Pianist | Piano Professor
Associate Professor, PhD, Habilitation (PhD supervisor) at West University of Timișoara
Born in Bucharest in 1973, Matei Rogoz graduated "Dinu Lipatti" Music High School in the class of Ligia Pop, and the National University of Music in Bucharest in the piano class of Sandu Sandrin, among his teachers being the renowned pianist, teacher and composer Nicolae Brânduș, the latter being his chamber music teacher. Starting from his student years, he attended several advanced courses. In Bucharest, he participated in master classes held by renowned pedagogues, such as Martin Hughes, Gérard Frémy and Françoise Thinat. In 2011, he obtained the title of Doctor of Music, with a research dedicated to the piano sonata from the 18th and 19th centuries, his doctoral studies being carried out under the auspices of the National University of Music in Bucharest, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Nicolae Brânduș.
Matei Rogoz has settled in France in 1997, where he enrolled for advanced studies at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris with Françoise Thinat and at the National Conservatory of Music in L'Haÿ-les-Roses with Jacques Bernier. In 1998, in Paris, he participated in the master classes of pianist François-René Duchâble, and in 2000, at the “Mozarteum” in Salzburg, he attended the master classes of pianist Boris Bloch.
He gave recitals in Bucharest, Timisoara, Sibiu, Vienna, Havana, New York, Washington D.C., London, Bratislava, Beijing, Baoding, Zhengzhou, Paris and other cities in France. As a soloist, he performed with the Arad and Iași Symphony Orchestras, as well as the National Radio Orchestra in Bucharest, while also collaborating closely with the Sibiu State Philharmonic.
In 2001 Matei Rogoz organized a "George Enescu" concert at the United States Foundation in Paris, participating as a soloist and accompanist, the concert being recorded and later partially broadcast by R.F.I (Radio France International), and in 2002, in collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Center in Paris, he organized two concerts dedicated to Enescu's creation in the "Golden Salon" of the Romanian Embassy in France. These two concerts were filmed and later broadcast by the TVR Cultural channel. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of George Enescu's death - 2005, he collaborates again with the Romanian Cultural Institute to organize a "George Enescu" concert in an extremely select setting and company, among those he co-opted to participate in this event were musicians with impressive careers and reputations such as Aurelian Octav Popa, Cristian Mandeal or Nicolae Licareț, the concert taking place at the Concert Hall of the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris). The collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute therefore offered Matei Rogoz the opportunity to take Romanian classical music to stages in cities such as Paris, London, New York, Vienna or Beijing, Baoding and Zhengzhou in the P.R. of China.
In the summer of 2001, he records several works in the "Mihail Jora" studio of the Romanian Broadcasting, these recordings currently being found in the institution's audio archives - Cardex.
Since 2018, Matei Rogoz has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Music and Theatre of the West University of Timișoara, currently holding the teaching rank of Associate Professor habil., and is also a member of the Doctoral School of Music and Theatre of the aforementioned university. The pianist actively participates in the chamber recitals of his students and doctoral candidates, echoes of these events being found both online and in the written press.
Violist, Romanian National Radio Orchestra - Bucharest
A professional instrumentalist with over 25 years of experience in the viola section of the National Radio Orchestra, Romania's flagship symphony orchestra, Marie-Jeanne Măi-Antal began her musical education as a violinist at the "Dinu Lipatti" Music High School in Bucharest, continuing at the "George Enescu" Music High School in Bucharest, where she switched to a second instrument, the viola. She perfected her violin playing with Wolfgang Marschner, Ștefan Gheorghiu and Petre Munteanu, and also took viola specialization courses with Rivka Golani, Felix Schwartz, Dan Mitu and Gerhard Hamman.
Marie-Jeanne Măi-Antal graduated from the Faculty of Musical Interpretation (violin) of the National University of Music in Bucharest, class of 2001, and subsequently pursued master's studies in the field of communication sciences both at the University of Bucharest - management of mass-media institutions at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences, and at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies - audio-video communication at the Faculty of Communication and Public Relations.
