The concert series at the Palace Hall will include, in this edition of the George Enescu International Festival, two concerts performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra of London , under the baton of the renowned Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali . Alongside the renowned British orchestra, two of the most active Romanian musicians on the international stage will perform: cellist Andrei Ioniță and pianist Alexandra Dariescu , while composers George Enescu and Dmitri Șostaković , celebrated during the 27th edition of the Enescu Festival, are included in the program of the two evenings.

The concerts will take place on Wednesday, August 27 and Thursday, August 28, 2025 , from 8:00 PM, in the Palace Hall, the first featuring Capriccio Italiano op. 45 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major for cello and orchestra op. 107 by Dmitri Shostakovich and The Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky (August 27, 2025), and the second featuring Fantasy for piano and orchestra by George Enescu and Symphony No. 7 in C major op. 60, Leningrad by Dmitri Shostakovich (August 28, 2025).

Considered one of the world's greatest orchestras, the Philharmonia Orchestra celebrates its 80th anniversary this year . Since 2021, Santtu-Matias Rouvali has been the orchestra 's principal conductor , a position held over time by legendary names such as Herbert von Karajan, Otto Klemperer, Riccardo Muti, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Christoph von Dohn ányi, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

The orchestra is renowned for both its traditional performances and its openness to innovative technology: its recordings include landmark LPs, over 150 film and video game soundtracks, and streaming performances, and a recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, which travels through interstellar space aboard the Voyager spacecraft. Through immersive installations and virtual reality (VR) experiences, the Philharmonia Orchestra uses technology to connect with an ever-widening audience beyond the concert hall , creating new artistic experiences that allow for exploration of music from within the orchestra.

Cellist Andrei Ioniță - whom the famous publication The Times described as "one of the most exciting cellists to emerge in the last decade" - will perform, 10 years after winning the Tchaikovsky Competition, the same concerto that propelled him to the competition's gold medal in 2015: Concerto No. 1 in E flat major for cello and orchestra, op. 107 by Dmitri Shostakovich.

A versatile musician, Andrei Ioniță is among the most acclaimed cellists of his generation , being recognized for both passionate performance and refined technique. His debut album, released on Orchid Classics, combined a world premiere of Brett Dean with Bach and Kodály, which attracted the attention of Gramophone , which considered him "a cellist of superb skill, musical imagination and commitment to the music of our time".

Andrei Ioniță made his US debut in 2017, with recitals in Chicago and Washington, DC, and in New York he performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall. He has also given recitals at the Konzerthaus Berlin, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Tonhalle Zürich , LAC Lugano and L'Auditori in Barcelona, as well as at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Schleswig-Holstein, Verbier, Martha Argerich and George Enescu International Festivals.

Previous season highlights include concerts with the Chicago Symphony, Gewandhaus, Detroit Symphony, Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchester Symphonique de Montr éal, BBC Philharmonic, Danish National Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony and Wales National Orchestra. He has worked with famous conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Cristian Măcelaru, Sylvain Cambreling, Kent Nagano, Omer Meir Wellber, John Storgårds, Joana Mallwitz and Ruth Reinhardt.

Andrei Ioniță plays a cello made by Filippo Fasser from Brescia, Italy, and about the concert he will give at the 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival, alongside the Philharmonia Orchestra, the artist stated:

"With great joy, I look forward to returning to the home audience, within the Enescu Festival, a main pillar of Romanian cultural life, with one of my most beloved works, Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich, with whom I have had special moments on stage over the years. I look forward to seeing you!" 

