World's top Orchestras, Conductors and Chamber Ensembles
will perform in Bucharest - Romania,
August 27 - September 24, 2023
The 27th biennial George Enescu Classical Music Festival and Competition,
scheduled for August 27 - September 24, 2023,
will pay special tribute to Romania's best known composer/musician, George Enescu.
Some of the world's most famous orchestras, chamber ensembles will offer performances
and juried competitions will be held for piano, violin and voice.
2023 George Enescu Festival Schedule of Performances:
August 27
George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra
Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor Op. 104
Enescu Romanian Rhapsody in D major Op. 11 No. 2
Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite Op. 59
conductor: Cristian Macelaru
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
August 28
WDR SINFONIEORCHESTER KÖLN
JÖRG WIDMANN conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR OF THE MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO
ZUBIN MEHTA conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
August 29
WDR SINFONIEORCHESTER KÖLN
CRISTIAN MĂCELARU conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR OF THE MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO
ZUBIN MEHTA conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
August 30
CZECH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
MANFRED HONECK conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
August 31
MANFRED HONECK conductor
IOSIF ION PRUNNER conductor of the choir
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Sir SIMON RATTLE conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 1
ENSEMBLE INTERCONTEMPORAIN
MATTHIAS PINTSCHER conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DU CAPITOLE DE TOULOUSE
CHRISTIAN BADEA conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 2
TRANSYLVANIA STATE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF CLUJ-NAPOCA
JONATHON HEYWARD conductor
Venue: Romanian National Radio Concert Hall
DOGMA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
MIKHAIL GUREWITSCH conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DU CAPITOLE DE TOULOUSE
JOSEP PONS conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 3
ROMANIAN RADIO NATIONAL ORCHESTRA
FRANCESCO LECCE-CHONG conductor
Venue: Romanian National Radio Concert Hall
CAMERISTI DELLA SCALA
WILSON HERMANTO conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ROMANIAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA
STEFAN ASBURY conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 4
CAMERISTI DELLA SCALA
WILSON HERMANTO conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
TONHALLE-ORCHESTER ZÜRICH
PAAVO JÄRVI conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 5
GEWANDHAUSORCHESTER
HERBERT BLOMSTEDT conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
TONHALLE-ORCHESTER ZÜRICH
PAAVO JÄRVI conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 6
GEWANDHAUSORCHESTER
HERBERT BLOMSTEDT conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
LAHAV SHANI conductor
GIL SHAHAM violin
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 7
EAST-WEST CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
ROSTISLAV KRIMER conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
LAHAV SHANI conductor
ALEXANDRE KANTOROW piano
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 8
FRANZ LISZT CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
PIERRE-LAURENT AIMARD piano
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
GOTHENBURG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
GUSTAVO GIMENO conductor
ALENA BAEVA violin
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 9
BANATUL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - TIMIŞOARA
MARTIJN DENDIEVEL conductor
ARCADIA QUARTET
Venue: Romanian National Radio Concert Hall
Recital KIRILL GERSTEIN piano
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
GOTHENBURG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
SANTTU-MATIAS ROUVALI conductor
LEIF OVE ANDSNES piano
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
AVI AVITAL, his BETWEEN WORLDS ENSEMBLE and the RUSTAVI CHOIR
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
...
September 10
BUCHAREST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
DELYANA LAZAROVA conductor
VLAD STĂNCULEASA violin
Venue: Romanian National Radio Concert Hall
WÜRTH PHILHARMONIKER
CLAUDIO VANDELLI conductor
AIDA GARIFULLINA soprano
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
WIENER PHILHARMONIKER
JAKUB HRŮŠA conductor
IGOR LEVIT piano
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
EUROPA GALANTE
FABIO BIONDI violin, conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
...
September 11
CLUJ-NAPOCA HUNGARIAN OPERA
LAWRENCE FOSTER conductor
Venue: Romanian National Radio Concert Hall
WÜRTH PHILHARMONIKER
KENT NAGANO conductor
TILL FELLNER piano
ROMANIAN RADIO ACADEMIC CHOIR
CIPRIAN ȚUȚU conductor of the choir
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
WIENER PHILHARMONIKER
JAKUB HRŮŠA conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 12
CAMERATA BERN
PATRICIA KOPATCHINSKAJA soloist and conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR
HANNU LINTU conductor
IOSIF ION PRUNNER conductor of the choir
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 13
CAMERATA BERN
PATRICIA KOPATCHINSKAJA soloist and conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
BAYERISCHES STAATSORCHESTER
VLADIMIR JUROWSKI conductor
YEFIM BRONFMAN piano
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 14
ZÜRCHER KAMMERORCHESTER
DANIEL HOPE violin, conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
BAYERISCHES STAATSORCHESTER
VLADIMIR JUROWSKI conductor
VILDE FRANG violin
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 15
COLLEGIUM VOCALE GENT
PHILIPPE HERREWEGHE conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ORCHESTRA DELL’ ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE DI SANTA CECILIA
TUGAN SOKHIEV conductor
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
JEWISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA MUNICH
DANIEL GROSSMANN conductor
CHEN REISS soprano
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
...
