Building legacy through art

To mark the International Women’s Day on March 8, BR is celebrating extraordinary women working in the creative and cultural fields, all of whom are true ambassadors of Romanian values and great examples of how people with vision can change communities.

By Oana Vasiliu

ANNA MARIA POPA, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE ANDREI MURESANU THEATRE (TAM), SFANTU GHEORGHE, COVASNA COUNTY

Born and raised in Sfantu Gheorghe, Anna Maria Popa graduated from the acting department of the University of Theatre and Cinematography. She has been the general manager of TAM since 2015, having had a similar role previously as the executive director of the Arca Theatre.

TAM has become an important landmark on the local cultural map since her appointment as general manager, and people there have fully explored their creativity during the pandemic. They’ve invented things, used new means of expression, looked for new solutions, and even created the first VR theatre experience in Romania—because the show must go on regardless of obstacles.

MAIA MORGENSTERN, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE JEWISH STATE THEATRE IN BUCHAREST

Maia Morgenstern is a Romanian film and stage actress, but also the general manager of the Jewish State Theatre in Bucharest. She is best known for portraying the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mel Gibson's movie “The Passion of the Christ.” The role required her to speak Aramaic, but just like other actors who were cast in the film, she simply memorised her lines phonetically.

Her career has meant hundreds of film and theatre roles, but also radio theatre and TV performances. In 2012, Maia Morgenstern became the manager of the Jewish State Theatre in Bucharest, a position in which she dedicates her experience, energy, and passion to saving Yiddish culture, tradition, and civilisation, maintaining a focus on education and recent history.

IOANA CIOCAN, DIRECTOR OF ART SAFARI

Ioana Ciocan is an independent curator and the director of Art Safari Bucharest, the vice-president of the Union of Fine Artists in Romania, and a member of the Scientific Council of the Cotroceni National Museum. In 2015-16 she was part of the Curatorium team, who developed the bid for Bucharest 2021 European Capital of Culture.

Ioana is also the initiator and coordinator of several art programmes in the public space, having curated many different art exhibitions. She is also a regular speaker at various conferences regarding art in public spaces and curatorial practice, a member of specialised juries, and an associate editor for Arta Magazine.

SOPRANO VIRGINIA ZEANI

Known as one of the brightest stars of Romanian opera and beloved by critics and audiences alike, Zeani has paved the way for many Romanian singers and is now a distinguished teacher.

Zeani’s singing was unusual in that she was able to achieve a complete integration of bel canto vocal accuracy and verismo expression, giving her interpretations great dramatic power without sacrificing musical priorities in any way. Zeani retired from the operatic stage in 1982, but she and her husband Nicola Rossi Lemeni began to teach singing at the Indiana University music school in 1980, and she continues to inspire young talents today.

CODRUTA VULCU, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF ARTMANIA

Codruta Vulcu is the Director and Founder of the ARTmania Festival, East European Music Conference & Showcase Festival, Blaj aLive Festival, and Romanian Music Export, and the vice president of AROC (the Romanian Association of Promoters of Concerts and Cultural Events), with a seventeen-year long career in the artistic sector and a rich event portfolio that includes the logistics and operational planning of the official ceremonies held in 2019 by His Holiness Pope Francis on the Field of Liberty in Blaj, Romania. Last year, Codruta Vulcu received the Excellence and Passion Award at the European Festival Awards (EFA), and back in 2019 she received the award in the Best Small Festival category for the ARTmania Festival.

ANDREEA IAGER TAKO, CO-FOUNDER OF AMBASADA TIMISOARA

Ambasada is a brand under the Casa PLAI Association, a social enterprise developed as a way to incubate and increase the impact of local, national, and international doers. Andreea is the co-founder of this mix of social impact, culture, free space, professional services, and mediation between different realities and industries. Currently, Ambasada is part of a new and ambitious initiative, the Faber.community, which is dedicated to creative endeavours. Moreover, the team behind Ambasada established themselves as significant players in the city, taking lead roles in the bid for the 2021 European Capital of Culture, which has been postponed to 2023, as well as in developing the city’s cultural strategy.

WRITER NORA IUGA

Nora Iuga is a poet, writer, and translator who was born in Bucharest in 1931. Due to her parents’ extensive touring activities, she spent her childhood in different countries and grew up surrounded by both the Romanian and German languages. Her creative period as a poet began with the publication of her first volume of Romanian poetry in 1968; since the late 1970s, she has also been working to translate German literature into Romanian, including works by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Günter Grass, Elfriede Jelinek, and Herta Müller. Among other honours, Iuga has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. She is a key figure in literature, but also widely recognised for her contribution to fostering cultural exchange, especially between Germany and Romania.

FILM PRODUCER ADA SOLOMON

Ada is one of Romania's leading producers, having received more than 200 awards at festivals around the world. In 2004, Ada and Avi Karpick founded the Hi Film production company. Since then, she has produced and co-produced over 60 titles with selections at festivals like Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Sundance, and Sarajevo. She has also co-produced features with partners in over 15 countries around Europe and sold her films in over 50 territories around the world. Among her achievements as a producer are the Crystal Globe for Best Film in Karlovy Vary for “I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians” by Radu Jude, the Berlinale Golden Bear for “Child’s Pose” by Calin Netzer and “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn” by Radu Jude, the Silver Bear for Best Director for “Aferim!” by Radu Jude, and many more.