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George Enescu International Festival Opens Single Ticket Sales and Announces Full Concert Schedule
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katy Salomon | Primo Artists | VP, Public Relations
katy@primoartists.com | 646.801.9406
George Enescu International Festival Opens Single Ticket Sales
World’s Largest Convening of Major Orchestras Holds 27th Edition
Concert Series Features More Than 20 International Orchestras,
Plus Distinguished Guest Artists, Featured Romanian Performers,
and George Enescu International Competition Laureates
Celebratory Program Marks 70 Years Since the Passing of George Enescu,
Festival’s Namesake and Romania’s Greatest Composer,
With Musical and Cultural Reflections on Composer’s International Legacy
Artistic Director Cristian Macelaru Curates Cross-Generational Program
Celebrating Both Traditional and Modern Influences
August 24 – September 21, 2025 | Bucharest, Romania
View the Detailed Program & Purchase Tickets
“a global artistic exchange” – The New York Times
Bucharest, Romania (February 19, 2025) – Single tickets are now on sale for the 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival – the world’s largest convening of major orchestras – to be held in Bucharest, Romania from August 24 to September 21, 2025. Individual tickets can be purchased here.
Under Artistic Director Cristian Macelaru, returning for the second Enescu Festival of his tenure, the concert schedule highlights multiple international premieres and landmark reinterpretations of key works spanning classical music’s finest repertoire. The program also features exhibitions, lectures, and a symposium dedicated to George Enescu. Some 4,000 artists from Romania and abroad are expected to attend, along with musicologists, composers, students, and classical music enthusiasts. Besides its main program based in Bucharest, the festival also incorporates concerts and celebrations in cities and towns across Romania. Highlights of the schedule can be found in the calendar section below, with complete schedule information on the Enescu Festival website.
The 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival – the world’s largest convening of major orchestras – will be held in Bucharest, Romania from August 24 to September 21, 2025. Named in honor of the great Romanian composer George Enescu, this milestone edition of the festival marks 70 years since the composer’s passing, which will be observed across the four-week event with reflections on Enescu’s artistic legacy and profound influence on international classical music.
More than 80 ensembles from 28 countries, including symphony orchestras, choirs, and chamber ensembles, will perform both in Bucharest and other cities across Romania, among them the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, WDR Symphony Orchestra of Cologne, Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, the National Orchestra, the Radio Chamber Orchestra and Academic Choir, the Orchestra and Choir of the National Opera of Bucharest, the Romanian Youth Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Eva Duda Dance Company of Hungary, Belcea and Lenkoro String Quartets, Il Giardino Armonico, Accademia Bizantina and The Academy of St Martin in the Fields. The National Chamber Orchestra of Chi?inau will also return to Bucharest, performing at the Romanian Athenaeum under the direction of Cristian Florea, as well as other seven Romanian Philharmonic Orchestras. Among the schedule’s notable performances, the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra will give two concerts conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson at Bucharest’s Grand Palace Hall.
Among the distinguished guest artists for this 27th edition of the festival are conductors Keri-Lynn Wilson, Ustina Dubitsky, Marta Gardolinska, Daniele Gatti, Sir Andras Schiff, Ivan Fischer, Klaus Mäkelä, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Daniel Harding, Paavo Järvi, Lahav Shani, Cristian Mandeal, Petr Popelka, Tarmo Peltokoski, Gabriel Bebe?elea, Giovanni Antonini, Vasily Petrenko, Manfred Honeck, Gianandrea Noseda and Cristian Macelaru; plus pianists Rudolf Buchbinder, Martha Argerich, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Kirill Gerstein, Alexandra Dariescu, Daniel Ciobanu, Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Alexandra Silocea, Leif Ove Andsnes, Alexandre Kantorow and Nelson Goerner; violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter, David Grimal, Nemanja Radulovic, Valentin ?erban, Alexandru Tomescu, Julian Rachlin, Alexandra Conunova, Augustin Hadelich, Mihaela Martin, Ioana Cristina Goicea and Christian Tetzlaff; cellists Kian Soltani, Marcel Johannes Kits, Sol Gabetta and Gautier Capuçon; sopranos Asmik Grigorian, Sonya Yoncheva, Kristine Opolais, Jennifer Holloway, Ailyn Pérez, Magdalena Kožená and Rachel Willis-Sørensen; mezzo-sopranos Judit Kutasi, Ruxandra Donose and Ramona Zaharia; tenors Benjamin Bernheim, Gerhard Siegel and Maximillian Schmit; and baritones Bogdan Baciu, Ionu? Pascu; basses Soloman Howard, Vazgen Gazaryan, Alastair Miles, Riccardo Novaro and Andreas Bauer Kanabas.
