Foyer of the Ion Dacian National Operetta and Musical Theatre

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 pianist proposes a monthly jazz concert, each featuring some of the most acclaimed Romanian and international jazz artists of the moment.

The concerts will take place in the theatre’s foyer, a new cultural hub—elegant, vibrant, and infused with an energy that encourages connection and socializing. Opereta Lounge is the newest space the institution brings into the cultural circuit of the capital.

Sorin Zlat

, pianist, clarinetist, and composer, holds more than 20 national and international awards and is considered one of the most representative jazz pianists of the new generation of Romanian artists. Among his most notable 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 more than 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 also dedicated himself to music education, organizing workshops for students and big bands at various jazz universities in the United States. Exploring new artistic directions, in 2023 he received a full scholarship at the Royal College of Music in London, in the Film Music Composition program, marking a new 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 protagonists of the October 17 concert in the Sorin Zlat Jazz Series, titled “Standards & Originals”, will be Irina Sârbu – voice, Sorin Zlat – piano, Ciprian Parghel – double bass, and Iulian Nicolau – drums.

Irina Sârbu

is one of the most well‑known and beloved jazz singers in Romania. A concert performed by her brings together jazz standards, ethno‑jazz, samba, bossa nova, tango, Romanian interwar music, French chansons, and even folk music. Depending on the repertoire she approaches, Irina Sârbu shapes her voice with a distinctive, instantly recognizable timbre, guiding her improvisational imagination in numerous directions—each spectacular in its own way.

Jazz remains the dominant thread, leaving its mark on every piece: from Route 66 to C’est si bon, from One Note Samba to Ciocârlia, from the broad, emotionally charged melodies of Romanian interwar creations such as Zaraza to classical instrumental repertoire—Bach, Albinoni, or Boccherini; from works by Grigoraș Dinicu to her own original compositions featured on her most recent author album, “At The End Of July”, released last year by A&A Records.

Through her talent, imagination, and dedication, Irina Sârbu captivates audiences and leaves a lasting impression. Her originality and unique approach to reinterpreting classic melodies have earned her widespread recognition. She has performed both in Romania and abroad—New York, Washington, Djerba, Paris, Athens, Madrid, Vienna, Venice, Brussels, Prague, Lisbon, Stockholm, Jerusalem, Milan—on club stages as well as at major national and international jazz festivals.

The four exceptional musicians join forces in the concert “Standards & Originals”, presenting a program of original compositions and jazz standards re‑orchestrated by Sorin Zlat. Together, they will create an explosion of music filled with positive energy, rhythm, melody, and improvisation.