Special Guest: Luiza Zan – Voice
Sorin Zlat – Piano
Adrian Flautistu – Double Bass
Iulian Nicolau – Drums

The renowned jazz artist Sorin Zlat invites you to a new jazz season at the Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theatre in Bucharest.

The concerts will take place in the theatre’s foyer, a new cultural hub—elegant, vibrant, and designed to inspire connection. Opereta Lounge is the newest space the institution brings into the cultural circuit of the capital.

The special guest of the concert on November 29 is vocalist and composer Luiza Zan, who will be accompanied by Sorin Zlat – piano, Adrian Flautistu – double bass, and Iulian Nicolau – drums.

“Luiza Zan, rightly regarded today as the No. 1 voice of Romanian jazz, has undoubtedly distinguished herself through her prominent, beautifully‑timbred voice, remarkable range, and exceptional flexibility — qualities elevated by her interpretative mastery and universally acclaimed improvisational creativity.” — Florian Lungu

Born on October 7, 1980, in Tulcea and raised in Neamț, she studied lied‑oratorio at the Conservatory in Iași. She became widely known with the funk band Slang, with whom she won First Prize at the international Golden Stag Festival in Brașov. She went on to build a highly successful national career as a Jazz and Gospel artist, based in Sfântu Gheorghe, and she is also a professor at the University of Arts in Târgu Mureș.
It is safe to say that by the age of 40, reached in 2020, Luiza Zan knew her country and her audience intimately. But how well does the public know Luiza Zan beyond the emotionally powerful vocal performances that make her one of the warmest and most elegant presences on our stages?

There is much to discover about this exceptional artist — about the way she has absorbed diverse musical genres into a personal kaleidoscope from which memorable interpretations, lyrics, and compositions have emerged, including works for theatre and film.
You are invited to discover her on the stage of the Operetta Theatre, in the concert titled “A Night with Monk”, a tribute to the legendary pianist and composer Thelonious Monk.

Sorin Zlat, pianist, clarinetist, and composer, holds more than 20 national and international awards and is regarded as one of the most representative jazz pianists of the new generation of Romanian artists. Among his most remarkable achievements are the Grand Prize at the EuropaFest Jazz Competition (2011), the awards for Best Band and Best Soloist at the Getxo Jazz Competition in Spain (2011), and the Best Band Award at the Johnny Răducanu International Jazz Competition (2013).
In 2013, at the Monaco International Jazz Competition, he won both the Grand Prize and the Audience Award.
One of the highest points of his career came in 2015, when he represented Romania at the Jacksonville International Jazz Competition in Florida. Out of more than 500 international applicants, only five finalists were selected, and Sorin Zlat won the Grand Prize — becoming the first non‑American pianist to receive this distinction in the competition’s 30‑year history.
His talent continued to be recognized: he was named Musician of the Year at the Bucharest Jazz Gala for two consecutive years (2014 and 2015), and in 2017 he received the Jazz Award from the Union of Romanian Composers and Musicologists. In 2019, he was honored with the title of Honorary Citizen of Bacău, and in 2020 he was distinguished by Yamaha with the title of “Yamaha Artist.”
Beyond his concert career, Sorin Zlat has dedicated himself to music education, organizing workshops for students and big bands at various jazz universities in the United States. Expanding his artistic horizons, in 2023 he received a full scholarship at the Royal College of Music in London, in the Film Music Composition program, marking a new and significant chapter in his career.

He has collaborated with renowned jazz artists such as Howard Levy, Ashley Pezzotti, Rick Margitza, Gianluca Renzi, Gianni Gagliardi, Woody Witt, and Dennis Marks, and has worked with leading Romanian musicians including Cătălin Milea, Alex Man, Luiza Zan, Nadia Trohin, Irina Sârbu, George Dumitriu, Iulian Nicolau, Răzvan Cojanu, Adrian Flautistu, Laurențiu Ștefan, Michael Acker, the Radio Big Band, and many others.
In 2017, he was invited as a headliner to perform with his trio at the opening of jazz pianist Chick Corea’s concert at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival in the United States. He has appeared on prestigious stages worldwide, including Blue Note, Birdland, and Smalls in New York; Vortex, Pizza Express, and Ronnie Scott’s in London; Nardis Jazz Club in Istanbul; Jazz Café in Montreux; B-flat in Berlin; and has participated in major international festivals.

With an extensive concert activity both in Romania and abroad, Sorin Zlat aims to create this jazz concert series at a standard worthy of any capital city in the world.

“I want these concerts to bring added value to the capital by promoting jazz artists and jazz music. As a representative of Romanian jazz, I feel responsible for promoting and cultivating this genre. I want to bring dedicated jazz artists into the spotlight, artists who can reach the hearts of the audience and offer them the most captivating moods and experiences through jazz music.”

The four exceptional musicians join forces in the concert “A Night with Monk”, presenting a program of jazz standards re‑orchestrated in their own distinctive style. Together, they will create an explosion of music filled with positive energy, rhythm, melody, and improvisation.