Besides being a world-class celebration of classical music and Romania’s greatest composer, the George Enescu International Festival is known as a leading forum for young musicians and a showcase of top Romanian talent. The program will shine a light on rising stars of the Romanian classical music scene, as well as laureates of the George Enescu International Competition – the other half of this quintessential Romanian cultural initiative – fostering opportunities for international collaboration. For this edition of the festival, the Romanian Youth Orchestra will perform a concert alongside the renowned Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra conducted by Manfred Honeck, as well as in an independent concert led by conductor Christian Reif. Winners of the 2024 Enescu Competition will perform with such ensembles as the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra with Renaud Capuçon, the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic conducted by Lahav Shani and Romanian Orchestras conducted by Alex Amsel, Omar El Jamali and Eu-Lee Nam – top performers in the conducting masterclass held as part of the 2024 Enescu Competition.
The George Enescu International Festival is held in alternating years with the George Enescu International Competition, together representing a key initiative of the Romanian Ministry of Culture and its ARTEXIM subsidiary, organizer of both events. As in previous years, this edition of the Festival has received the High Patronage of the President of Romania.
2025 George Enescu International Festival Concert Highlights
Sunday, August 24, 2025 at 8:00pm
Opening Concert: George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra and George Enescu Philharmonic Choir
Cristian Macelaru, conductor | Nemanja Radulovic, violin
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/opening-concert-of-the-george-enescu-international-festival-1747106927
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 8:00pm
Philharmonia Orchestra of London | Santtu-Matias Rouvali, conductor | Andrei Ioni?a, cello
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/philharmonia-orchestra-1775329128
Thursday, August 28, 2025 at 8:00pm
Philharmonia Orchestra of London | Santtu-Matias Rouvali, conductor | Alexandra Dariescu, piano
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/philharmonia-orchestra-1775391672
Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 1:00pm
Orquestra De La Comunitat Valenciana | James Gaffigan, conductor | Benjamin Bernheim, tenor
Radio Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: https://www.festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/orquestra-de-la-comunitat-valenciana-1775455677
Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 7:30pm
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia | Daniel Harding, conductor | Magdalena Kožená, soprano
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/orchestra-dellaccademia-nazionale-di-santa-cecilia-1775473121
Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 11:00am
Valentin Radu?iu, cello | Per Rundberg, piano
Auditorium Hall, National Museum of Art of Romania
Link: https://www.festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/valentin-radutiu-and-per-rundberg-1775485119
Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 1:00pm
Sinfonia Varsovia | Romanian Radio Academic Choir
Radio Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: https://www.festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/sinfonia-varsovia-1775493457
Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 4:30pm
Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne | Renaud Capuçon, leader, violin
Romanian Athenaeum | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/orchestre-de-chambre-de-lausanne-1775498653
Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 7:30pm
Orchestra dell’accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia | Daniel Harding, conductor | Martha Argerich, piano
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/orchestra-dellaccademia-nazionale-di-santa-cecilia-1775473121
Monday, September 1, 2025 at 8:00pm
Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne | Renaud Capuçon, leader, violin
Romanian Athenaeum | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/orchestre-de-chambre-de-lausanne-1775553371
Monday, September 1, 2025 at 8:00pm
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln | Cristian Macelaru, conductor
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/wdr-sinfonieorchester-koeln-1775574444
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 8:00pm
Tonhalle-orchester Zürich | Paavo Järvi Conductor | Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/tonhalle-orchester-zuerich-1775617131
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 8:00pm
Tonhalle-orchester Zürich | Paavo Järvi, conductor
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/tonhalle-orchester-zuerich-1775638386
Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 8:00pm
Czech Philharmonic | Petr Popelka, conductor
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/czech-philharmonic-1775662044
Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 5:00pm
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra | Lahav Shani, conductor | Valentin ?erban, violin
Romanian Athenaeum | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/rotterdam-philharmonic-orchestra-1775647231
Friday, September 5, 2025 at 4:30pm
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra | Lahav Shani, leader, piano
Romanian Athenaeum | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/rotterdam-philharmonic-orchestra-1775673153
Friday, September 5, 2025 at 4:30pm
