ForestARIA is an international cultural project developed in partnership with UCIMR Association, bringing together institutions, composers and performers in a collaborative artistic environment.
We were honoured to contribute as partners to this initiative, which offered a valuable platform for creativity, professional exchange and artistic development.

Taking place between 7–24 November 2025, the international tour included five concerts in the United Kingdom, Romania and Ireland, performed by the renowned ConTempo Quartet, a Romanian–Irish ensemble with an international career spanning more than three decades.

Four composers — Rucsandra Popescu (Romania–Germany), Oana Vardianu (Romania), Sarah Marze (USA/England), and Crea Sullivan (Ireland) — were selected through an international call and offered four distinct perspectives on today’s musical world, from poetic introspection to vibrant and visionary soundscapes.

Each composer was also portrayed by visual artist Mihai Benea, creating a visual dialogue with nature in which light and texture become part of the artistic narrative, evoking a natural fusion between human presence and landscape.

“ForestARIA explores the balance between nature and creation, between feminine energy and the regenerative power of the forest, through an interdisciplinary dialogue between contemporary music and visual art.”
— Dr. Diana Gheorghiu, Curator

Organisation & Partners

Curator: Dr. Diana Gheorghiu
Organised by: UCIMR – The Romanian Association of Music Performers
Co-funded by: The Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN)

Partners:
ICon Arts Ireland; Embassy of Romania in Ireland; The Contemporary Music Centre Ireland; Music Connects; Romanian Cultural Institute in London; Asociația Mioritics (Romania); Brașov County Museum of History – Museum of Sports and Mountain Tourism; Olimpia; National Museum of Maps and Old Books (Romania).