Paris to Bucharest
A sixty-minute journey from French salon elegance to Romanian folk fire — for piano four hands, with solo turns for each player.
“Two musical worlds, one keyboard: the refinement of Paris — Bonis, Chaminade, Debussy, Moszkowski — giving way to the untamed spirit of Romania in Enescu’s rhapsody and the duo’s own Dobrogea folk suite.”
An evening in two acts of spirit
Performed without pause — French elegance first, Romanian fire to close. Program order as performed.
- iDuoValse LenteMel Bonis (1858–1937)
- iiDuoInterlude et BacchanaleMel Bonis (1858–1937)
- iiiDuo · four handsIdylle Arabe · Danse HindoueCécile Chaminade (1857–1944)
- ivHugh Sung · soloClair de luneClaude Debussy (1862–1918)
- vMadalina Danila · soloMasques, L. 105Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
- viDuoAllegro ma non troppo, Op. 65 No. 1 · Habanera, Op. 65 No. 3Moritz Moszkowski (1854–1925)
- viiDuo · four handsRhapsody No. 2 in D majorGeorge Enescu (1881–1955) · arr. for piano four hands by Marius Sireteanu
- viiiDuo · four handsSuita din DobrogeaTraditional Romanian folk · arr. Mada & Hugh
Minor substitutions possible with advance notice.
Three reasons it lands
A program with a point of view — not just beautiful playing.
Bonis & Chaminade
Two French women composers — a Paris Conservatoire classmate of Debussy, and the first woman composer awarded the Légion d’honneur.
Enescu’s Rhapsody
The lyrical, less-often-heard sibling of Enescu’s famous First Rhapsody — reimagined for four hands at one piano, folk song distilled into twenty fingers.
Dobrogea folk suite
The finale is ours: traditional melodies from the Dobrogea region arranged by the duo — the most personal music of the evening.
Notes on the composers
Mel Bonis
A Paris Conservatoire classmate of Debussy who published as “Mel” to sidestep the era’s gender bias. Over 300 works of lyricism and harmonic daring.
Cécile Chaminade
The first woman composer awarded the French Legion of Honour. Her piano miniatures — elegant, melodic, irresistible — made her one of the most performed composers of her day.
Claude Debussy
Two sides of Debussy in the solo turns: the moonlit reverie of Clair de lune (Hugh) and the glittering, mercurial Masques (Madalina).
Moritz Moszkowski
Paris-based virtuoso and composer; his Spanish-inflected dances pair brilliance with charm — perfect four-hand fare.
George Enescu
Romania’s greatest musician — prodigy, composer, teacher of Menuhin. The Rhapsody No. 2 pours Romanian folk spirit through a symphonic frame.
Traditional
Folk melodies from the Dobrogea region, arranged for the duo by Mada & Hugh — the evening’s most personal music.
See it live
Performance films from this program.
Habanera, Op. 65 No. 3
Moritz Moszkowski
Suita din Dobrogea
Traditional Romanian folk · arr. Mada & Hugh
Valse Lente
Mel Bonis
Easy to present
No intermission — ideal for weeknight series and outreach settings.
Two solo turns included — one per player.
No special preparation or staging required beyond tuning and a duet or second artist bench.
Residency add-ons (masterclass, talk) available on request.
Bring Paris to Bucharest to your stage
Concert series, festivals, cultural programs, and special celebrations. Tell us about your dates and venue, and we’ll reply within two business days.
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