Romania’s Enescu festival woos more music lovers despite budget cuts

BUCHAREST: Romania’s state-sponsored George Enescu Festival, one of Europe’s biggest classical music events, is seeing its audiences grow despite public spending cuts, as interest in eastern European music and contemporary works help to broaden its scope.

The 27th Enescu festival, named after Romania’s most famous composer and launched in 1958, ends on Sunday with a performance by the Dutch-based Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

World-renowned classical musicians such as pianist Martha Argerich, violonists Anne-Sophie Mutter and Renaud Capucon are among some 4,000 artists who have performed in this year’s festival.

“Listening to Martha Argerich stays with you for life, I never thought I would be able to see her play live,” said Carmen Firan, a Romanian writer based in New York who tries to time her visits to Bucharest to match the festival.

“The cultural atmosphere in Bucharest is vibrant.”

The London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Rome’s National Academy of Santa Cecilia Orchestra are among the orchestras that have taken part in the festival this month, under conductors including Klaus Makela, Daniel Harding and Vasily Petrenko.

Held every two years, the festival has managed to retain state backing, with the culture ministry providing more than 90% of its 75 million lei ($17 million) budget, even as Romania’s ruling coalition enforces public spending cuts and tax hikes to lower the largest budget deficit in the European Union.

“An investment in culture is not just an investment in a better society, it has a direct economic impact as well,” conductor Cristian Macelaru, Enescu’s artistic director and the music director of the French National Orchestra told Reuters.

“I’m happy to say that so far, we’ve been met with like-minded people that make the decisions for the festival.”

The festival is reaching for new audiences, showcasing 21st century composers and eastern European guests including the Ukraine Freedom Orchestra. It has staged performances at a museum of immersive new art and in Club Control, a leading alternative concert venue.

“I look at the number of people that come to concerts, and it’s actually on a huge trend up,” Macelaru said. “My dream is to offer at least one event for everyone, wherever they are in their path towards music.”