The Berliner Philharmoniker, which is considered to be one of the world’s top three classic music orchestras, has decided to return to Romania for the 2019 edition of the George Enescu Festival.

The orchestra had its first concert at the George Enescu Festival on September 3, 2015, and its members were impressed with the warm welcome they received on stage from the Romanian public.

“We are happy to be here, in Romania, at the Enescu festival. It’s a big privilege for us,” said Sir Simon Rattle, the Berliner Philharmoniker’s conductor before the concert.

The orchestra came to this year’s George Enescu festival after 15 years of negotiations. Some 11 tons of equipment were brought to Bucharest for this concert, making this the heaviest equipment in the festival’s history, according to the organizers.

The George Enescu Festival will change its artistic director after this year’s edition, as Ioan Holender, the man who has organized the festival’s most recent seven editions, announced he would retire.

Russian conductor Vladimir Jurowski may replace him as artistic director while famous Indian conductor Zubin Mehta will be the honorary chairman of the 2017 edition.

British conductor Lawrence Foster saluted the nominations saying that Zubin Mehta and Vladimir Jurowski bring back to life the memory of Yehudi Menuhin, who was also one of the festival’s honorary chairmen and made the event possible.

Zubin Mehta will be honorary chairman of the 2017 George Enescu Festival

Romania’s 2015 George Enescu Festival brings 22 days of classical music, thousands of artists

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo: George Enescu festival Facebook page)