This year, you celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Tel Aviv. This year’s anniversary programme offers some interesting events, not only musical and cinematographic, but also exhibitions. Let’s start with the musical events.

We have already created here a tradition for Romanian artists to attend the most important stages. RCI Tel Aviv invited in Israel, artists ranging from jazz to classical music genres. We have created extremely interesting partnerships between Romanian artists and Israel. Here is an extremely competent music-loving public. It was a bet that we really wanted to win, and I am going to tell you why: auditions for being admitted to the Opera stage in Tel Aviv are highly strict. Artist from all over the world come here, the competition is rough and we are glad to see that, in the last three or four years, little by little, the singers from Romania managed to win these castings and be present in important roles, both in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

This is a very important achievement, and these days, on 17^th January and 1^st February a Masked Ball by Giuseppe Verdi will take place. Who will be the Romanian performers?

The baritone Ionuț Pascu, who is present for the sixth time in one of the international co-productions of the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, and the tenor Cristian Mogoșan - present for the second time; he performed Alfredo, one of the main roles in La Traviata. Soprano Aurelia Florian is about to come to Israel. She comes to Israel for the second time, as well; she performed Violeta in La Traviata. We have another Romanian presence in this performance, soprano Mirela Grădianaru - who is originary from Romania, but has recently moved to Israel; she is a soprano of the Israeli Opera, but belongs to the Romanian music school. Very soon, soprano Elena Moșuc, from Zürich, will join this group, who is already known, loved and admired in Israel. Practically, we have a more than considerable Romanian presence; we are talking about a project which extends over a period of half a year.

All these singers that I have mentioned - baritone Ionuț Pascu, tenor Cristian Mogoșan, sopranos Aurelia Florian and Elena Moșuc - are supported by RCI. They will perform in several international co-productions, not only in A Masked Ball. Next months they will perform in the Tales of Hoffman, La Bohème, La Traviata and many other productions. I would like to mention that La Traviata will be performed during the Masada Opera Festival, which has a very interesting concept: the performances will take place in open air, in the dessert, during the night. It is amazing! The feeling that derives from there is unique. At the Israeli Opera, the repertoire isnʼt fixed, the performances change every season. The concert halls are crowded all the time, what happens there is simply amazing; this is why we are so glad that we can join the artists in these projects and we are proud that the Romanian lyrical artists are present in Israel and are so visible and appreciated in this country.

What other musical projects do you have?

In June, the Horia Maxim Quartet from Bucharest will be present during the Israel Festival. There are other musical projects for this year, as well, but I wouldnʼ t disclose them, as some of them are still being discussed. The Horia Maxim Quartet will certainly be present during the Israel Festival - a very important festival, in which at least 15 countries participate every year and which takes place over a period of three weeks. The festival comprises theatre plays, musical performances, children’s performances and many other events.