The 27th installment of the „George Enescu” International Festival is slated to occur in Bucharest from August 24 to September 21, 2025, commemorating 70 years since the great composer George Enescu’s demise, showcasing his artistic heritage and significant influence on global classical music.
George Enescu Festival Schedule. Which Performances Will Be Held at Sala Palatului and Ateneul Român
The festival’s artistic director, maestro Cristian Măcelaru, offers an exceptional schedule that blends tradition and modernity, designed to engage both traditional audiences and younger viewers eager to explore the charm of classical music. The 2025 edition features over 95 concerts divided into seven series, presenting an impressive variety for music enthusiasts.
Concert ticket prices begin at 250 lei and can reach up to 280 lei. Students and retirees benefit from ticket reductions, only paying 120 lei.
Sunday, August 24 – GEORGE ENESCU INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL INAUGURAL CONCERT
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
– GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC CHOIR
– CRISTIAN MĂCELARU conductor
– NEMANJA RADULOVIĆ violin
– MARIUS BODOCHI actor
– IOSEF ION PRUNNER choir director
– NONA CIOBANU, PETER KOŠIR multimedia directors
– Dan Dediu Concert for Orchestra op. 182 (world premiere)
– Aram Khachaturian Violin Concerto in D minor
– George Enescu Romanian Poem op. 1
Monday, August 25 – RADIO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– DAVID GRIMAL musical leadership, violin
– ROMAN LOPATYNSKYI piano (2024 George Enescu International Competition winner)
– Valentin Silvestrov Silent Music
– George Enescu Pastorale, Tragic Menuet and Nocturne (arranged for chamber orchestra by Dan Dediu)
– Maurice Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin
– Felix Mendelssohn Violin, Piano and String Orchestra Concerto in D minor MWV O4
Monday, August 25 – UKRAINIAN FREEDOM ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– KERI-LYNN WILSON conductor
– ALEXANDRA CONUNOVA violin
– RACHEL WILLIS-SØRENSEN soprano
– Maxim Kolomiiets Suite from the opera Mothers of Kherson
– Max Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor op. 26
– Richard Wagner Tannhäuser Overture
– Richard Wagner Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
Tuesday, August 26 – NATIONAL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– CRISTIAN FLOREA conductor
– ILIAN GÂRNEȚ violin
– George Enescu Prélude à l’unisson from Suite No. 1 op. 9
– Benjamin Britten Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge op. 10
– Giuseppe Tartini/Fritz Kreisler Devil’s Trill
– Georges Bizet/Franz Waxman Carmen Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra
– Constantin Rusnac Sărbătoreasca
Tuesday, August 26 – UKRAINIAN FREEDOM ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– KERI-LYNN WILSON conductor
– RACHEL WILLIS-SØRENSEN soprano
– Victoria Polevá Bucha. Lacrimosa
– Richard Strauss Four Last Songs
– Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G major op. 88
Wednesday, August 27 – PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– SANTTU-MATIAS ROUVALI conductor
– ANDREI IONIȚĂ cello
– Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien op. 45
– Dmitri Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major op. 107
– Igor Stravinsky The Firebird Suite
Wednesday, August 27 – BELCEA QUARTET AND LEONKORO QUARTET
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– Felix Mendelssohn Four Pieces for String Quartet op. 81 (Nos. 3 and 4)
– Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 16 in F major op. 135
– George Enescu Octet in C Major for Strings op. 7
Thursday, August 28 – PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– SANTTU-MATIAS ROUVALI conductor
– ALEXANDRA DARIESCU piano
– George Enescu Fantasy for piano and orchestra
– Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 in C major op. 60, Leningrad
Thursday, August 28 – LATVIAN RADIO CHOIR
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– SIGVARDS KĻAVA conductor
– Knut Nystedt Immortal Bach op. 153
– Žibuoklė Martinaitytė Aletheia
– Arvo Pärt Nunc Dimittis
– Livia Teodorescu-Ciocănea Oratio Sanctae Brigittae
– Anders Hillborg Muo:aa:yiy:oum
– Ēriks Ešenvalds Stars
– Mārtiņš Viļums Le Temps scintilla
– Pēteris Vasks The Fruit of Silence
– Ēriks Ešenvalds A Drop in the Ocean
– Pēteris Vasks The Tomtit’s Message
Friday, August 29 – TRANSILVANIA STATE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR, CLUJ-NAPOCA
– **Time**: 4:30 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– TRANSILVANIA STATE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
– CHOIR OF THE TRANSILVANIA STATE PHILHARMONY, CLUJ-NAPOCA
– CRISTIAN MANDEAL conductor
– CORNEL GROZA choir director