She played as violin and viola solo with orchestras in Bucharest and Galați, Romania, and had chamber music recitals in Romania, Austria (Vienna), Japan (Romanian Embassy, Tokyo, 2010), Belgium (Brussels) or China - in Shanghai, in the framework of the events organized by the Consulate General of Romania in Shanghai: ”Music and Friends” @ Parsons Music, 2023; ”Romanian National Day”, 2023; ”2023 CG Culture Night & Charity Gala Dinner”, Shanghai Consular Corps, 2023; respectively in Hangzhou at “The 7th International Chamber Music Festival” - Chamber Music Exchange Concert, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, 2024.
Marie-Jeanne has collaborated (both as a violinist, but especially as a violist) with orchestras from Romania – Radio Chamber Orchestra, “George Enescu” Philharmonic Bucharest, “Ermil Nichifor” Doctors Orchestra Bucharest, Germany – Philharmonie der Nationen Orchester (Justus Frantz), Belgium – Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, France – Orchestre National de Lille, Lebanon – Lubnan Baalbaki’s Orchestra or the People’s Republic of China – Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, working throughout his musical career in various chamber music formats – the “Metamorfoze” Chamber Ensemble of the Romanian Broadcasting Society, the String Quartet of the National Radio Orchestra, Pressburger Kammerphilharmonie (Bratislava Chamber Orchestra) or the Sempre Quartett string quartet from Bucharest, a chamber ensemble that included professional musicians from the National Radio Orchestra, of which she was a founding member and manager. She is currently coordinating the launch of the Bucharest Chamber Ensemble – a chamber format with a flexible formula and composition, designed as a platform for promoting Romanian classical music and Romanian musicians who approach the chamber repertoire.
Among the many recordings in which she continuously participates, given her professional activity in the orchestra of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Society, Marie-Jeanne Mai-Antal has also been part of the chamber ensembles that have recorded two CDs: with Metamorfoze Chamber Ensemble: Bijuterii Muzicale - CD produced (2003) by Romanian Broadcasting Society (Radio Romania), Casa Radio Publishing House, and with Bucharest AV, Sempre Quartett and guests: Szymanowski Re:Loaded, Bucharest AV live at Act Theatre in Bucharest, 09.10.2007; CD produced (2008) with support of the Polish Institute in Bucharest.
Loving to transmit her passion for music and share her vast accumulated knowledge and professional experience in the field of classical music, Marie-Jeanne has also manifested herself in the field of education in recent years, having collaborated in the field of training young musicians or music enthusiasts in the study of violin, viola or orchestral activity within the Saint Maur International School in Yokohama, Japan, together with Norika Music Studio in Shanghai, P.R. China, or on the occasion of the 24th edition of the String Music Summer Camp organized by professor Ding ZhiNuo in Shanghai, as well as in a private context with students from Genval, Belgium or Bucharest, Romania. In the music academic environment, she gave viola masterclasses at the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in Hangzhou, P.R. China, where she also represented the rector of the National University of Music in Bucharest at the 2023 China-CEEC Forum of Music Academy Deans and Rectors and the 2023 China-CEEC Music and Dance Festival.
Violist Marie-Jeanne Măi-Antal was a member of the international jury at the 6th edition (in 2010) and the 8th edition (in 2012) of the ‘Romania’ International Music Competition, Tokyo, Japan, as well as a member of the international jury of the ‘Romania’ Junior International Music Competition, Shanghai Regional Selections, Shanghai, P.R. China (in 2025). She was a guest speaker at the ”2024 Reading Conference Create+TALK”, Shanghai. Also, Marie-Jeanne is the author of the chapter Vraja sunetului [The Magic of Sound] included in the volume Studii de communicare [Communication studies] co-edited by Ion Stavre (coord.), Simona Wist and Marie-Jeanne Măi-Antal, C.N.I. Coresi Publishing House, Bucharest, 2009 (pp. 108-174) ISBN 978-973-570-357-8
Being interested in deepening the study of chamber music, starting with September 2026 Marie-Jeanne is a doctoral student in the field of Music at the Faculty of Music and Theatre at the West University of Timișoara, with Assoc. Prof. habil. Matei Rogoz as her coordinator. She plans to research and capitalize on the chamber repertoire dedicated to viola duos, aiming to re-evaluate and promote the viola as an instrument with a major role in the composition of the orchestra or chamber ensemble, as well as enrich the contemporary chamber repertoire.
