This interest took root in 1895, when, having just won a silver medal at the prestigious Vienna Conservatoire, Enescu chose Paris to pursue his musical training. He entered the Paris Conservatoire, where he rubbed shoulders with the future greats of French classical music: Maurice Ravel, Alfred Cortot, Paul Dukas, all classmates…

In the midst of this artistic effervescence, Enescu made his mark, particularly with his opera Œdipe (1936). This monumental score took him almost twenty years to complete. He died in Paris, his adopted home, and is buried today in the Père-Lachaise cemetery.

The Festival 2025 is a celebration of the French-language masterpieces that have marked the history of classical music. From 27 August to 21 September, lucky festival-goers will plunge into the world of Ravel, Poulenc, Bizet, Rameau and many others. True to its reputation for excellence, the George Enescu International Festival has invited the crème de la crème of international orchestras, with such great voices as Gaëlle Arquez, Benjamin Bernheim and Asmik Grigorian to perform the French repertoire (and others). Finally, two great operas will be performed: Ravel’s L’Heure Espagnole andEnescu ‘s famous Oedipus .

The 27th George Enescu International Festival is sure to cause a sensation, with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by the fiery Santtu-Matias Rouvali and the unmissable Martha Argerich with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. French artists take the lion’s share, with Renaud Capuçon, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Alexandre Kantorow, not forgetting ‘almost’ French conductors such as Cristian Măcelaru and Klaus Mäkelä, who conducts not the Orchestre de Paris but his other orchestra, the prestigious Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

The dates run until 21 September 2025. The ticket office is still open!

To get your tickets for the Bucharest festival, click here!

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Every self-respecting Frenchman is a master of the art of criticism. Parisians even have the reputation of being champions in this field, as it is well known that “J’aime rien, je suis parisien” (‘I don’t like anything, I’m Parisian’). The famous opening ceremony was therefore awaited with posed detachment before arousing enthusiasm and joy, the last note of music heard. Céline Dion brought an emotional close to an event where diversity and celebration seemed to be the watchwords.

It came as no surprise that Thomas Jolly, a well-known theatre and opera director, had not forgotten classical music, though his strong presence was a surprise. Throughout the parade, music lovers recognised the familiar tunes of Saint-Saëns, Ravel and Offenbach in a surprising and explosive mix of genres. Everyone will remember Gojira‘s hard rock accompaniment to a revolutionary Carmen sung by Swiss mezzo Marina Viotti. Jakub Józef Orliński, break dancer and superb countertenor, created a surprise by performing ‘Viens Hymen’, from Rameau’s Indes Galantes usually sung by a soprano.

The Orchestre National de France conducted by Cristian Măcelaru was also in the spotlight, as were the star dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet, Germain Louvet and Guillaume Diop, who performed an unforgettable solo over the rooftops of Paris. Alexandre Kantorow, a super-talented young pianist, played Maurice Ravel’s Jeux d’eau in the pouring rain, looking like nothing!

But the image that the whole world will remember forever is that of French mezzo Axelle Saint-Cirel draped in the blue-white-red flag, proudly posed at the very top of the Grand Palais. The 2023 winner of the Concours des Voix des Outre-mer performed Rouget de Lisle’s La Marseillaise in a gentle version arranged by Victor Le Masne (the evening’s music coordinator), in a moment of appeasement and universalism where the communion of peoples was also based on music. 

Discover all upcoming performances by these artists here

Axelle Saint Cirel © AFP

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Marie Jacquot © Werner Kmetitsch

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Two great artists have been invited to join them. First, Daniil Trifonov will perform Scriabin‘s Piano Concerto, and then Xavier de Maistre will perform Glière‘s Harp Concerto. The orchestra is scheduled to perform in Cologne, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Erlangen, Frankfurt and Vienna.

Find all the dates of Daniil Trifonov

© Daniil Trifonov’s Website

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He will step in on 1 September 2021 for a four years period, renewable. The 39-year-old Romanian conductor is the current music director of the WDR Sinfonieorchester. He has been dicovered internationally by replacing Pierre Boulez to lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and winning the prestigious Solti Conducting Award.

Photo : Cristian Macelaru © Sorin Popa

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