Renowned for preserving and promoting traditional cultural values among children and youth in Bacău County, beloved artist Maria Șalaru has achieved another national and international success alongside her students.
Some of Șalaru’s students study singing online while living with their families in Italy, learning not only to sing but also to speak Romanian correctly, maintaining their dialect, traditional costume, and ancestral songs.
Their successful participation in festivals and competitions both in Romania and abroad has brought added value to the Bacău School of Arts and Trades and prestige to Bacău County.
On September 13, the “Romanian Song, Dance and Folk Costume” festival took place in Cremona, Italy, organized by the Trăistuța Association, chaired by Ecaterina Pîslariu. The event featured 37 contestants from Treviso, Cremona, Verona, Torino, Milano, Bacău, and Vrancea.
Students of Maria Șalaru from the Bacău School of Arts and Trades “Ion Ghelu Destelnica”, along with members of the Spic de Grâu ensemble from Orbeni, Bacău, achieved major success, winning awards for repertoire quality, stage presence, and performance:
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Mara Rău, 12, Orbeni – 1st Prize for Performance and Stage Presence
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Teodora Palade, 12, Mărășești – 1st Prize for Originality of Repertoire and Performance
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Ilinca Comanici, 8, Adjud – 3rd Prize
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Sara Milia, 12, Cremona – 2nd Prize for Performance and Authentic Folk Costume
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Teodora Bujor, 6, Torino – 1st Prize
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Iustina Bujor, Torino – 2nd Prize
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Loredana Bujor, 37, Torino – 1st Prize in the 18+ category
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Marlena Raihert, 40, Peschiera – 2nd Prize in the 18+ category
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Ștefania Bibire, 13, Peschiera – 3rd Prize in the 10–14 age category
Iustina Bujor also received a 500-euro scholarship to continue her second year of folk music studies at the Bacău School of Arts and Trades.
Maria Șalaru said, “This achievement adds another page to our group’s record. It is particularly meaningful as it brings me closer to my goal of helping Romanian children abroad preserve their native language, songs, and folk traditions—a priceless heritage. I congratulate all the participants and their parents, who make significant physical and financial efforts to support their children’s artistic dreams.”
