Elena Moșuc, the performance in which you are invited to perform on the stage of the Bucharest National Opera takes place on Thursday, January 18th, on the occasion of your birthday. It is therefore a new anniversary performance that the institution dedicates to you and I would like to wish you on this occasion, a little in advance, Happy Birthday! and to congratulate you on your exceptional career.

Thank you very much! I am very honoured every time I have the opportunity to sing at the Bucharest National Opera. It is an institution I have been linked to since the beginning of my career. I remember that in 1991 or 1992 I debuted here with Lucia di Lammermoor and many performances followed, more recently. I sang Traviata twice, just 10 years ago, also on my birthday; this I think is the third Traviata performance. It's a beautiful role! I enjoy it every time I meet Violetta Valery, a complex, very interesting, passionate character... she also has something of my personality and that's why I feel very attached to this role, a role that I must have sung more than 150 times on all the international stages. I have very beautiful memories of Violetta at my debut at La Scala in Milan, under the baton of Maestro Lorin Maazel, or in Tokyo, or at the Arena di Verona, or in Barcelona, but also the productions in the country were very beautiful, interesting and good for my soul.

I will sing on Thursday under the baton of Maestro Ciprian Teodorașcu, with whom I will meet for the first time on stage, and with colleagues with whom I have sung before - Alfredo will be tenor Alin Stoica, baritone Iordache Basalic will be Germont's father, Flora - Sidonia Nica. Each of them I have met in either Lucia de Lammermoor, Traviata or Norma, so I feel like family.

I am very grateful to the institution, especially to the maestro Daniel Jinga with whom I have played many times. He is always very, very nice; he organized that 30th anniversary gala for me two years ago and now my birthday. It's good for me, I feel at home here and I want to announce to the audience that, after the show, I'm going to do a re-release of my book that I launched in June in a very small setting at the Romanian Athenaeum, after a recital. Now it will also be possible to buy my book on "Madness in the first half of the 19th century", which is also my doctoral thesis, but it is a very, very useful book, especially for professionals, especially students, those who are entering the musical realm of opera. But it is also a useful book for anyone who wants to know more about the world of music. And at the same time, I will also be releasing the new record I recorded at the beginning of August at Casa Lipatti, a record produced by Mrs Alice Barb. On piano was Prof. Verona Maier, with whom I collaborate very, very well. We have recorded Lipatti and Enescu records and we will also do this release.

I invite the audience to stay a few minutes after the performance to present the book and the CD, which they will then be able to buy in the foyer of the Romanian National Opera Bucharest.

I expect the Bucharest audience to come to this performance that I will sing with all my heart, especially on this anniversary day. I have always loved to sing when I had a birthday, I have even sung many performances. It will be a new challenge and a great pleasure to give the audience those artistic feelings and emotions that they really need especially nowadays.