Dancers from the 'Muresul' Artistic Ensemble - Romania's only professional folk ensemble with both Romanian and Hungarian sections - will perform in Vienna on Europe Day, as part of a cultural diplomacy project initiated by the Iunona Association and the Mures County Council.

'At the end of last year, the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) in Vienna invited the 'Muresul' Professional Artistic Ensemble to perform there. We have now received official confirmation, so it is increasingly clear that on May 9, on Europe Day organized in Vienna, the 'Muresul' Ensemble will take part in a street performance, as the day's events are traditionally held outdoors. This continues the cultural diplomacy project we began in 2024 with the Romanian Embassy in Austria and ICR Vienna, when we organized a concert by the Targu Mures State Philharmonic at the Musikverein. Thanks to this collaboration, Targu Mures will once again be represented in Vienna at an important cultural moment,' Ovidiu Maior, co-president of the Iunona Association, told AGERPRES.

The director of the 'Muresul' Ensemble, Moldovan-Horváth István, said that more than 40 artists will travel to Vienna for the two scheduled performances.

'Eight pairs of dancers from each section - Romanian and Hungarian - will travel, along with a slightly smaller orchestra. In total, there will be over 40 people. We will present the Transylvanian lads' dance, included on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and we agreed with the organizers to also perform couple dances. Each section will prepare a 20-minute program. We will have two performances: one on May 8 at the Romanian Cultural Institute in Vienna, and the second on Europe Day itself, outdoors. Our artists know this is an important event, an opportunity to represent the country and its traditions. Our main goal, every day, is to promote traditional costumes and folk dances both at home and abroad,' said Moldovan-Horváth István.

Founded in 1956, the 'Muresul' Professional Artistic Ensemble operates under the authority of the Mures County Council.

'Being the only institution in Romania with two sections - Romanian and Hungarian - allows us to research and showcase a wide range of ethno-folkloric areas and sub-areas from this region and from across the country. Our repertoire includes twirl dances from Mures, Tarnave and Campie, csárdás from the Niraj Valley and Glodeni, as well as the virtuosity of dances from Banat, Sic, Moldova or Calata. The beauty of the costumes, the mastery of the dances and the melody of the songs have been applauded by millions of spectators in Romania and abroad. Our artists have conveyed Romanian and Hungarian folk traditions, friendship and collaboration to audiences in Europe (Hungary, France, Belgium, Republic of Moldova), Asia (Turkey, Taiwan, Japan), North Africa (Egypt), the USA and more,' shows the Mures County Council website. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Dorina Matis; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)