Artistic director of the George Enescu International Music Competition and Festival Cristian Macelaru said on August 30 in Timisoara that this publicly sponsored classical music event is the most beautiful in the world, surpassing similar events in Lucerne and Salzburg.

At the same time, maestro Macelaru underlined the importance of a wider audience getting access to classical music, including those with fewer material possibilities. 

“The George Enescu Festival is in first place, I’d say, because the other two are financed from private funds. At the Salzburg festival, in order to listen to the same orchestra in Vienna, for example, with the same conductor and with the same repertoire, a ticket costs EUR 500, while in Bucharest or Timisoara, the price is  EUR 20. That is why it is important for the government of a country to take care of giving access to classical music to absolutely everyone, not just to those who can afford to pay EUR 500 for a ticket,” Macelaru told a news conference. 

In another development, the artistic director of the George Enescu Festival said that the ongoing 27th  edition of the musical event also marks the 70th death anniversary of the composer who gave the name to the festival and also brings to Timisoara the most concerts outside Bucharest. 

“We thought about how to honour all his memory and the work that Enescu did and we considered that we could create, in the spirit in which Enescu created, first of all, then to do and fulfill the mission of the festival that began in 1958, that of presenting George Enescu’s music to the whole world. We have already become accustomed in previous editions to bring to Romania a lot of artists from abroad, to bring the best of classical music on the globe. To me it was very important to change the idea that the George Enescu Festival happens only in Bucharest. (…) That’s why we decided to bring these concerts to Timisoara as well. (…) The festival goes beyond Romania’s borders and carries out this cultural diplomacy mission in the Republic of Moldova. An extraordinary thing and I hope that concerts of this type will continue in the future. We will listen to George Enescu five times in Timisoara,” said Macelaru. 

Over 400 artists are to stop in Timisoara during the festival, August 29 – September 17, and the Banat Philharmonic Orchestra invites the music-loving public to a celebration of classical and contemporary music, including seven impressive concerts performed by internationally renowned artists and ensembles. 

The 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival is being held in Bucharest and across the country until 21 September under the banner theme “Celebrations,” marking 70 years since the death of the great composer.