Enescu Festival gets under way

Bucharest is the capital of classical music for a month.

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Bogdan Matei, 30.08.2021, 14:00

On Saturday, one day before the
International Theatre Festival, the biggest celebration dedicated to the performing arts in Romania, came to an end in Sibiu, the George Enescu Classical Music
Festival got under way in Bucharest. This is the festival’s 25th
edition and also marks 140years since the birth of the great
Romanian composer.

The Russian conductor Vladimir
Jurowski is again the artistic director of the festival, and he said this
anniversary edition brings together the most important musicians in the world today
and promotes the idea of united European cultures. 3,500 different Romanian and
foreign artists are taking part in the festival. 32 orchestras from 14
different countries are giving performances for a month, until 26th
September. Apart from Bucharest, concerts are also being held in Sibiu,
Timisoara, Iasi, Constanta and other big cities around the country.

The executive director of the George
Enescu Festival, Mihai Constantinescu, said the festival is hosting some of the
world’s biggest orchestras, including six from the UK, two from Germany, two
from France, two from the Netherlands and two from Italy, as well as one from
Greece and Croatia, the latter two of which are playing for the first time in
Romania. He added that apart from outstanding international names, the line-up
also features many Romanian musicians and the best orchestras from around the
country.

Prime minister Florin Citu said the
arts and culture are coming back to life in Romania. We are proud to be able
to host the George Enescu International Festival again this year and I’m glad
that cultural events are being held all over the country, he posted on his
Facebook page. He congratulated the organisers of the festival for the
solutions they found to bring the festival not only to the spectators present
in the concert halls, but also to those watching online. Culture minister
Bogdan Gheorghiu said the 25th edition of the George Enescu
International Festival brings us one step closer to a reality we had been used
to and of which we have been deprived, the reality of performances and concerts
taking place in front of a full house, and the reality of regaining trust in
being together in order to celebrate quality. Recent events have made us
appreciate everything around us even more, enjoy every sound and feel the
Romanian longing for the traditions and customs that define our national identity.

Like every year, Radio Romania, with
its orchestras and technical staff, is, alongside the Romanian Television, a
co-producer of the George Enescu International Festival. (CM)