For 10 days, the National Chamber Choir "Madrigal - Marin Constantin", conducted by Anna Ungureanu and Cezar Verlan, has been in the Republic of Peru for the first tour in South America in the history of the ensemble.

- The Madrigal Choir performed at the Romanian Embassy in Lima and at the Congress of the Republic of Peru, where it was awarded for its contribution to universal culture.

- The three extraordinary concerts in Lima, Cusco and Aguas Calientes brought a record attendance of over 2,500 spectators.

- During an extraordinary event held at the Congress of the Republic of Peru, the latest Madrigal recording project was launched: "National Anthems of South American Countries".

- On tour, Madrigal becomes the first choir in the world to record a media production in the famous archaeological site of Machu Picchu.

At the invitation of the Romanian Embassy in the Republic of Peru and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Romanian Cultural Institute, the National Chamber Choir "Madrigal - Marin Constantin", conducted by Anna Ungureanu and Cezar Verlan, toured the Republic of Peru from the 10th to the 20th of March, with 7 separate events. The tour marked 85 years of Romanian-Peruvian diplomatic relations and the assumption by the Romanian Embassy in Lima of the presidency of the Francophone Festival Perú 2024.

"Throughout my life I have seen many cultural events, but few have touched me as much as tonight's did. Not only the voices, the costumes, the magnificent musical direction and the elegance of the conductor impressed me, but also the fact that they had the delicacy to sing a splendid version of the national anthem and three pieces emblematic of the Peruvian people. It really was a fantastic night! Contigo Peru is a song that unites all Peruvians. It's a kind of anthem of union, and the choir sang it beautifully and deeply. I observed them as they sang and saw that they were transmitting a fantastic energy through their hearts. We couldn't have received a better gift this evening!", said at the end of the performance in Lima, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Peru, E. H.E. Mr Javier González-Olaechea.

"More than 27,000 kilometres travelled, 10 days spent in Peru, a repertoire for the first time, 7 events held in Lima, Cusco, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, 3,700 metres difference in altitude, 12 anthems performed, several thousand spectators turned into fans of Romania and a lot of emotion. The Madrigal's first experience in Latin America was a real discovery and a true cultural bridge between Romania and Peru! We thank the Romanian Embassy in Peru and Her Excellency, Mrs. Camelia Ion-Radu for the invitation and organization and also the Ministry of Culture and the Romanian Cultural Institute for their unconditional support", said Emil Pantelimon, manager of the Madrigal Choir.

Cultural diplomacy

The 85th anniversary of Romanian-Peruvian diplomatic relations and the assumption by the Romanian Embassy in Lima of the presidency of the Festival Francophonie Perú 2024 were celebrated with a cultural diplomacy at the highest level. The Madrigal Choir performed a recital at the Romanian Embassy in the presence of the diplomatic corps accredited in Lima, where they also premiered the Madrigal version of the popular song "Contigo Perú", written by Augusto Polo Campos, in a musical arrangement by the Romanian composer Grigore Cudalbu. Madrigal was also invited to the Congress of the Republic of Peru, where he gave a recital in front of the national representatives of Peru's highest political body - vice-presidents, congressmen, ambassadors. In this context, the Madrigal Choir launched the recording "National Anthems of South American Countries", a South American premiere. At the same time, the ensemble was honored with the Congressional Award, accompanied by the trophy and the declaration of diplomatic courtesy "May this choir continue to be a source of inspiration for future generations and may its music continue to resonate in the hearts of all who have the privilege of hearing it."

Three extraordinary concerts and 2,500 spectators

The tour included three Extraordinary Concerts "Música Mágica Del Madrigal"dedicated to the Peruvian public: in the grandiose Cathedral of Cusco - at 3,400 metres above sea level, the highest where the ensemblehas performed so far, in Aguas Calientes, the town closest to the Machu Picchu site, and at the Teatro Municipal de Lima, an architectural jewel of the Peruvian capital, where it was applauded with ovations by more than 1,300 spectators. In Lima, the Madrigal Choir, conducted by Anna Ungureanu, had as guests the musicians of the popular ensemble KOTOSH, with whom it performed a remarkable contemporary work of South American music - "Misa Criolla", composed by Ariel Ramírez and performed by Madrigal, conducted by Marin Constantin, for the first time in 1975 in Bucharest, during the George Enescu International Festival.

World premierefor choral music

Madrigal's tour of Peru also brought a world premiere for a national choir - a media production in the famous UNESCO site of Macchu Picchu. The Madrigal Choir filmed in the "lost city of the Incas" the second episode of the project "Romanian Contemporary Music in Ancient Universal Spaces" / "Machu Picchu - Choral Suite from Oașului Country", on music by Romanian composer Dariu Pop. The new video will be launched at the end of April 2024, during the event "Madrigal Festival at Satu Mare".

The first episode of the series, "Sarmizegetusa Regia - Flames and wheels" was launched on National CultureDay, 15th of January 2024, in partnership with the National Heritage Institute. The video was filmed in the Dacian site of Sarmizegetusa Regia, with the soundtrack of Cornelius Caesar's work performed by the ensemble.

MADRIGAL CHOIR

Founded in 1963 by the legendary musician and conductor Marin Constantin (1925-2011), the National Chamber Choir "Madrigal - Marin Constantin" has become a landmark of national and international musicallife and culturaldiplomacy. It is defined by its distinctive sound, non-vibrato technique, stereophonic stage placementand imposing costumes. Its repertoire is directed towards renaissance, pre-classical and classical music, romanticism, Byzantine music and contemporary Romanian and universal creation. The ensemble's stage presence and composition have been continually refined, so that its performance has come to be compared by critics to "a Stradivarius violin in Paganini's hand".

In November 2016, the National Chamber Choir "Madrigal - Marin Constantin" wasofficially recognized as an Ambassador of Freedom, Hope and Peace, receiving the Jean Nussbaum and Eleanor Roosevelt Award at the United Nations Palace in Geneva during the Global Summit on Religion,Peace and Security.

On the 1st of March 2023, at the Palace of Parliament, the Romanian Senateofficially inaugurated the "Madrigal - Marin Constantin Galleries", a dedicated space hosting cultural events and temporary and permanent exhibitions of the National Chamber Choir "Madrigal - Marin Constantin".

Since 2011, the Madrigal Choir has been running the Cantus Mundi National Programme the largest programme for the social integration of children through music in Romania, initiated by the renowned conductor Ion Marin. The programme, which currently brings together 2,020 choirs and almost 70,000 children from the country and the diaspora, was formalised at government level in 2014, becoming a new Directorate of the National Chamber Choir "Madrigal - Marin Constantin".