September 16
STATE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF SIBIU
RODERICK COX conductor
IOANA CRISTINA GOICEA violin
Venue: Romanian National Radio Concert Hall
BERLIN ACADEMY OF AMERICAN MUSIC
GARRETT KEAST conductor
MIHAELA MARTIN violin
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ORCHESTRA DELL’ ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE DI SANTA CECILIA
TUGAN SOKHIEV conductor
BERTRAND CHAMAYOU piano
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
Recital KATE LINDSEY mezzo-soprano
BAPTISTE TROTIGNON piano and musical arrangements
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
...
September 17
MOLDOVA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - IAŞI
CHRISTIAN REIF conductor
FLORIAN MITREA piano
Venue: Romanian National Radio Concert Hall
GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
ARNAUD ARBET conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ROMANIAN RADIO NATIONAL ORCHESTRA
TAN DUN conductor
XAVIER DE MAISTRE harp
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
Recital CAMERON CARPENTER organ
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
...
September 18
MANCHESTER CAMERATA
GÁBOR TAKÁCS-NAGY conductor
JEAN-EFFLAM BAVOUZET piano
ALEXANDRA DARIESCU piano
JESS GILLAM saxophone
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
HUNGARIAN NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
CHARLES DUTOIT conductor
MARTHA ARGERICH piano
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 19
CAMERATA SALZBURG
JANINE JANSEN violin
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
HUNGARIAN NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
CRISTIAN MANDEAL conductor
SHEKU KANNEH-MASON cello
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 20
LE BALCON
ORCHESTRA OF THE ROMANIAN NATIONAL OPERA
MAXIME PASCAL conductor
CHOIR OF THE ROMANIAN NATIONAL OPERA
DANIEL JINGA conductor of the choir
CHOIR OF THE GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC
IOSIF ION PRUNNER conductor of the choir
ROMANIAN RADIO ACADEMIC CHOIR
CIPRIAN ȚUȚU conductor of the choir
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 21
IL GIARDINO ARMONICO
NFM CHOIR
GIOVANNI ANTONINI conductor
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DE FRANCE
CRISTIAN MĂCELARU conductor
AUGUSTIN HADELICH violin
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
...
September 22
LES DISSONANCES
DAVID GRIMAL artistic director and soloist
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DE FRANCE
ROMANIAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA
CHOIR OF THE GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC
CRISTIAN MĂCELARU conductor
IOSIF ION PRUNNER conductor of the choir
KIRILL GERSTEIN piano
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
Recital XAVIER DE MAISTRE harp
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
...
September 23
MIHAIL JORA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA - BACĂU
ALAN BURIBAYEV conductor
ȘTEFAN CAZACU cello
Venue: Romanian National Radio Concert Hall
ORCHESTRA MOZART
DANIELE GATTI conductor
ANNA TIFU violin
RĂZVAN POPOVICI viola
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA
KLAUS MÄKELÄ conductor
YUJA WANG piano
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
Recital JOSÉ CURA soloist and conductor
ROMANIAN RADIO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
...
September 24
M
GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
ALEXANDRE BLOCH conductor
ALEXANDRA SILOCEA piano
Venue: Romanian National Radio Concert Hall
LES ARTS FLORISSANTS
WILLIAM CHRISTIE and PAUL AGNEW artistic directors
MOURAD MERZOUKI stage director
Venue: Romanian Athenaeum
ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA
ROMANIAN RADIO ACADEMIC CHOIR
KLAUS MÄKELÄ conductor
CIPRIAN ȚUȚU conductor of the choir
Venue: Grand Concert Hall - Sala Palatului
The complete George Enescu Festival 2023 schedule of performances
is available at FestivalEnescu.ro
"George Enescu was one of the most prodigiously gifted musicians of the twentieth century,"; according to noted biographer Paul Banks, "a great violinist and composer, a distinguished conductor, an accomplished pianist, able cellist and a famous violin teacher who numbered Christian Ferras, Arthur Grumiaux and Yehudi Menuhin among his pupils. His musical memory was phenomenal, a fact that contributed to the loss of some of his own works which he composed but never wrote down."
George Enescu's Bucharest residence (Cantacuzino Palace) is now a museum and home to Romania's Association of Music Composers. Designed in 1899 by architect I.D. Berindei, the Cantacuzino Palace is a fine example of Art Nouveau architecture. It now includes three exhibit halls, two concert rooms and spectacular ballroom.
Among the items displayed is George Enescu's first violin, presented to him at age four.
| 2023 George Enescu Classical Music Festival - fast facts: | |
| Dates / Duration: | August 27 — September 24, 2023 |
| # of Classical Music Concerts: | 105 (40 philharmonic orchestras representing 16 countries). |
| Opera Performances: | five Oedip (George Enescu), Otello (Verdi), The Fairy-Queen (Purcell), Saint François d’Assise (Messiaen), Le Grand Macabre (Ligeti), Pelleas şi Melisande (Debussy). |
| Program of Performances: | FestivalEnescu.ro |
| Bucharest Host Venues: | ~ The Romanian Athenaeum ~ Grand Concert Hall "Sala Mare a Palatului" ~ Romania's National Art Museum Auditorium ~ Romanian National Radio Concert Hall |
| Individual ticket prices: | $14.50 (70 Lei) to $ 48.00 (230 Lei) |
| Festival Pass: | $438 (2,100 lei) to $1,100 (4,900 lei) |
| More info and tickets: | FestivalEnescu.ro |