– LUCY CROWE soprano
– JESS DANDY mezzo-soprano
– BENJAMIN HULETT tenor
– ALASTAIR MILES bass
– Ludwig van Beethoven Missa solemnis in D major op. 123
Saturday, August 30 – ORCHESTRA OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SANTA CECILIA
– **Time**: 7:30 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– LONDON VOICES
– DANIEL HARDING conductor
– MAGDALENA KOŽENÁ mezzo-soprano
– Luciano Berio Sinfonia
– Luciano Berio Folk Songs
– Claude Debussy La mer L. 109
Saturday, August 30 – LES AMBASSADEURS~LA GRANDE ÉCURIE
– **Time**: 4:30 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– NAMUR CHAMBER CHOIR
– EMMANUEL RESCHE-CASERTA conductor
– Jean-Philippe Rameau Dardanus (1744 version)
– EMMANUELLE DE NEGRI Iphise, l’Amour (soprano)
– MARIE PERBOST Vénus, Phrygian Woman (soprano)
– BENOÎT-JOSEPH MEIER Dardanus (tenor)
– THOMAS DOLIÉ Anténor (baritone)
– STEPHAN MACLEOD Teucer, Isménor (bass)
Sunday, August 31 – ORCHESTRA OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SANTA CECILIA
– **Time**: 7:30 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– DANIEL HARDING conductor
– SEONG-JIN CHO piano
– George Enescu Pastorale-fantaisie
– Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major op. 15
– Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D major op. 73
Sunday, August 31 – LAUSANNE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 4:30 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– RENAUD CAPUÇON musical leadership, violin
– Robert Schumann Violin Concerto in D minor WoO 23
– Johannes Brahms Serenade No. 2 in A major op. 16
Monday, September 1 – WDR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA COLOGNE
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– CRISTIAN MĂCELARU conductor
– NONA CIOBANU, PETER KOŠIR multimedia directors
– Richard Strauss Salome op. 54
– JENNIFER HOLLOWAY Salomé (soprano)
– IAIN PATERSON John the Baptist (baritone)
– TANJA ARIANE BAUMGARTNER Herodias (mezzo-soprano)
– GERHARD SIEGEL Herod (tenor)
– OLEKSIY PALCHYKOV Narraboth (tenor)
– BIANCA ANDREW Page to Herodias (contralto)
– THOMAS EBENSTEIN Jew 1 (tenor)
– MICHAEL SMALLWOOD Jew 2 (tenor)
– CHRISTOPHE PONCET DE SOLAGES Jew 3 (tenor)
– PETER KIRK Jew 4 (tenor)
– DAVID OŠTREK Jew 5 (bass)
– ARTYOM WASNETSOV Soldier 1 (bass)
– ARTUR JANDA Soldier 2 (bass)
– WILLIAM SOCOLOF A Cappadocian, Second Nazarene (bass-baritone)
– LIAM JAMES KARAI First Nazarene (bass)
Monday, September 1 – LAUSANNE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– RENAUD CAPUÇON musical leadership, violin
– HYEONJEONG LEE violin (Laureate of the 2024 George Enescu Competition)
– Johann Sebastian Bach Double Violin Concerto in D minor BWV 1043
– George Enescu Aria and Scherzino for Violin and Orchestra
– Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 4 in B flat major op. 60
Tuesday, September 2 – TONHALLE ORCHESTRA ZURICH
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– PAAVO JÄRVI conductor
– ALISA WEILERSTEIN cello
– George Enescu Prélude for Oedipus
– Dmitri Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 2 in G minor op. 126
– Sergey Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2 in E minor op. 27
Tuesday, September 2 – LES SIÈCLES
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– FRANCK OLLU conductor
– SARAH ARISTIDOU soprano
– Pierre Boulez Improvisations I & II on Poems by Stéphane Mallarmé
– Maurice Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte M. 19
– Claude Debussy Three Poems by Stéphane Mallarmé (orchestrated by Heinz Holliger)
– George Enescu Suite No. 1 in C major for orchestra op. 9
Wednesday, September 3 – TONHALLE ORCHESTRA ZURICH
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC CHOIR
– PAAVO JÄRVI conductor
– IOSEF ION PRUNNER choir conductor
– ELSA BENOIT soprano
– ANNA LUCIA RICHTER mezzo-soprano
– Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 2 „Resurrection” for Orchestra, Soprano, Alto and Mixed Choir in C minor
Wednesday, September 3 – LES SIÈCLES
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– USTINA DUBITSKY conductor
– ISABELLE FAUST violin
– Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major op. 61
– Hector Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique op. 14
Thursday, September 4 – CZECH PHILHARMONIC
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– PETR POPELKA conductor
– George Enescu Symphony No. 4 in E minor (completed posthumously by Pascal Bentoiu)
– Sergey Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances op. 45
Thursday, September 4 – ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– LAHAV SHANI conductor
– VALENTIN ȘERBAN violin
– Johan Wagenaar Overture for Orchestra op. 23, „Cyrano de Bergerac”
– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major
– Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor op. 95, „From the New World”
Friday, September 5 – ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 4:30 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– LAHAV SHANI musical leadership, piano
– George Enescu Intermezzi for Strings op. 12
– Dmitri Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major op. 102
– Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major op. 55, „Eroica”
Friday, September 5 – CZECH PHILHARMONIC
– **Time**: 7:30 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– PETR POPELKA conductor
– KIAN SOLTANI cello
– Antonín Dvořák Cello Concerto in B minor op. 104
– Symphony No. 6 in D major op. 60
Saturday, September 6 – BASEL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 4:30 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– PIERRE BLEUSE conductor
– SOL GABETTA cello
– George Enescu Chamber Symphony for 12 instruments op. 33
– Édouard Lalo Cello Concerto in D minor
– Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major op. 92
Saturday, September 6 – GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER
– **Time**: 7:30 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– GUSTAV MAHLER YOUTH ORCHESTRA
– ROMANIAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA
– MANFRED HONECK conductor
– RENAUD CAPUÇON violin
– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Don Giovanni Overture K. 527
– Erich Wolfgang Korngold Violin Concerto in D major op. 35
– Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 in E minor op. 64
Sunday, September 7 – GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 4:30 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– ARNAUD ARBET conductor
– György Kurtág Samuel Beckett: Endgame, Scenes and Monologues, One-Act Opera
– FRODE OLSEN Hamm (bass)
– LEIGH MELROSE Clov (baritone)
– HILARY SUMMERS Nell (contralto)
– LEONARDO CORTELLAZZI Nagg (tenor)
Sunday, September 7 – GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER
– **Time**: 7:30 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– GUSTAV MAHLER YOUTH ORCHESTRA
– MANFRED HONECK conductor
– YO KITAMURA cello (2024 George Enescu Competition winner)
– George Enescu Symphonie concertante in B minor for cello and orchestra op. 8
– Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 9 in D minor WAB 109
Monday, September 8 – FRANKFURT RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– ALAIN ALTINOGLU conductor
– JULIAN RACHLIN violin
– Jean Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor op. 47
– Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 8 in C minor op. 65
Monday, September 8 – MOLDOVA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, IAȘI
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– JIŘÍ ROŽEŇ conductor
– RĂZVAN POPOVICI viola
– George Enescu Concert Piece for Viola and Piano (orchestrated by Mihail Secichin)
– Stan Golestan Arioso and Concert Allegro (orchestrated by Flaviu Mogoșan)
– George Enescu Symphony No. 2 in A major op. 17
Tuesday, September 9 – FRANKFURT RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– ALAIN ALTINOGLU conductor
– GAUTIER CAPUÇON cello
– George Enescu Suite No. 2 in C major for orchestra op. 20
– Edward Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor op. 85
– Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor op. 95, „From the New World”
Tuesday, September 9 – ANTWERP SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– EMMANUEL TJEKNAVORIAN conductor
– SIMONE LAMSMA violin
– Johannes Brahms Violin Concerto in D major op. 77
– Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor op. 98
Wednesday, September 10 – ANTWERP SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
– **Time**: 5:00 PM
– **Where**: Ateneul Român
– **Artists Details**:
– GABRIEL BEBEȘELEA conductor
– DANIEL CIOBANU piano
– August de Boeck Dahomeyan Rhapsody
– Isaac Albéniz Rapsodia Española op. 70 (arranged for piano and orchestra by George Enescu)
– George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
– Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2
– Leonard Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Wednesday, September 10 – SÄCHSISCHE STAATSKAPELLE DRESDEN
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– DANIELE GATTI conductor
– Tōru Takemitsu Requiem for Strings
– Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
Thursday, September 11 – SÄCHSISCHE STAATSKAPELLE DRESDEN
– **Time**: 8:00 PM
– **Where**: Sala Palatului
– **Artists Details**:
– DANIELE GATTI conductor
– KIRILL GERSTEIN piano
– George Enescu Concert Overture on Popular Romanian Themes op. 32
– Robert Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor op. 54
– Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 6 in F major op. 68, „Pastoral”
