Premiul Marin Constantin 2026 at Gala Madrigal 63

The recipient of Premiul Marin Constantin for 2026 is actor Victor Rebengiuc. The distinction, presented annually by the Madrigal Choir, was awarded at Gala Madrigal 63, held on Thursday, 26 February 2026, at Senatul României. Premiul Marin Constantin was presented by maestro Ion Marin, Honorary director of the Madrigal Choir and Founding President of Programul Național Cantus Mundi.

Gala Madrigal 63, performed by the National Chamber Choir „Madrigal – Marin Constantin”, conducted by Anna Ungureanu, alongside special guests, marked 63 years of the ensemble’s uninterrupted activity and 101 years since the birth of the Madrigal Choir’s founder, maestro Marin Constantin (b. 27 February 1925 – d. 1 January 2011). 

The Madrigal Choir opened the gala alongside 130 children from Cantus Mundi choirs with Giovanni Gastoldi’s emblematic Italian madrigal „Vezzosette nimphe e belle” – Madrigal’s unofficial anthem.

The Gala Madrigal 63 programme celebrated Spectacolele Madrigal, distinctive in their synthesis of art forms and artistic innovation, combining choral music with dramatic art. Guest actors Victoria Cociaș, Claudiu Istodor, Adrian Titieni, Emil Boroghină, Ofelia Popii, Marius Turdeanu, Constantin Chiriac, Marian Râlea and Rodica Mandache joined the Madrigal Choir on stage.

In a deeply moving atmosphere, Gala Madrigal 63 concluded with alumni of the ensemble from every generation joining the Madrigal Choir on stage. Conducted by Veronica Bojescu, the Madrigal Choir’s second conductor from 1963 – 1997, the singers performed Orlando di Lasso’s Renaissance work „Matona mia cara” and Gheorghe Danga’s lively folk-inspired piece „Sârba pe loc”.

„Gala Madrigal 63 had a very special aura. Performances marking Madrigal’s anniversary remain etched in all our minds and hearts, because meetings between generations – and here we saw every generation, those from Madrigal’s beginnings and those who will carry Madrigal into the future – well, these meetings are unforgettable moments.” – Demeter András István, Minister of Culture

The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Bucharest, institutional partners of the National Chamber Choir „Madrigal – Marin Constantin”, representatives of central public administration, cultural figures, public personalities and journalists.

National Chamber Choir „Madrigal – Marin Constantin” | Conductor Anna Ungureanu | Event concept and presentation Emil Pantelimon | Piano Abel Corman | Text selection Mădălin Guruianu | Light Design Mircea Mitroi | Sound Gabriel Scîrlet | Guests: Victoria Cociaș, Claudiu Istodor, Adrian Titieni, Emil Boroghină, Ofelia Popii, Marius Turdeanu, Constantin Chiriac, Marian Râlea and Rodica Mandache | With children from the choirs of Programul Național Cantus Mundi and alumni of the Madrigal Choir 

The event, hosted in the „Madrigal – Marin Constantin” Galleries at Senatul României, was visually complemented by a series of paintings dedicated to the Madrigal Choir by contemporary visual artists in residence within the interdisciplinary programme Galeria Madrigal, which brings together choral music and the visual arts.

VICTOR REBENGIUC is one of the most important and acclaimed actors in Romanian theatre and film, with an impressive career spanning seven decades. A graduate of Institutul de Artă Teatrală și Cinematografică in Bucharest, he became an emblematic figure at Teatrul Bulandra, where he played over 200 memorable roles in classical and contemporary drama. On stage, he worked with directors including Liviu Ciulei, Radu Penciulescu, Andrei Șerban, Cătălina Buzoianu, Yuri Kordonsky, Gábor Tompa, Alexandru Dabija and others.

In cinema, he made a lasting impression on audiences through powerfully expressive characters such as Apostol Bologa in „Pădurea spânzuraților”, directed by Liviu Ciulei, and Ilie Moromete in the adaptation of the novel „Moromeții”, directed by Stere Gulea. He also played important roles in films by Dan Pița and Lucian Pintilie. 

His restrained, authentic and profoundly human style, coupled with extraordinary professional discipline, established him as a model of artistic and civic integrity. Over the years, he has received numerous awards for his outstanding contribution to Romanian culture.

PREMIUL MARIN CONSTANTIN was established in 2018 as a tribute to the ensemble’s legendary founder, Marin Constantin. It is awarded annually to individuals or institutions that make a significant contribution to Romania’s cultural life and are consistently involved in developing and promoting the fine arts and the work of the National Chamber Choir „Madrigal – Marin Constantin”. Premiul Marin Constantin is accompanied by Trofeul Madrigal, an original bronze and brass creation by artist Mihai Băcilă.

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Main sponsor: ROMPETROL

Sponsors: Aqua Carpatica, Rețeaua Privată de Sănătate „Regina Maria”

Institutional partners: ARCUB, Casa Corpului Didactic, Centrul de Cultură Arcuș, Circul Metropolitan București, Domeniile Sâmburești, Institutul Cultural Român, Opera Comică pentru Copii, Regia Națională a Pădurilor ROMSILVA, Senatul României, Soundfeed, Teatrul Național de Operetă și Musical „Ion Dacian”, Televiziunea română, UNIMIR, Universitatea Politehnica București, USAMV Cluj-Napoca

Media partners: AGERPRES, Agenția de cArte, AMOS News, Bookhub, București Business, B1 TV, B365, București FM, Euronews România, Europa FM, Itsy Bitsy, Leviathan, Munteanu recomandă, Prima News, Radio France Internationale România, Radio România Cultural, Radio România Muzical, Radio Trinitas, Revista Biz, Romania Journal, spotmedia.ro, TVR Cultural, Zile și Nopți