Banat Philharmonic Orchestra of Timișoara was established by royal decree of King Michael I of Romania in 1947. However, our musical history has much older roots, dating back to 1871 with the establishment of the Timișoara Philharmonic Society. This was an initiative of enthusiastic music lovers, modeled after and with the support of prestigious European musical societies.

Among the prominent figures of classical music who have graced the institution are the violinist Pablo de Sarasate, Madrid (March 24, 1877), the composer Johannes Brahms, Vienna, and the violinist Joseph Joachim, Berlin (September 15, 1879), and Béla Bartók, Vienna (February 16, 1906).

In 1920, the Friends of Music Association was founded, driven by the municipality’s desire to establish a city symphony orchestra. From 1921 to 1943, George Enescu performed in the city on the Bega River 12 times. The Banat Philharmonic’s first participation in the Enescu Festival took place in 1958, with Timișoara becoming an extension of the festival starting in 1964.

For the 2023 artistic program, the year in which Timișoara was the European Capital of Culture, the Banat Philharmonic Orchestra of Timișoara received the MUSICRIT award for the Best Symphonic Season in the country. Annually, the institution organizes five festivals with artistic programs that cover repertoire from early music to contemporary music, bringing conductors and artists of great international renown to the public.

In 2025, the representative events organized by the Timișoara Philharmonic include the symphonic concert Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók, conducted by maestro Gabriel Bebeșelea, the vocal-symphonic concert The Damnation of Faust by Hector Berlioz, led by maestro Sascha Goetzel, the extraordinary vocal-symphonic concert closing the 2024-2025 Season in which the Remus Georgescu Symphony Orchestra and the Ion Românu Choir will perform Symphony No. 3 by George Enescu, under the baton of conductor Gabriel Bebeșelea, and many others.