7th International Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Exchange Concert, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music (ZJCM), Hangzhou, P.R. China, 09.09.2024
Szymanowski Re:Loaded, live la Teatrul Act in Bucharest, with Sempre Quartett and Bucharest AV, 09.10.2007
Sempre Quartett at ”Sibiu - European Capital of Culture 2007”, 10.06.2007
Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, 23.03.2024; conductor: Zhang Yi
Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, 03.11.2024; conductor: Gabriel Bebeșelea
Viola masterclass at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music (ZJCM), Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China, November 2023
Social media post (WeChat) related to academic activities at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music (ZJCM), Hangzhou, P.R. China, November 2023
Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, 23.03.2024; conductor: Zhang Yi
Romanian National Radio Orchestra, Bucharest 04.11.2025; conductor: Zhang Yi
With violist Dr. Liu Liyuan at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, Hangzhou 2024
With Maestro Zhang Yi and pianist James Wei Zijian at Sala Radio, Bucharest 2025
With Maestro Cristian Măcelaru at Romanian Atheneum, Bucharest 2026
Violist, Principal viola, Romanian National Radio Orchestra
Behind every memorable sound lie years of hard work, dedication, and a career built on Europe’s most important stages.
Born in Bucharest in 1978, Michael Carol Măi-Antal is a multifaceted musician possessing exceptional artistic qualities honed throughout his career. He began violin studies at the age of six under Carmen Runceanu; later, during his university years at the National University of Music Bucharest (UNMB), he trained under Maestro Ștefan Gheorghiu for both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. While at university, he attended masterclasses led by violinists Remus Azoiței, Vladimir Spivakov, Petru Munteanu, and Wolfgang Marschner. Accolades earned during his formative years include Second Prize at the National Music Olympiad and Third Prize at the Brașov International Competition—both won in 1996—as well as Second Prize at the "Sigismund Toduță" International Competition in 1998.
In 2001, he secured a position as a violinist with the National Radio Orchestra; from 2005 onwards, he is serving as principal viola of this prestigious Bucharest-based ensemble.
Michael Carol performed as principal viola with the Philharmonie der Nationen (Justus Franz) in Germany between 2008 and 2010 and with the Kammerphilharmonie Köln, and collaborated with the Palau de les Arts "Reina Sofia" in Valencia. He has been invited to perform as principal violist with orchestras such as the Orquesta de la Comunitat Valenciana, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Orchestre National de Lille, and Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, as well as the Romanian Symphony Orchestra and the Romanian Chamber Orchestra in Timișoara. He has also collaborated with the "Ermil Nichifor" Doctors' Orchestra in Bucharest.
He has performed at festivals such as the George Enescu International Festival, the Festival del Mediterraneo, the RadiRo International Radio Orchestras Festival, and the International Week of New Music (S.I.M.N.). He has played under the baton of renowned Romanian conductors—including Christian Badea, Cristian Mandeal, Cristian Măcelaru, Gabriel Bebeșelea, and Tiberiu Soare—as well as international figures such as Zubin Mehta, Plácido Domingo, Riccardo Chailly, Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Jurowski, Georges Prêtre, Sascha Goetzel, Nicola Luisotti, Leo Hussain, and Julien Salemkour.
Considered by experts to be among the finest Romanian violists currently active in the country, Michael Carol Măi-Antal has made numerous solo and chamber music appearances in Romania and across Europe, collaborating with prestigious ensembles. His chamber music experience includes the Musica Viva Chamber Ensemble and the viola quartet I quattro alti (where the musicians focused on adapting various musical genres for the viola); he is currently a member of the strings quintet Arte Quintet.