Czech Philharmonic | Petr Popelka, conductor | Kian Soltani, cello
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/czech-philharmonic-1775688989
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 8:00pm
Staatskapelle Dresden | Daniele Gatti Conductor
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/staatskapelle-dresden-1776305868
Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 8:00pm
Staatskapelle Dresden | Daniele Gatti, conductor | Kirill Gerstein, piano
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/staatskapelle-dresden-1776338068
Friday, September 12, 2025 at 4:30pm
Academy Of St Martin In The Fields | Jan Lisiecki, leader, piano
Romanian Athenaeum | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/academy-of-st-martin-in-the-fields-1776363728
Friday, September 12, 2025 at 7:30pm
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Vasily Petrenko, conductor | Alexandre Kantorow, piano
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/royal-philharmonic-orchestra-1776385282
Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 1:00pm
Danish National Symphony Orchestra | Nicholas Collon, conductor | Lucas & Arthur Jussen, pianos
Radio Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: https://www.festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/danish-national-symphony-orchestra-1777396159
Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 7:30pm
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Vasily Petrenko, conductor | Bruce Liu, piano
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/royal-philharmonic-orchestra-1777412390
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Danish National Symphony Orchestra | Nicholas Collon, conductor | Alexandru Tomescu, violin
Radio Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: https://www.festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/danish-national-symphony-orchestra-1777454954
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 5:00pm
Mahler Chamber Orchestra | Gianandrea Noseda, conductor | Augustin Hadelich, violin
Romanian Athenaeum | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/mahler-chamber-orchestra-1777501352
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 5:00pm
Chamber Orchestra Of Europe | Sir András Schiff, leader, piano
Romanian Athenaeum | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/chamber-orchestra-of-europe-1777526736
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 8:00pm
Budapest Festival Orchestra | Eva Duda Dance Company, Hungary | Iván Fischer, conductor
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/budapest-festival-orchestra-1777552614
Thursday, September 18, 2025 at 8:00pm
Orchestre National de France | Cristian Macelaru, conductor | Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin | George Enescu Philharmonic Choir
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/orchestre-national-de-france-1777579739
Friday, September 19, 2025 at 7:30pm
Orchestre National de France | Cristian Macelaru, conductor | Rudolf Buchbinder, piano
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/orchestre-national-de-france-1777565625
Friday, September 19, 2025 at 4:30pm
Scottish Chamber Orchestra | Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor | Colin Currie, percussion
Romanian Athenaeum | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/scottish-chamber-orchestra-1777571501
Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 7:30pm
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra | Klaus Mäkelä, conductor
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/royal-concertgebouw-orchestra-1777621943
Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 7:30pm
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra | Klaus Mäkelä, conductor | Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Grand Palace Hall | Bucharest, Romania
Link: festivalenescu.ro/en/george-enescu-international-festival/concert-schedule/royal-concertgebouw-orchestra-1777814122
About the George Enescu International Festival
The George Enescu International Festival has been held in Bucharest, Romania since 1958, celebrating the memory, music and personality of George Enescu, the great Romanian composer, pianist, violinist and conductor. Held every two years, the festival draws leading orchestras and thousands of musicians for performances highlighting the great music of the classical repertoire including Enescu’s own works, offering an expansive concert series spanning opera, family concerts, and modern and contemporary music, with numerous world and Romanian premieres.Today the Festival is one of the world’s leading international classical music events.
Prior to current Artistic Director Cristian Macelaru, the Festival has been led by an illustrious string of previous artistic directors including Zubin Mehta, Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Lawrence Foster, Cristian Mandeal, Ioan Holender and Vladimir Jurowski. Artists associated with the Festival throughout its history include David Oistrakh, Radu Lupu, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Rostropovici, Mariss Jansons, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Semyon Bychkov, to name just a few.
The George Enescu International Festival, a cultural project financed by the Government of Romania through the Ministry of Culture, is held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania. Organized by ARTEXIM, each edition is supported by institutional partners and sponsors from the private, artistic, and academic communities.
Photo Credits: Palace Hall, Bucharest, Romania, by Andrei Gindac, Cristian Macelaru by Peter Adamik.
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