Cantus Mundi Forum 2025 – Review

Although red alerts are not issued for situations in culture, the reality of recent years clearly points to an urgent need: cultural education requires attention, commitment, mechanisms, strategy and investment.

This is the conclusion at the close of Forumul Cantus Mundi 2025, held in Bucharest on 1-8 October under the High Patronage of UNESCO, with the participation of figures directly involved in the field: Ligia Deca – Secretary-General of Comisia Națională a României pentru UNESCO, Ion Marin – internationally renowned conductor, Mădălin Voicu – Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Culture, Andreea Sumănariu – Director of the Culture Directorate of Bucharest City Hall, Dan Dediu – President of Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România, Emil Pantelimon – Manager of Corul Madrigal, Nicoleta Briciu – Director of Casa Corpului Didactic București, Ana Diaconu – musicologist and member of Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România, Angelica Postu – President of Asociația Română de Muzicoterapie and a teacher at Universität der Künste Berlin, Roxana Fizeșan – Deputy General Director of Opera Națională București, Mădălin Guruianu – President of ARDOR.

Over eight days, more than 800 participants – conductors, teachers, composers, university students and school pupils from more than 20 counties – discussed how to implement a sustainable cultural education system through collaboration, innovative ideas, music and vision. The Forum also marked the inclusion of Programul Național Cantus Mundi in the UNESCO compendium of good practices in cultural education, an international recognition of the Romanian model of learning through music, and the launch of the Academia de Dirijat Coral programme, developed in collaboration with Casa Corpului Didactic București.

„Cantus Mundi is my investment of hope in Romania’s future generations. Far beyond music, in this extraordinary school that Cantus Mundi and Symphonia Mundi represent, you learn how to relate to others, discover that being civilised is something that can be learnt, and discover how necessary it is to believe in something, even when the world around you does not offer a ready-made ideal or aspiration. What we have achieved with Programul Național Cantus Mundi, with the support and collaboration of Corul Național de Cameră „Madrigal – Marin Constantin”, speaks for itself”,  said Ion Marin, Founding President of Programul Național Cantus Mundi and Honorary Director of Corul Madrigal.

The Forum included 17 panel discussions, workshops, recitals and masterclasses, held in five cultural venues in Bucharest. Topics covered education through music, social inclusion, expansion of the choral network, diversification of choral repertoire, child psychology and vocal health, and mechanisms for establishing, coordinating and developing choirs. Guests included international specialists, educators, teachers and representatives of Romania’s cultural community: Dan Dediu, Diana Dembinski-Vodă – composers, Ana Diaconu – musicologist, Angelica Postu – music therapist, Anna Ungureanu – conductor of Corul Madrigal, Dr. Tudor Ionescu – senior ENT specialist with subspecialist expertise in laryngology and Ioana Măndoiu – voice therapist, Andreea Soare – Coordinator of Departamentul Bebe OCC, Nicoleta Briciu – Director of Casa Corpului Didactic București and Viviana Ionescu  – teaching-methods specialist at Casa Corpului Didactic București, Emil Pantelimon – Manager of Corul Madrigal, Mădălina Maxim – music education teaching-methods specialist, Ligia Mircea – voice therapist, Ana-Maria Rusu – music education teacher and Cantus Mundi trainer, Oana Dobre  – music education teacher, manager and conductor of a children’s choir, Maria-Minodora Vișan – music education teaching-methods specialist, Iulia Sfectu-Măndășescu – educational psychology teacher and speech therapist,  Lena Dermengiu – TVR journalist, teacher and authorised LSR interpreter,  Mihai Popean (Associate Professor, PhD, and Director of Școala Doctorală de Muzică și Teatru, Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara) and Daniel Milencovici – doctoral student and research assistant, Facultatea de Psihologie și Științe ale Educației, Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara, Leila Popovici – Director of Cantus Mundi.

A central role in Forumul Cantus Mundi was played by the masterclass led by maestro Ion Marin, a prominent figure on the international music scene, nominated three times for Grammy Awards and winner of two BBC Music awards. As part of Symphonia Mundi, the Cantus Mundi programme component for school orchestras, maestro Ion Marin led six masterclass sessions for orchestra and conductors at Colegiul Național de Muzică „George Enescu” and Opera Comică pentru Copii.

Forumul Cantus Mundi 2025 took place under the High Patronage of UNESCO*, with the participation of Ligia Deca, Secretary-General of Comisia Națională a României pentru UNESCO, who emphasised the importance of integrating cultural education into schools and of partnerships between cultural and educational institutions.

The Madrigal for Babies research department presented the results of its first study of repertoires for early education, used with pregnant women and children in their first years of life, emphasising the need to produce events for audiences aged 0-3. A new research theme was also launched: Muzica corală și efectele ei în atenuarea depresiei postpartum.

Forumul Cantus Mundi 2025 showed that cultural education is a necessity that must be treated as a priority, like a red alert, through the development of a genuine strategy for social reconstruction. The 2026 edition of Forumul Cantus Mundi will take place on 1-11 October in Bucharest.

Forumul Cantus Mundi 2025 forms part of the „Marin Constantin 100” anniversary programme. In 2025, Corul Madrigal celebrates 100 years since the birth of its founder, Marin Constantin (1925 – 2011), through an extensive series of cultural projects and events taking place throughout the year.

* The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the views contained in this press release and for the opinions expressed in it, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit UNESCO

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Partners: Senatul României, Comisia Națională a României pentru UNESCO, TVR, TVR Cultural, AQUA Carpatica, Domeniile Sâmburești, Circul Metropolitan București, Opera Comică pentru Copii, Uniunea Compozitorilor și Muzicologilor din România, Uniunea Muzicienilor și Interpreților din România, Casa Corpului Didactic, Universitatea Națională de Știință și Tehnologie Politehnica București, Colegiul Național de Muzică „George Enescu”, ARCUB, Asociația Română de Muzicoterapie,Vox Humana,Fundația CODA Farmecul Tăcerii, ARDOR – Asociația Română de Dezbateri, Oratorie și Retorică

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