The first concert — 3 June 2023

The first concert in the “Madrigal for Babies” project took place on 3 June 2023 at Circul Metropolitan București, for an audience of babies, parents and expectant mothers.

Based on in-depth studies of the effects of music on children aged between 0 and 12 months, as well as on pregnant women, the special “Madrigal for Babies” concert was conducted by Cezar Verlan, the ensemble’s assistant conductor. The concert included works that stimulate language, listening and memory skills, capture babies’ attention, invite them to play, or soothe them and prepare them for sleep.

The “Madrigal for Babies” musical programme followed a narrative thread and presented lullabies or themed songs from classical music, composed by Morten Lauridsen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Harold Arlen, Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms, works by Marin Constantin or Nicolae Lungu, and pieces universally recognised for their therapeutic effects. The compositions were performed in their original versions and as melodic excerpts, which were repeated together with the mothers present so that they could remember them for the future.

The staging of the event, lighting, simple projections and appropriate percussion elements also helped create a gentle atmosphere. Separate spaces for breastfeeding and changing babies were available to audience members in the foyer.