Published 18 Jul 2025

The Romanian Athenaeum celebrates with a festival in Bucharest, an exhibition in Paris, and performances in Osaka

From Bucharest to Paris and Osaka, the Romanian Athenaeum celebrated its EHL recognition with open-air concerts, a major Paris exhibition, and performances at Expo 2025. The events showcased its cultural excellence, strengthened Franco-Romanian ties, and marked Romania’s return to the global stage after 25 years.
  
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The Romanian Athenaeum, awarded the European Heritage Label in 2024, shone across three continents this summer through a rich programme of cultural activity celebrating European values and artistic dialogue.

Athenaeum Summer Festival (14–25 June)

The 4th edition of the festival brought five public concerts to Bucharest, including two open-air, free-access performances on the Athenaeum Esplanade and three Grand Hall concerts featuring the George Enescu Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, renowned soloists, and guest ensembles. With a repertoire ranging from baroque to film music, the festival emphasised accessibility, stylistic diversity, and community engagement in a relaxed summer setting.

Outdoor Exhibition in Paris (17 June – 21 October)

Hosted on the garden walls of the Palais de Béhague, home to the Romanian Embassy in France, the exhibition “The Romanian Athenaeum, a European Story” celebrated both the EHL award and 145 years of Romanian-French diplomatic relations. Through photographs and architectural highlights, it explored the Athenaeum’s cultural and symbolic significance as a shared European heritage site and a product of Franco-Romanian collaboration.

Expo 2025 Osaka (24–27 June)

For the first time in 25 years, Romania returned to a World Expo, represented by the George Enescu Philharmonic. Two official concerts on Romania’s National Day (26 June) at the Expo National Day Hall, along with additional events at Toyonaka Hall and the Romanian Pavilion, showcased Romanian and European composers, with conductors Gabriel Bebeșelea and Ciprian Marinescu, and soloist Liviu Prunaru. The performances highlighted Romania’s cultural excellence and intercultural diplomacy, earning enthusiastic responses from international audiences.

From Bucharest to Paris to Osaka, the Romanian Athenaeum continues to affirm its place as a beacon of European heritage, creativity, and cultural connection.