Recognized for his pedagogical skills, Michael Carol has been invited to teach at the Royal Institute of Music and Pedagogy (IMEP) in Namur, Belgium. Moreover, a future career training young Romanian violists—the future members of Romanian symphonic and chamber orchestras—is among the projects currently occupying his focus, alongside his career as an instrumentalist - section leader and soloist at Romania’s flagship orchestra.
Founder of I quattro alti viola quartet (2017)
With Sempre Quartett at Auditorium Concert Hall, National Museum of Art, Bucharest
Together with the chamber ensemble Arte Quintet
With conductor Cristian Oroșanu after the National Radio Orchestra's concert on 22.12.2023
With Romanian National Radio Orchestra in Besançon, France to comemorate the Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti on 22.09.2026
Violinist, Sibiu State Philharmonic
Paula Gherasim was born in Rădăuți in 1997 and began studying the violin at the age of six. She graduated from the “Octav Băncilă” Music High School in Iași, in the class of Ciprian Reuț, then continued her studies at the Faculty of Musical Interpretation of the National University of Music in Bucharest, in the class of Luminița Burcă. She followed her master’s studies at the Faculty of Music and Theatre in Timișoara, where she deepened her chamber and solo repertoire.
During her studies, she benefited from the guidance of renowned teachers, including Diana Moș and Matei Rogoz. Under their guidance, Paula Gherasim discovered a special affinity for chamber music, a field in which she gave numerous recitals, exploring a varied repertoire, from classicism to contemporary creation.
Paula Gherasim has participated in master classes with prestigious violinists such as Florin Ionescu-Galați and Sebastian Câșleanu, and the artistic experiences gained in Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Greece and Italy have contributed to the consolidation of a mature interpretative vision. She has been a laureate of numerous national and international competitions and has collaborated with chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras in major events, such as the “George Enescu” International Festival.
Her recent chamber and academic activity reflects an ambitious repertory approach and a special attention paid to the promotion of contemporary music. In November 2025, during the 6th edition of the Brave New Music Festival, the Thalia Hall of the Sibiu State Philharmonic, she approached a contemporary repertoire, performing works for solo violin. Also, during the Festival of Creation and Interpretation of the Doctoral Students of the Doctoral School of Music and Theatre in Timișoara, Paula Gherasim stood out for her approach to contemporary creation, also premiering a work.
The interpretative career of Paula Gherasim also covers the great masterpieces of the romantic repertoire. In the 2024–2025 season of the Sibiu State Philharmonic, she gave a recital dedicated to the Sonatas for Piano and Violin by Johannes Brahms, works that gave her the opportunity to explore the depth and expressive nobility of the romantic language. She was also a protagonist at the Chamber Music Festival of the West University of Timișoara, held at the Thalia Hall in Sibiu in May 2026. In the 21st edition of the Timișoara Chamber Music Festival, she performed a true interpretative marathon with two sonatas by Robert Schumann complemented by a sonata by Franz Schubert. The specialized chronicle highlighted ”her mastery, versatility and perfect stylistic sense, capable of making the natural transition from Schumannian pathos to Schubertian melancholy”, as mentioned in the newspaper Banatul Azi.
In addition to her concert activity, Paula participated as a soloist in the educational concerts of the Sibiu State Philharmonic, contributing to the promotion of classical music among young people. She has also performed as part of instrumental ensembles that approach music of diverse genres, including folk arrangements or hard rock/metal, such as Transylvanian FolkCore Orchestra, An Theos, Syn Ze Sase Tri, Raven's Heart and Dirty Shirt. In fact, Paula also participated in the recording of the recently released CD (18.09.2026) title Dirty Thirty Live | Dirty Shirt of the rock band Dirty Shirt, performing as a violinist with the Transylvanian FolkCore Orchestra.
Violinist Paula Gherasim is currently a doctoral student at the Doctoral School of Music and Theatre in Timișoara and a member of the first violin section of the Sibiu State Philharmonic Orchestra. Her activity reflects a permanent concern for stylistic rigor, authenticity and sincere emotional communication through music.