Pianist Alexandra Dariescu has an impressive concert record. She has performed with the world's greatest orchestras, starting with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, all the Royal Symphony Orchestras of Great Britain, all the BBC orchestras, and continuing with the Orchestre National de France, the Oslo Philharmonic, the Royal Stockholm Orchestra, the Vienna Tonkünstler Orchestra or the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The pianist has performed under the baton of great conductors, such as Adam Fischer, Cristian Măcelaru , Fabien Gabel, Jun Märkl, Vasily Petrenko, Ryan Bancroft, James Gaffigan, Jonathon Heyward, JoAnn Falletta or Michael Francis. Alexandra Dariescu is the first pianist from Romania to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, and throughout her career she has given recitals and concerts at Carnegie Hall, Musikverein, Vienna State Opera, Konzerthaus Vienna, BOZAR Brussels, Berlin State Opera, Hamburg Laeiszhalle, Sydney Opera, National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Shanghai Grand Opera, Musashino Hall in Tokyo, Dubai Opera, Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, or Barbican.

In 2017, Alexandra Dariescu conquered the world with the show "The Nutcracker and I" , a visionary production that fuses classical music, ballet and cutting-edge technology to create a unique and captivating experience for all ages. This project has enjoyed great international acclaim and attracted tens of thousands of young people to concert halls in Europe, Australia, China, the United Arab Emirates and the USA, fulfilling Alexandra's vision of making classical music more accessible to the general public. A magical fusion of music, dance and digital art, which premiered in Romania in December 2023, in Bucharest.

Alexandra Dariescu has released nine critically acclaimed albums, the most recent being recorded alongside the Philharmonia Orchestra in London , under the baton of conductor Tianyi Lu. The disc published by Signum Classics includes a unique combination: the Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 7 by Clara Schumann and the Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 16 by Edvard Grieg.

„It is a great honor to return to the stage of the George Enescu International Festival, a soulful event that has deeply marked my artistic journey. My heart is full of emotion and gratitude. To sing George Enescu's Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra , such a profound and captivating work, alongside the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Santtu-Matias Rouvali, in the year in which we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the great composer's passing, is a moment of special significance for me. I recently had the joy of recording my new album alongside the Philharmonia Orchestra, so our reunion on the stage of the Enescu Festival is all the more special. Enescu's music is a world in itself, a fascinating universe, full of color, refinement and light, and the fact that we will be able to share it with our dear audience at home, at this extraordinary festival, is a priceless gift.”
Alexandra Dariescu

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Tickets for the two concerts can be purchased both online, from the Eventim.ro platform, https://www.cts.eventim.ro/artist/festivalul-george-enescu , and in physical format, from the Carrefour hypermarket network and the Cărturești and Humanitas bookstore chains.

Tickets are divided into six categories: VIP – 280 lei, Category 1 – 250 lei, Category 2 – 200 lei, Category 3 – 150 lei, Category 4 – 120 lei, discounted tickets for pupils/students/pensioners – 90 lei.

The organizers reserve the right to modify the programs. Please visit the George Enescu International Festival website, http://www.festivalenescu.ro/ , to stay up to date with the latest information.

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About the George Enescu International Festival
The George Enescu International Festival is one of the largest classical music events in the world, organized since 1958. The 27th edition takes place between August 24 and September 21, 2025, marking the 70th anniversary of the death of the great Romanian composer and musician, George Enescu. This year's theme is "Anniversaries / Celebrations", and the program includes over 95 concerts performed by over 4,000 of the world's most renowned artists, which will bring to the fore both Enescu's artistic legacy and his profound impact on universal classical music.

The George Enescu International Festival is an event held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania.
Cultural project funded by the Romanian Government through the Ministry of Culture.
Organizer: ARTEXIM
Co-organizer: ArtProduction Foundation
Co-producers: Romanian Broadcasting Company, Romanian Television Company, Bucharest City Hall through ARCUB – Cultural Center of Bucharest
Main partners: Rompetrol – KMG International, BRD – Groupe Société Générale, JTI – Immersive Experience (innovation partner), Lexus (mobility partner)
Partners: Purcari, One United Properties, Mobexpert, Nazzuro Aqua, L'OR, Althaus, Liliana and Peter Ilica Foundation, Senia Music
Monitoring partner: mediaTRUST