The George Enescu International Festival in Bucharest is one of the largest classical music festivals in Romania, and for years it has attracted the most distinguished ensembles, soloists, and conductors from around the world. This year’s edition, taking place from 24 August to 21 September 2025, will feature Sinfonia Varsovia and its distinguished soloists presenting to Romanian audiences a repertoire that combines Polish classics with contemporary interpretations and masterful performances. The concerts are part of the Poland–Romania Cultural Season 2024–2025.

Polish Musicians at the George Enescu International Festival

The George Enescu International Festival is one of the most important classical music events in the world, organised since 1958. This year’s 27th edition, taking place from 24 August to 21 September 2025, will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the death of the festival’s patron, the outstanding composer and musician George Enescu. The theme of the edition is “Anniversaries / Celebrations”, and the programme includes nearly 100 concerts performed by more than 4,000 renowned artists.

The first concert featuring Sinfonia Varsovia will be held on 29 August 2025 at the prestigious Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. The evening’s programme will present Zbigniew Preisner’s exceptional work Requiem for My Friend, composed after the death of Krzysztof Kieślowski. This moving composition, combining spirituality with a deeply personal expression of grief and remembrance, is both musically and emotionally powerful. Sinfonia Varsovia will be joined by the Preludiu – Voicu Enăchescu Chamber Choir, with the performance led by international soloists under the direction of Romanian conductors Constantin Grigore and Andrei Stănculescu.

Polish Masterpieces and International Interpretations in Bucharest and Sibiu

Two days later, on 31 August 2025, at the Romanian Radio Concert Hall, Sinfonia Varsovia will perform under the baton of Marta Gardolińska, one of the most respected Polish conductors of the younger generation. The orchestra will be joined by the Romanian Radio Academic Choir, conducted by Ciprian Țuțu. The soloist of the evening will be the distinguished pianist Rafał Blechacz, winner of First Prize at the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. The programme highlights the richness of Polish musical culture. The audience will hear Grażyna Bacewicz’s Overture for Symphony Orchestra – an energetic, spirited piece composed during World War II – as well as Fryderyk Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor. The second part of the evening will feature Wojciech Kilar’s Krzesany and George Enescu’s symbolic Vox Maris, performed as a tribute to the festival’s patron.

Sinfonia Varsovia’s artistic journey through Romania will conclude on 2 September 2025 at the Thalia Concert Hall in Sibiu. The concert programme will draw on that of Bucharest: the audience will hear Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor and Bacewicz’s Overture, together with Felix Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony No. 3 – a work filled with atmosphere, landscape evocations, and romantic spirit. Through these performances, the artists demonstrate that Poland is a country with a rich cultural heritage, fully engaged in the European artistic dialogue.

Culture Connects Nations – Poland–Romania Cultural Season

Sinfonia Varsovia’s performances at the George Enescu Festival are part of the Poland–Romania Cultural Season 2024–2025 – a joint initiative of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Romanian Ministry of Culture, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Warsaw, and the Polish Institute in Bucharest. This season, held under the slogan “We Share a Common Language”, aims to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries through concerts, exhibitions, performances, and creative encounters.

Sinfonia Varsovia Concert Programme in Romania:

Friday, 29 August 2025, 10:30 pm, Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest

• Performers: Alexandru Costea – countertenor; Sinfonia Varsovia; Preludiu – Voicu Enăchescu Chamber Choir; Constantin Grigore – conductor; Andrei Stănculescu – choir conductor; 
• Programme: Zbigniew Preisner, Requiem for My Friend.

Sunday, 31 August 2025, 1:00 pm, Romanian Radio Concert Hall, Bucharest

• Performers: Rafał Blechacz – piano; Sinfonia Varsovia; Romanian Radio Academic Choir; Marta Gardolińska – conductor; Ciprian Țuțu – choir conductor;
•  Programme: Grażyna Bacewicz, Overture (1943); Fryderyk Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11; Wojciech Kilar, Krzesany; George Enescu, Vox Maris, Op. 31.

Tuesday, 2 September 2025, 7:00 pm, Thalia Hall, Sibiu

• Performers: Rafał Blechacz – piano; Sinfonia Varsovia; Marta Gardolińska – conductor; 
• Programme: Grażyna Bacewicz, Overture (1943); Fryderyk Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11; Felix Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56.

Tickets are available at festivalenescu.ro.