București

Municipiul Bucureşti

Bucharest

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Romania

”Enescu’s legacy continues to inspire our Romanian cultural heritage. We build on the principles and values of a complete artist, dedicated to the promotion of music, enriching the society that fosters its creation and allowing the transformative powers of its essence to elevate our spirit.

On the basis of these principles and rooted in this understanding I am determined to continue building upon the monumental achievements of the Enescu Festival and the Enescu Competition. ”  – Cristian Măcelaru, Artistic Director of the Enescu Festival and Competition

”Festival Enescu is one of the first festivals in the world today” –

Zubin Mehta, Honorary President of the Enescu Festival and Competition

Once every two years, thousands of musicians, the best orchestras and artists in the world enchant the public with their performances at the George Enescu International Festival. A complete cycle of the compositions of Romanian composer George Enescu, opera, Family Concerts, modern and contemporary music, world and Romanian premieres, alongside the best selection of Classic, Romantic and Baroque music reveal a truly unique event made with love, generosity and excellence.

The George Enescu International Festival has been held in Bucharest, Romania since 1958 to honour and celebrate the memory, the music and the personality of Romanian composer, pianist, violinist and conductor George Enescu – considered “the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart”.

 It began in the years when the communist regime was new. It reached its first peak in the years when Romania was a semi-detached member of the Soviet bloc and so was more open to Western artists than most Eastern European countries. Only the Yugoslav festivals were able to present the finest musicians from both blocs in the same way.

And it became what it is today: one of the top international classical music events wordlwide organized by Romania.

Among the Festival’s Artistc Directors and Honorary Presidents, great names of the classical music scene where involved during it’s fascinating history – such as Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Lawrence Foster, Cristian Mandeal, Ioan Holender and Vladimir Jurowski, to name just a few.

“The Enescu Festival is in the top of the schedule along with Lucerne, Edinburgh and the Proms. But it was not always like that. It took me eighteen years to persuade the Berlin Philharmonic to come. “

Mihai Constantinescu, Executive Director of the Enescu Festival between 1992 – 2021

Festival Enescu / Past performances

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