The Royal Charitable Concert, a spectacle of generosity and authentic values in support of Romanian young talents

• An audience of 800 people, representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, personalities from the world of arts and culture, business leaders, donors, and sponsors of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, attended the 14th edition of the Royal Charitable Concert
• 180,000 euros raised from sponsorships and sold tickets for the Young Talents scholarships
• A new national selection of 2024 scholarship recipients will be announced in November

180,000 euros were raised to support financially disadvantaged young and talented artists during the 14th edition of the Royal Charitable Concert, which took place on October 25th at the Romanian Athenaeum. In the presence of Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown, President of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, Their Royal Highnesses Princess Elena and Princess Sofia, and 800 other people, the Romanian Athenaeum once again hosted a spectacular event celebrating generosity and authentic values.

Through the generosity of sponsors, donors, and people who bought tickets, a new generation of young talents will be supported through scholarships, mentorship, and promotion to develop their artistic gifts. Personalities from the world of arts and culture, members of the Diplomatic Corps, representatives of the Romanian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, the Romanian government, members of civil society, business leaders in Romania, media representatives, sponsors, and supporters of the Foundation, as well as those who wished to support Romanian culture, gathered at the Romanian Athenaeum to witness an extraordinary recital held by successful voices from European opera stages: tenor Ioan Hotea and mezzo-soprano Martiniana Antonie, a former recipient of the Young Talents program. They were accompanied by the Romanian Youth Orchestra conducted by maestro Gabriel Bebeșelea. This year’s performers supported the efforts of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation to give other young people at the beginning of their career the chance to follow their dream.

“It’s a great joy to gather here at the Romanian Athenaeum for the Royal Charitable Concert today, a traditional event organized by my Foundation in support of the Young Talents’ scholarships. During the tumultuous times we are living in, it is necessary to unite our forces and focus our energy to create a better world, a more stable Romania, and a brighter future, built together with younger generations. Art can fill our souls, make us more beautiful and serene, individually and collectively as a nation. Romania needs art!

For 15 years, we have been continuously investing in young artists. And they have responded to this opportunity with extraordinary talent, a creative spirit, and by reaching their artistic potential. Many of them have fulfilled their professional dreams and have delighted us with their gifts. The path in the world of art is difficult, often inaccessible for those with limited financial means, even though they make efforts and sacrifices. That’s why people like you need to support this noble cause! We thank the mentors, companies, donors, and volunteers who accompany us in our mission! Kaufland Romania is one of the partners who has been with us from the beginning.

The Royal Charitable Concert is an extraordinary annual event when we celebrate generosity and authentic values,” said Her Majesty Margareta in her speech at the opening of the Royal Charitable Concert on Wednesday.

The audience was taken on a journey through the brilliant and spirited works of Gioachino Rossini, known as the Italian Mozart: the overture and two arias from his comic operas La Cenerentola and The Barber of Seville, as well as the lively and humorous tarantella La Danza. The program then delved into the world of Georges Bizet with the overture from the opera Carmen, followed by the seductive Chanson Boheme, and the festive Farandola from the L’Arlésienne suite. The program continued with the passionate aria “Salut! Demeure chaste et pure” from Charles Gounod’s Faust, followed by several of the most popular arias from different countries and cultures, such as Augustin Lara’s “Granada,” a tribute to the Spanish city of Granada, Richard Strauss’s “Di rigori armato il seno,” a parody of the Italian opera style, and Ernesto di Curtis’s romantic and nostalgic melody “Non ti scordar di me.”

The artistic experience was complemented by an art collection displayed in the rotunda of the Romanian Athenaeum, created by young visual artists, current scholars of the Foundation, under the guidance of their mentor, conf. univ. dr. Ion Anghel, during the interdisciplinary creative camp in Balchik which took place this year in August.

In the central foyer, limited edition charitable items were also on display, and attendees could acquire them through donations, thereby supporting the Young Talents program, including:

• the Royal Margareta bracelet – inspired by Her Majesty’s emblematic figure
• unique engravings “Margareta” and “Athenaeum” created by visual art scholarship holders
• books from Curtea Veche Publishing House, the book’s value was entirely donated to the Young Talents program
• the Foundation’s emblem – a symbol proudly worn by our supporters

Funds raised from sponsorships and donations at the Royal Concert will support a new generation of musicians and visual artists through Young Talents 2024 national program. The artists, aged from 14 to 24, are coming from modest income families. The selection is set to be launched in November.

Before the start of the spectacle, in the elegant foyer of the Romanian Athenaeum, television producer Valentina Băințan invited the audience in front of the television to a talk show to get to know some of the Young Talents program scholarship recipients, as well as to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere of the Royal Charitable Concert through the artistic and cultural guests: maestro Marin Cazacu, a cellist and professor, the Director of the George Enescu Philharmonic and a mentor for Young Talents program, prof. univ. dr. Verona Maier, a pianist and the Pro-Rector of the National University of Music Bucharest, also a mentor and a member of the Young Talents selection jury, Zoli Toth, a conceptual artist and mentor for Young Talents program, conf. univ. dr. Ion Anghel, from UNARTE’s Faculty of Fine Arts, and a mentor for Young Talents program, Mugurel Mărgărit, the Executive Director of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, Cristina Uruc, the director of ARTEXIM and the organizer of the George Enescu Competition and Festival, a former Young Talents scholarship recipient, and Ion Ioniță, from the Historia magazine.

14 years of the project and 1.9 million euros invested in the education of young artists

Romania needs art and talented young individuals with limited financial support need assistance. Over the years, the funds raised from sponsorships and donations – 1.9 million euros have been invested in the artistic future of Romania. 410 scholarships have been awarded to young talents at the beginning of their journey coming from low-income families. With the support of mentors and sustained promotion, they have achieved extraordinary accomplishments on both national and international stages. The Young Talents program has been recognized as the Best Art and Culture Program in Romania, having been awarded four times at the Civil Society Gala, including in 2022.

Organized annually since 2008 by the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, the Royal Charitable Concert traditionally takes place on October 25, the birthday of King Michael I of Romania, the founder of the Foundation, alongside with Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown. Each anniversary edition of the concert has featured the most valuable musicians of the moment and major orchestras, all in support of young and talented Romanian artists.