On November 15th, violinist Maria Marica, winner of the first prize at the 2022 Enescu Competition, along with pianist Daria Tudor, will give a recital at the Romanian Athenaeum as part of the "Heirs of Musical Romania" series proposed by Radio România Muzical, in collaboration with the Rotary Club Pipera, Artexim, and the Remember Enescu Foundation. Tickets for the event are available here.

Maria Marica, what impact did winning the Enescu Competition have on you?

Winning the "George Enescu" Competition has given me the opportunity to perform extensively, especially in Romania, over the past year, which makes me very happy. After all, there's no place like home, and I am thrilled to be on stage as often as possible.

On November 15th, you will be performing a recital with pianist Daria Tudor as part of the "Heirs of Musical Romania" Project. What does the "Heirs of Musical Romania" Scholarship mean to you?

It is a great honor and a source of immense joy for me to be able to perform on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum alongside Daria. I am extremely delighted that we can perform together, and the "Heirs of Musical Romania" Project is truly exceptional. I feel genuinely honored to be a part of this project and to be able to perform as a Romanian, paying tribute to the Romanian school in which I was raised and educated.

Is this the first time you're collaborating with Daria Tudor? How would you describe your duo?

We collaborated with Daria a few months ago, during special recordings organized by Radio România Muzical. In fact, we've known each other for a very long time. I believe we were children when we first met, but we didn't have the opportunity to collaborate so closely until this year. It'sa great pleasure to perform with Daria. She is a wonderful pianist and an exceptional musician, so I'm looking forward to seeing her again and performing - this time on stage during the concert.

What is the role of classical music in our days, in your opinion, and how is it perceived by the audience?

It's a question I've been asking myself more and more seriously lately, considering the state of our world and what is happening not very far from us. I believe it's a question that we all need to ask, especially young musicians, in order to understand the value of the work we do every day. Despite the fact that music may seem somewhat redundant in the materialistic world we live in and in the face of the disasters happening around us, I think that music is becoming increasingly valuable. When we, as musicians, step onto the stage and the audience gathers in the concert hall, we recognize that there is more to life than the material world that seems to have consumed us so deeply lately. In this moment, we acknowledge that there are things beyond, things of real importance, things for which we create a space to discuss when we come together in the concert hall.

So, even though it may seem useless, I believe that music is more useful and profound than ever. It is beneficial to our souls and the society in which we live.