The 2021 edition of the George Enescu International Festival, the classical music event held every two years in Bucharest, has been shortlisted for this year’s International Opera Awards.

The Romanian event is nominated in the Festival category alongside Donizetti Festival (Bergamo, Italy), Garsington Opera (UK), Leipzig Opera’s Wagner 22 festival (Germany), Santa Fe Opera, and Savonlinna Opera Festival (Finland).

It was nominated for including innovative opera performances in its program.

At the 2021 edition, led by conductor Vladimir Jurowski as artistic director and Mihai Constantinescu as executive director, all opera works in concert in the festival’s program were performed for the first time in Romania. The opera Te Deum, composed by tenor, composer and conductor José Cura, had its world premiere in Romania and marked the 25th anniversary of the Enescu Festival.

The awards ceremony takes place on November 28 at the Teatro Real in Madrid.

Founded in 2012, the International Opera Awards celebrate excellence in opera around the world. The judging is carried out by a jury of industry professionals headed by Opera magazine editor John Allison.

The Romanian festival was also nominated in the same category of the International Opera Awards in 2020/2021.

(Photo: Andrei Gîndac, courtesy of Enescu Festival)

simona@romania-insider.com