The renowned ensemble has planned a series of events to celebrate the centenary of its emblematic founder.

100 years have passed since the birth of maestro Marin Constantin. The Madrigal Choir commemorates this anniversary with the Extraordinary Concert "Marin Constantin - 100." What does this event entail?

It is a great joy for us to inaugurate the Marin Constantin Centenary as part of the Madrigal Choir's activities. Seven years ago, we named this day Madrigal Day, and today we celebrate it with great enthusiasm and distinguished guests. We are at the Romanian Parliament, in the Senate, where the Madrigal "Marin Constantin" Galleries are hosting a gala concert and, most importantly, an extraordinary recital by the entire Madrigal Choir. The joy of celebrating Madrigal Day is accompanied by the honor of having among us Madrigal members who have been part of the choir since 1963. Today, we will also present the Marin Constantin Award, which for the past seven years has been given annually to a distinguished individual, someone close to Marin Constantin, who has carried forward his legacy-bringing beauty, sharing art and culture, and touching people's lives through music. This event will also highlight the future, through the Cantus Mundi national program. More than 150 children from Cantus Mundi Choirs will perform alongside Madrigal, singing the Madrigal Anthem and Marin Constantin's song "Pomișorul" (The Little Tree), as a sign of respect and tribute to the founder of the Madrigal Choir. Marin Constantin is a symbol of Romania's spirituality and its people, particularly during the communist era, when he successfully reformed both thought and spiritual expression on multiple levels.

What is the cultural legacy of Marin Constantin?

Marin Constantin transformed the Madrigal Choir into not only a national cultural brand but also an element that has brought comfort to the souls of Romanians. Every year, on Madrigal Day, we take the opportunity to present the achievements of the previous year. This year, we are proud to announce all of last year's accomplishments and premieres, which we see as a responsibility passed down to us by Marin Constantin in the Romania's Madrigal. Our guiding principle remains the same: "Since 1963, we have been transforming Romania through music." Madrigal has promoted harmony through its voices for 62 years, and this is the legacy we celebrate. Although I did not have the chance to meet maestro Marin Constantin in person, I can say that if he has a characteristic that I feel by reading, observing, marching through the archives of the Madrigal, that is definitely the vision. A leader can guide a group of people easily, but a leader without vision cannot leave behind a legacy that endures beyond his lifetime. Practically, Marin Constantin, and I say this from the bottom of my heart, had an extraordinary vision of how culture can improve things and make them bettter. This is evident from Madrigal's interactions with world leaders, major international organizations where it presented Romania in a different manner, and the many people who became composers by the nature of his grace-both Romanian and foreign-whom he encouraged and elevated in the momement when their sheet music were performed at such high level by the Madrigal. I recall with joy how maestro Pablo Colino, the long-time artistic director of the Vatican, shared his memories of Marin Constantin. He told me with warmth, emotion, and even a touch of regret that a single week spent with Marin Constantin taught him as much as three years at the "Santa Cecilia" Academy. This perfectly illustrates Marin Constantin's spirit-how he shared his knowledge, strength, and harmony with those around him, how he managed to make them feel and understand how powerful his vision was, when he succeeded to see, beyond the music, the things around him. This is something we need today-not just in the arts, but also in economics, politics, and even in our families - to put on the first level the harmony, that the Madrigal represent so beautifully, Marin Constantin's Madrigal which remains alive and influential even today. Only then we define the real portrait of Marin Constantin.

What other events are planned for the "Marin Constantin - 100" anniversary program?

All of our major events this year bear the signature of Marin Constantin's centenary which starts today. I am delighted to announce our upcoming May tour in Kazakhstan, titled The Silk Road. This tour will include a series of cultural diplomacy activities, continuing the mission that Marin Constantin himself embraced throughout his life-bringing Madrigal's music to audiences worldwide. Additionally, this year, Madrigal will represent Romania at the World Exhibition in Osaka, a major cultural hub where global artistic forces will come together. We will also perform at TIFF (Transilvania International Film Festival) at the closing of the festival, where we will revisit the cinematic history of Marin Constantin's Madrigal. I am glad to mention the Palme d'Or, awarded at Cannes to the second Romanian short film directed by Mirel Ilieșiu. Our traditional Easter, St. Mary's, and Christmas tours which we are very proud of, will also continue. One of the most significant projects we are launching this April is "The Madrigal Forests - Marin Constantin", forests which we will plant throughout Romania. Over the next five years, children from the Cantus Mundi Choirs will plant more than 100,000 trees across Romania. These forests will serve not only as an environmental and social responsibility initiative but also as cultural spaces, featuring open-air amphitheaters for artistic performances. With energy and patience we will build "The Madrigal Forests - Marin Constantin". There are many projects that we organize and all these things are made possible by an incredible team that understands the importance of preserving and elevating Marin Constantin's legacy whith all our energy. Looking at what he built, we find the best example of motivation-to never set our dreams aside.