Published 24 Oct 2025

The Romanian Athenaeum at the heart of Europe’s music scene

The Romanian Athenaeum hosted a record number of concerts as part of the George Enescu International Festival, one of Europe’s most prestigious classical music events. Featuring world-renowned orchestras, conductors, and soloists, the Athenaeum reaffirmed its position as a cultural landmark and symbol of artistic excellence. Alongside these performances, it launched a new concert season, a public lecture series, and a major musicology publication, strengthening its role in Romania’s cultural and educational life.
  
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The Athenaeum at the heart of Europe’s music scene

Between 24 August and 21 September 2025, the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest — an EHL Site and one of Europe’s most iconic concert halls — stood at the centre of the George Enescu International Festival, hosting the highest number of performances in the event’s history.

As a key partner of the Festival, the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir performed in six major concerts — four at Sala Palatului, one at the Romanian Athenaeum, and one in Festival Square — under the baton of celebrated conductors Cristian Măcelaru, Paavo Järvi, Christian Reif, Arnaud Arbet, and Tiberiu Soare.

These performances, several of which were broadcast across the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) network, further strengthened the Athenaeum’s role as a beacon of Romanian and European musical culture.

A Showcase of international excellence

The Athenaeum’s stage hosted an exceptional lineup of world-renowned artists and ensembles, including:

  • National Radio Orchestra conducted by Francesco Ivan Ciampa with soprano Sonya Yoncheva;
  • Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Arcadia Quartet, and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir;
  • Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Gianandrea Noseda and violinist Augustin Hadelich;
  • Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Sir András Schiff;
  • Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra led by Charles Dutoit, featuring the legendary Martha Argerich.

Other highlights included performances by Il Giardino Armonico, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Basel Chamber Orchestra, and Les Siècles, among many others. The Festival Square concert, free to the public, embodied the event’s commitment to accessibility and community engagement, bringing classical music to thousands of visitors in an open-air celebration.

New season and educational initiatives

During this period, the Romanian Athenaeum inaugurated its new concert season, conducted by Kent Nagano, one of today’s most distinguished maestros. Complementing the season’s artistic achievements, the Athenaeum launched a new educational programme — a series of public conferences dedicated to the popularisation of classical music. The opening lecture, led by Kent Nagano himself, was offered free of charge, emphasising the institution’s mission to make culture accessible to all.

Celebrating Romania’s musical heritage

On 15 October 2025, the Athenaeum hosted the launch of the four-volume collection “The Bucharest Philharmonic in the Spotlight of Music Criticism”, written by Academician Octavian Lazăr Cosma and published by Editura Muzicală.

This monumental work — the result of decades of research — documents the evolution of professional musical life in Romania between 1866 and 1945, offering a rich historical perspective. The launch featured Marin Cazacu, Viniciu Moroianu, Mihai Cosma, and Mihai Cojocaru, with a recorded address from the author himself. The initiative was coordinated by the Serafim Andropov Foundation in partnership with the George Enescu Philharmonic.