www.business-review.eu Business Review | March 2022
36 ARTS
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.
