Marius Mihalache & Band in “Săftița”: The Timeless Love Songbook

Songwriter and performer Marius Mihalache, the cimbalom (țambal) maestro, is making his triumphant return to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with his latest musical project, “Săftița”, an exuberant journey through the Romanian musical tradition and a virtuosic affirmation of love as the ultimate meaning of life. As the concert’s title – Săftița is an old, beautiful Romanian female name – suggests, the concert’s irresistible playlist, made of original material based on old Romanian and Southeast European folk songs and other music genres, offers a passionate homage to the power and richness of the feminine emotional landscape. Maestro Marius Mihalache will be joined on stage by Arabela Nicolau (vocals), Lorin Mihalache (drums), and Nicu Baran (bass). Live video projections by Cristian Stănoiu.  

“Săftița” [səfthɪtza] will be performed one night only, on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 7 pm, at the Kennedy Center, Family Theater in Washington, DC, courtesy of the Embassy of Romania to the United States and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, with the support of Banca Transilvania / Transylvania Bank. The event is part of an ample cultural program dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Romania-United States Strategic Partnership.

Free event. Tickets required. Tickets are soon to be made available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, by phone (202) 467-4600 and on the kennedy-center.org website. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, please call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540. Please note that the free tickets will become available at the Kennedy Center Box Office and online after September 23, 2022.

“Săftița” is currently part of the Studio Hall’s program at the National Theater in Bucharest and is extensively performed on European tours.  

Marius Mihalache is an exceptional Romanian virtuoso musician, composer, and music producer, famous both in his country of origin and worldwide for the originality he brings to a traditional Romanian instrument – the cimbalom, a percussive string instrument usually associated with folkloric music – that he elevates to new heights of artistry by also performing classical and sophisticated original compositions. A precocious musical genius, Marius Mihalache was playing “La Scala” Opera House in Milan at age 17 and was opening for legendary musician Chick Corea at age 20. Later in his career he collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Gloria Gaynor, Nina Simone, Steve Vai, Kitaro, and others.

This event is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.