The Romanian Association of Music Performers – (UCIMR – Uniunea de Creație Interpretativă a Muzicienilor din România) & ICON ARTS PARTNERSHIP IRELAND together with KING HOUSE INTERPRETATIVE GALLERIES AND MUSEUM in Boyle and The Courthouse in OUGHTERARD present the „ST. VALENTINE’S – FAMILY CONCERTS” for cello, viola and piano in Ireland.
Mădălina Pașol (piano), Ava Pașol (cello), Adrian Mantu (cello), Andreea Banciu (viola), Clara Mantu (cello) and Sophia Mantu (viola) will perform in:
KING HOUSE, BOYLE
📍 King House, Military Road, BOYLE, County Roscommon, F52 WR26.
📅 SUNDAY, 08.02.2026
🕓 4:00PM
💶 Adults €10 / Children & students €5.
✉️ kinghouse@roscommoncoco.ie
📞 Tel: 087 144 4739
🌐 visitkinghouse.ie
COURTHOUSE, OUGHTERARD
📍 The Courthouse, Fough West, OUGHTERARD, Co. Galway
📅 MONDAY, 09.02.2026
🕗 8.00PM
🆓 FREE ACCES – on site donations encouraged
✉️ oughterardcourthousebookings@gmail.com
📞 Tel: +353 (0)91 557589
MĂDĂLINA PAȘOL – PIANO
Mădălina Pașol is an accomplished pianist, renowned for her impeccable technique and distinctive, highly sensitive interpretations that have earned her international musical recognition. Born into a family with a strong musical tradition, she showed an early interest in music and received her first piano lessons from her grandfather. At just 9 years old, she made her debut performing Johann Sebastian Bach’s Piano Concerto in F minor with the Sinfonietta Chamber Orchestra, in an event held at the Romanian Athenaeum. This moment marked the beginning of an impressive career and laid the foundations for early recognition of her talent. Over the years, Mădălina Pașol studied at the “George Enescu” Music High School in Bucharest and later at the Berlin University of the Arts. Under the guidance of demanding teachers, she developed her musicianship and won numerous prizes in national and international piano competitions. Now at a stage of full professional maturity, her repertoire is wide-ranging and includes complex works by composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt, and many others. She has performed worldwide and has been invited to collaborate with renowned orchestras. Her concerts have been praised by audiences and critics alike, and her interpretations are celebrated for their virtuosity and expressiveness. Alongside her concert activity, Mădălina Pașol is also a teacher: through masterclasses and lessons, she inspires and influences a new generation of pianists.
AVA PAȘOL – CELLO
Ava Pașol (15) is a Year 10 student at Hermann Oberth High School and a young Romanian–German cellist from a family with a long-standing musical tradition. Her great-grandfather, Stanciu Pașol, was among Romania’s first double bass players. Her grandfather, Teodor Pașol, worked as a cellist with the National Radio Orchestra for almost 50 years, and her uncle, Cătălin Pașol, is a cellist in the same orchestra. Ava began studying the cello under her grandfather’s guidance and is currently coached by Prof. Mircea Marian. In addition to her musical activity, Ava Pașol is also a painter, having held her first exhibition at the age of 10.
ADRIAN MANTU – CELLO
Founding cellist of the ConTempo Quartet, Galway’s Ensemble in Residence since 2003, Adrian Mantu is one of Ireland’s most active and respected performers and artistic leaders. Born in Romania and based in Galway, cellist Adrian Mantu studied at the National University of Music Bucharest and the Royal Academy of Music, building an international career as a soloist and teacher. He has toured over 2,000 concerts worldwide, appearing on prestigious stages from Wigmore Hall to the Berliner Philharmonie. As an educator and cultural ambassador, he is dedicated to building bridges between communities through music, while his performances combine expressive depth with refined technical mastery.
ANDREEA BANCIU – VIOLA
Violist Andreea Banciu, trained in Bucharest, London and Madrid, is a founding member of the ConTempo Quartet, Galway’s Ensemble in Residence since 2003, and teaches viola and chamber music at TU Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. In 2025, ConTempo Quartet celebrated 30 years of artistic activity and hold a world record of 15 international prizes in the chamber music category. For their contribution to the Irish music scene, the ensemble’s members received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from University of Galway in 2016, and in 2022 they were honoured by the President of Romania with the Order of Cultural Merit.
SOPHIA MANTU – VIOLA
Sophia Mantu is an award-winning 14-year-old viola player from Galway, Ireland. She has started playing piano at the age of four and viola at five. Her teachers are Isabel Schneider (Vienna, Austria) and Simon Aspell (Cork, Ireland). She is a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, European Youth Orchestra Academy and has also played with Sonic Strings, Coole Music Youth Orchestra and Concorda Chamber Orchestra. She enjoys playing chamber music and has played in a string quartet & string trio for a couple of years. She has performed in Ireland, Austria, Sweden and Finland and participated in masterclasses with Isabel Schneider, Joachim Roewer, Martin Moriarty, Jane Atkins and Arnaud Ghillebaert. Sophia has been awarded prizes at Feis Ceoil (National Music Competition, Ireland), the London Young Musician and the Nouvelles Étoiles International Competition in Paris. Sophia and her family are the winners of the 2025 Realta agus Gaolta, Ireland’s Most Talented Family TV Show on TG4. In addition to her musical studies, she is passionate about drama and karate.
CLARA MANTU – CELLO
Clara Mantu is an award-winning 16-year-old cellist from Galway, attending school at Salerno Secondary School where she is a fifth-year student. Her teachers are Christopher Marwood, Eszter Cetinceviz and, her father, Adrian Mantu. She is a prize-winning cellist, having been awarded prizes at Feis Ceoil (Irish National Music Competition), the London Young Musician and the Nouvelles Étoiles International Competition in Paris. She was also the winner of the 2025 Realta agus Gaolta, Ireland’s Most Talented Family TV Show on TG4. In addition to her musical studies, she is passionate about drama, composing and is an avid swimmer. She also plays piano and guitar