MÉRIDA – EFEMERIDE MUSIC VIDEO

The National Chamber Choir „Madrigal – Marin Constantin” presents the music video „Mérida – Efemeride”, the fifth episode of the multimedia programme „Muzică contemporană românească în spații antice universale”.

The video production is available on the Madrigal Choir’s communication channels from 10:00 on 15 January 2026:

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„MÉRIDA – EFEMERIDE”

National Chamber Choir „Madrigal – Marin Constantin”

Conductor Anna Ungureanu

Direction Emil Pantelimon

Sound Gabriel Scîrlet

Multimedia: Andreea Barbu, Mircea Constantinescu, Timoteea Gabor, Alexandru Marinescu, Zsolt Portik, Marius Portik,  Andrei Ţoneş, Teodora Ungureanu, Iustina Soare

The music video „Mérida – Efemeride” was filmed in November 2025 during the „Madrigal în Spania” Tour, organised by the National Chamber Choir „Madrigal – Marin Constantin” and the Ministry of Culture, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute, in collaboration with the Embassy of Romania in the Kingdom of Spain, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Madrid, the Consulate General of Romania in Seville, the Consulate General of Romania in Madrid and the Consortium of the Monumental City of Mérida

Filmed among the more than 2.000-year-old remains of the Roman Theatre in Mérida, one of Spain’s most important UNESCO sites, to a score by contemporary composer Anatol Vieru, the music video is the fifth episode of the ensemble’s multimedia programme, „Muzică contemporană românească în spații antice universale”.

The video introduces audiences to a gem of contemporary Romanian music – „Efemeride”, an excerpt from the innovative oratorio „Clepsidra II” for orchestra, choir, panpipes and cimbalom, by Romanian composer Anatol Vieru (b. 1926 – d. 1998), a major figure in twentieth-century music and a close collaborator of the Madrigal Choir and its founder, Maestro Marin Constantin. 

A prominent champion of contemporary music, the Madrigal Choir has presented numerous works by Romanian composers in national and international premieres throughout its history. Anatol Vieru’s remarkable „Clepsidra II” for orchestra, choir, panpipes and cimbalom was presented to audiences on 20 November 1972 at the first concert-discussion of the Romanian Broadcasting season, with an exceptional line-up – the Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra conducted by Iosif Conta and the Madrigal Choir conducted by Maestro Marin Constantin, alongside Gheorghe Zamfir (panpipes) and Pantelimon Stîngă (cimbalom).

The production „Mérida – Efemeride” is part of the Madrigal Choir’s extensive multimedia programme, „Muzică contemporană românească în spații antice universale”, launched on 15 January 2024 to mark National Culture Day. Other music videos in the same series include „Otrar – Jocuri”, filmed in Otrar, Kazakhstan, to music by composer Cornelia Tăutu, „Panteon – Festum Hibernum”, filmed in Rome to music by Alexandru Pașcanu, „Machu Picchu – Suită corală din Țara Oașului”, filmed at Machu Picchu to music by Dariu Pop, and „Sarmizegetusa Regia – Flăcări și roți”, filmed at Sarmizegetusa Regia to music composed by Corneliu Cezar.

By harmonising seemingly divergent concepts, the programme „Muzică contemporană românească în spații antice universale” highlights iconic ancient cultural sites and innovative works by contemporary Romanian composers. Through an unexpected perspective, the Madrigal Choir offers a new imagining of the world’s architectural heritage, adding a valuable sonic dimension through contemporary Romanian music.

The official release of the music video „Mérida – Efemeride” marks National Culture Day and 100 years since the birth of musician Anatol Vieru.

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NATIONAL CHAMBER CHOIR „MADRIGAL – MARIN CONSTANTIN”

Founded in 1963 by the legendary musician and conductor Marin Constantin (1925 – 2011), the National Chamber Choir „Madrigal – Marin Constantin” has become a benchmark for musical life and cultural diplomacy. 

The Madrigal Choir is defined by its distinctive sound, non-vibrato technique, stereophonic stage arrangement and imposing costumes. Its repertoire encompasses Renaissance, pre-classical and classical music, Romanticism, Byzantine music and contemporary Romanian and international compositions. The ensemble’s stage presence and membership have been continually refined, with critics comparing its performance to „a Stradivarius violin in Paganini’s hand”. 

The Madrigal Choir has received numerous international awards and appeared on the world’s most important stages in thousands of concerts and performances. In November 2016, Madrigal was officially recognised as an Ambassador of Freedom, Hope and Peace, receiving the „Jean Nussbaum and Eleanor Roosevelt” award at the United Nations Palace in Geneva during the Global Summit on Religion, Peace and Security. 

The Madrigal Choir’s events in recent years have enriched the spiritual and cultural imprint of Romanian music around the world. In 2023, Madrigal performed in the United States of America after 35 years, on an extensive tour from the East Coast to the West Coast. In 2024, it undertook 4 international tours, with concerts in Peru for the first time and in Europe – from Rome to Chișinău and from Luxembourg to Brussels. The year 2025 brought Madrigal’s first tour of Kazakhstan, „Madrigal: Drumul Mătăsii”, and a spectacular return to Japan after 35 years, at EXPO 2025 Osaka and the Yokohama International Choral Festival.

In November 2025, the Madrigal Choir, conducted by Anna Ungureanu, met audiences in Spain again after more than three decades, through cultural events that included filming among Mérida’s Roman ruins, Madrigal Gallery exhibitions and concerts in the grandest cathedrals and cultural venues of Córdoba and Madrid.