Soprano Anita Hartig, tenor Stefan Pop, and baritone Stefan Ignat, accompanied by the Bucharest National Opera Orchestra (ONB) under the baton of Daniel Jinga, performed Wednesday in an open-air concert at the National Day Hall within Expo 2025 Osaka, receiving a standing ovation from the Japanese audience.

According to a press release from the ONB sent to AGERPRES on Friday, the program featured works by Puccini, Verdi, Enescu, and Brediceanu, as well as the international premiere of 'Fandacsi' by composer Dan Dediu, who said the piece expresses the Romanian spirit.

'I greatly enjoy being performed by the musicians of the Bucharest National Opera Orchestra. They have several important qualities: first, they feel what they play; second, they have developed remarkable technical skills; and third, they have a unique sound and enthusiasm in approaching the scores,' the composer said.

ONB General Director Daniel Jinga, who also conducted the orchestra four years ago at a special concert during the Dubai World Expo, said such events provide Romania with an opportunity to showcase its best in classical music.

'Perhaps we do not have the wealth, culture, or history of other civilizations. But we have talent, which is in the DNA of the Romanian people, we have the joy of singing and the enthusiasm to show the world that we are no less. I am very proud to see this and extremely pleased with how this concert in Osaka turned out,' Jinga said.

Romania's General Commissioner of the Romanian Section for Expo 2025, Ferdinand Nagy, noted that according to ratings by the Japanese public, Romania's pavilion ranks among the top seven, with the concerts being a major attraction.

'I am still moved by this extraordinary concert — you saw the audience's reaction; they didn't want the artists to leave the stage. Surely, in terms of cultural events organized at Expo Osaka over the past five months, we are among the top. Few countries have managed to bring cultural events of this level,' Nagy said.

For tenor Stefan Pop, performing at a World Expo for the first time but appearing on a stage in the 'Land of the Rising Sun' for the tenth time, the warm reception came as no surprise.

'Japan is one of my favorite countries. I feel at home here and have my audience; usually, after concerts, I have to spend an hour giving autographs, as I did this time. In fact, wherever I perform, I represent Romania, and I hope there will be many more concerts like this worldwide, because we have something to show. That Anita Hartig and I perform on all the major international stages is proof that Romania is always in the spotlight,' he said.

Soprano Anita Hartig said she always sings 'thinking of Romania' and feels a sense of pride in sharing her Saxon-Romanian heritage.

'I sing my longing for home abroad, carrying with me memories of my grandmother's garden, weeding, gathering herbs, playing with animals — simple things that give me goosebumps just thinking about them. They move me deeply and give me the emotion, sensitivity, and courage with which I sing in every language. It's all because of this richness I carry with me everywhere,' Hartig said.

The concert marked another appearance of Romania on the international stage at Expo 2025 Osaka, where the national pavilion — 'Romania, Land of Tomorrow' — recently surpassed half a million visitors. The presence of the Bucharest National Opera at Expo 2025 Osaka will continue with chamber orchestra recitals at the Romanian Pavilion. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Popescu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)