes the PUCCINI GALA at the Romanian Athenaeum on Monday, May 13, 2024, at 19:00.
A landmark event for the Puccini Year, the concert will be performed by the Royal Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Tito Ceccherini (Italy), with the extraordinary participation of soprano Cellia Costea (Romania) and tenor Leonardo Caimi (Italy).
The Royal Chamber Orchestra, conducted by the Italian conductor Tito Ceccherini will bring to the public’s attention both famous arias and duets from Puccini’s most beloved operas, performed by the renowned soprano Cellia Costea and of the remarkable Italian tenor Leonardo Caimibut also works from the symphonic and vocal-symphonic creation of Puccini, with the participation Chamber Choir “Preludiu-Voicu Enăchescu”the program being structured in such a way as to encompass all the complexity of the Italian composer.
The soloists will impress the audience with arias and duets from well-known operas Manon Lescaut, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Turandotthe Royal Chamber will perform for the first time in Romania The symphonic preludeand the mastery of the Chamber Choir “Preludiu-Voicu Enăchescu” will be highlighted in fragments of the vocal-symphonic work Mass of Glory.
Royal Chamber was born from the boundless passion of a group of young musicians who wanted to contribute to the development and promotion of cult music in Romania. Shortly after its establishment, the project became a reference name in the field, and nowadays we meet the Royal Chamber more and more often both on the Romanian stages, where they carry out original projects, such as Great Soloists, Great Conductors, the Royal Camerata and the Little Musicians, the Royal Season at the Romanian Athenaeum, as well as on international stages: Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Russia, Albania, Poland, Germany, Belgium, where he participates in numerous large-scale festivals. Also, the orchestra is a constant presence in the George Enescu International Festival. name Royal Chamber it is not accidental, the orchestra acquired in 2009 the High Patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Radu of Romania.
Tito Ceccherini he is one of the most cultured and profound conductors of his generation, appreciated for the clarity of his interpretations and for the pronounced versatility of his approach to the repertoire. Acclaimed conductor of the modern repertoire, he explored the work of the 20th century classics: from Bartók, Debussy and Ravel, to Schönberg, Webern, Ligeti. His operatic repertoire, which highlights his passion for 20th century music, also demonstrates a deep knowledge of melodrama, paying special attention to bel canto and thus demonstrating the ability to combine the style of the creations with a modern sensibility. Tito Ceccherini’s discography recordings made for Sony, Kairos, Col legno, Stradivarius etc. have been decorated with awards such as Shock – Le Monde de la Musique, Diapason d’Or and MIDEM Classical Awards.
Soprano Cellia Costea is one of the most appreciated Romanian voices in the international lyrical world. Her special voice and convincing acting brought her to the attention of major opera houses, where she played in valuable productions of some of the most famous titles in the genre repertoire.
Born into a family of musicians, Cellia Costea attended the Music High School in Piatra-Neamț (her hometown) and then the National University of Music in Bucharest, perfecting herself also in various masterclasses supported by personalities of Romanian and international lyric art.
His appearances at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Covent Garden London, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona in titles such as “The Marriage of Figaro” by WA Mozart, “Norma” by V. Bellini, “Adriana Lecouvreur” by F. Cilea, “Otello” and ” Aida” by G. Verdi, “La Bohème”, “Tosca”, “Manon Lescaut”, “Madama Butterfly” by G. Puccini impressed the audience every time.
Since 2012, Cellia Costea she is a soloist at the National Opera in Athens, Greece, and in the same year she receives the Grand Prize for the best artist of the year from the Union of Theater and Music Critics of Greece.
tenor Leonardo Cami he is famous for his velvety beauty of tone and elegant musicianship, as well as his acting excellence. He established himself as one of the most acclaimed tenors of his generation, performing in prestigious theaters and festivals such as Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Teatro Real in Madrid, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires , the Deutsche Oper in Berlin and the Salzburg Festival, among others.
This year, Leonardo Cami he was acclaimed on the stage of The Royal Opera House in London, in the role Rodolfo from “La Bohème”, which is why he will return in the fall of the same year for the opening of the season, with Les contes d’Hoffmann in the main role.
Over time, Leonardo Cami played main characters in operas such as “Don Carlo”, “Carmen”, “Turandot”, “Madama Butterfly”, “La Bohème”, “Cavalleria Rusticana”, “Tosca”, “Aida”, “Adriana Lecouvreur”, “Bal masked”, at Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Oper Leipzig, Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago; Seoul Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Teatro Monumental in Madrid, Teatro Real in Madrid, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, etc.
Chamber Choir “Prelude” was founded by Voicu Enăchescu in 1972, becoming one of the most appreciated musical groups in Romania and abroad. From 2023, the choir also took on the name of its founder to honor his memory.
In the more than 50 years of activity, the Chamber Choir “Prelude – Voicu Enăchescu” he made over 350 radio and TV recordings. Since its appearance, the choir has presented more than 2,500 concerts on the big stages in Romania and abroad, during more than 90 tours in 30 countries in Europe, America and Asia, being the laureate of many international festivals (Pardubice , Nitra, Barcelona, Celje). In 1995, the “Preludiu” Chamber Choir and the conductor Voicu Enăchescu received, on the occasion of the 13th edition of the George Enescu International Festival, the “Prize for the exceptional program presented”, a distinction awarded by the Union of Performers, Choreographers and Music Critics from Romania.
PUCCINI GALA is part of the series of events dedicated to the Puccini Centenary, an event organized by the Italian Institute of Culture and ARTEXIM, held under Embassy patronage of the Italian Republic in Romania in partnership with the National Art Center Romanian youth and the “George Enescu” Philharmonic, which will host the event.
Tickets for this event have gone on sale on the Eventim.ro website, and can be purchased by accessing the following link: https://www.eventim.ro/ro/bilete/concert-camerata-regala-gala-puccini- bucuresti-ateneul-roman-638929/event.html
