FAIRYTALE CHRISTMAS
From the magic of Christmas to the sparkle of the New Year
DECEMBER 16, 2026 • 8:00 PM
Palace of Culture Ploiesti - Hall of Columns
EMILIA POPESCU • MARIUS BODOCHI
MARIA MĂDĂLINA CONSTANTIN • ALIN HORIA MÂNZAT • CEZAR IONESCU
MOLDAVIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Host: MARTHA MARIA MOCANU
There are songs that, from the very first chords, tell us that Christmas is approaching. And there are waltzes that make us dream, for a few moments, that the New Year finds us in Vienna.
A CHRISTMAS STORY brings them together in a show-concert that begins in the Christmas atmosphere and gradually transforms into a brilliant New Year's celebration.
At the heart of the show are Emilia Popescu and Marius Bodochi, two beloved actors of the Romanian stage, who bring to life texts about love, memories, the joy of being together, and the hope of a new beginning. Through sensitivity, humor, and expressiveness, their interventions add a theatrical dimension to the music, transforming the concert into a charming artistic experience.
The musical dimension takes shape through the voices of Maria Mădălina Constantin, Alin Horia Mânzat, and Cezar Ionescu, reunited with the sound of the Moldavia Symphony Orchestra in a repertoire that combines the most beloved Christmas melodies with the refinement and exuberance of Viennese music.
Martha Maria Mocanu, an emblematic presence in Ploiești's cultural and social life, will host this gala evening, bringing to the event the charm, elegance, and distinction that characterize her.
From the orchestral exuberance of Leroy Anderson to the melodies that have become symbols of the holiday, signed by Irving Berlin, David Foster, or Mariah Carey, the orchestra and the three solo voices bring to the stage that mix of emotion and joy we expect every December.
Solo moments and ensemble moments complete a repertoire in which classical music meets the great international Christmas songs, in a warm and festive atmosphere.
Then, the atmosphere begins to transform.
The refinement of Arcangelo Corelli and the magical universe of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky open the way to another world.
The waltzes and polkas of the Strauss family bring the elegance and exuberance of the great New Year's concerts. The rhythm increases, the orchestra gains a different energy, and the entire evening heads towards one of the most beloved finales of Viennese music: The Radetzky March.
Moldavia Symphony Orchestra, founded by musicians Radu Cotoman and Emerich Ghercă, brings together instrumentalists with experience on the Iași lyrical and symphonic stage, in a formation capable of moving from the refinement of the classical repertoire to the energy of contemporary music.
Maria Mădălina Constantin, Alin Horia Mânzat and Cezar Ionescu complete the universe of the show through three voices and three distinct artistic personalities, in solo and ensemble moments that highlight both the sensitivity of Christmas carols and the elegance of the holiday repertoire.
But A FAIRY TALE CHRISTMAS is more than just a concert.
It is the meeting of the expressiveness of two actors, the beauty of three solo voices, and the power of a symphony orchestra. It is an evening that changes its rhythm and atmosphere with the music: from the warmth of Christmas to the elegance of the waltz, from emotion to humor, from intimacy to the exuberance of the New Year.
In the refined atmosphere of the Hall of Columns of the Ploiești Culture Palace, the public is invited to discover an artistic experience where music, theater, and the elegance of holidays meet.
DECEMBER 16, 2026 • 8:00 PM
PLOIEȘTI CULTURE PALACE – HALL OF COLUMNS
ACCESS INFORMATION
Public access will be through the entrance from Toma Socolescu Park (Central Halls).
PARTNERS
Prahova County Council • N.Iorga County Library Ploiești • Prahova County Center for Culture Acad.Eugen Simion •BES Romania • SmartArt Association