Violinist, Principal Second Violin, ”George Enescu” Philharmonic Bucharest
Born in Bucharest into a family of musicians, Mateus Măi-Antal began studying the violin at the age of six, under the guidance of his mother, the renowned violin teacher Veronica Măi-Antal. He completed his high school studies at the “George Enescu” Music High School in Bucharest, in the class of professor Mihaela Tomescu (2008), continued with his bachelor’s degree at the Hochschule für Musik Basel, in the class of professor Adelina Oprean (2012), and his master’s degree at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste – ZHdK, where he deepened his solo and chamber repertoire with professor Rudolf Koelman.
During his studies, he benefited from merit scholarships offered by the Lyra Stiftung, Rahn Kulturfonds, Hirschmann Stiftung and Nicati de Luze Stiftung foundations. He is a laureate of the national and international violin competitions “Paul Constantinescu”, “Cornelia Bronzetti”, the National Music Olympiad and the Orange “We are looking for Enescu”.
Mateus attended master classes held by Ștefan Gheorghiu, Alexandru Tomescu, Remus Azoiței, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Petr Holman – Zemlinsky Quartet, Reiner Schmidt – Hagen Quartet, Walter Levin – LaSalle Quartet and Isabel Charisius – Alban Berg Quartet, artists under whose guidance he developed his affinity for chamber music, from classicism to contemporary creation.
Throughout his career he has been a member of Zhdk Strings, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao and the Radio Chamber Orchestra of Bucharest, while also collaborating with ensembles such as Sinfonieorchester Basel, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Symphactory Orchestra – Bucharest or the Romanian Chamber Orchestra and the Romanian Symphony Orchestra from Timișoara. He is currently principal violin 2nd of the Bucharest based "George Enescu" Philharmonic Orchestra.
With ”George Enescu” Philharmonic Orchestra, violinist Alexandra Conunova as soloist on 13.03.2025 for Symphonie espagnole by Édouard Lalo, conductor Jérémie Rhorer
With ”George Enescu” Philharmonic Orchestra, cellist Kian Soltani as soloist on 21.03.2024 for Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, conductor Leonard Slatkin
With the violinists of the first violin section of Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao, 2016
Violist (undergraduate student), National University of Music Bucharest #UNMB
Starting her musical training as a student of ”George Enescu" National College of Music in Bucharest at the age of 6, Maria Damiana Mușat continued her musical studies (violin and viola) at "Dinu Lipatti" National College of Arts in Bucharest, which she graduated in 2024. She is currently a 3rd year student at the National University of Music in Bucharest #UNMB, Faculty of Musical Interpretation, Department of Orchestral Instruments, specializing in viola.
Encouraged to develop her own interpretive path, part of the UNMB strategy that puts the young musician at the forefront, Maria Damiana aims to perfect her artistic training both by performing instrumentally within the orchestras and ensembles of the Bucharest Conservatory #UNMB, and alongside the great Bucharest orchestras - having already collaborated with the National Radio Orchestra, with whom she also participated in tours abroad (France, 2026).
The interpretation of solo, chamber and orchestral repertoire constituting an essential pillar of her artistic training, Maria Damiana Mușat is currently tackling the deciphering of the chamber repertoire dedicated to two-viola ensembles (viola duo), within a project carried out under the coordination of violist Marie-Jeanne Măi Antal from the National Radio Orchestra, a doctoral student in the field of music at the West University of Timișoara, Faculty of Music and Theatre.
With actor Marius Manole from „I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre of Bucharest and violist Marie-Jeanne Măi-Antal, during the rehearsals with the National Radio Orchestra for the Peer Gynt production, conductor Daniel Jinga, performed on 19.08.2026 in Constanța at SEAS – Stagiunea Estivală a Artelor Spectacolului
Împreună cu violista Marie-Jeanne Măi-Antal, recital cameral #violaduo în cadrul evenimentului ”Dantela românească între lumini și umbre - finisajul expoziției <Partitura firului>”, organizat de LaBlouseRoumaine și Galeria Stancu la Muzeul Memorial Paul Constantinescu, Ploiești, 27.09.2026
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