The month of December is the time for orchestras and opera theaters to showcase their festive programs, while the public in Bucharest can also visit the Gaudeamus book fair and enjoy some recently-opened exhibitions. We outline below some of the holiday-themed events coming up next month in the capital and in the country.

Concerts

The Radio Hall (Sala Radio) in Bucharest has scheduled several concerts to mark the festive occasions of the month of December. On December 1, the National Radio Orchestra will deliver a concert for Romania’s National Day. Conducted by Cristian Mandeal and accompanied by cellist Cornelius Zirbo and organist Eduard Antal, the orchestra will perform a program including works by E. Elgar and C. Saint-Saëns. The Children’s Radio Choir is scheduled to deliver a Christmas concert on December 10, and the Radio Folk Music Orchestra one of traditional carols on December 11. Another carol concert will come from the Academic Radio Choir on December 15. More on the program at Sala Radio here.

At the Athenaeum in Bucharest, the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra will hold a concert on November 30 to mark Romania’s National Day. The orchestra, conducted by Gabriel Bebeșelea, will perform alongside soloists Rafael Butaru (violin), Mădălina Fara (cello), Doris Iorga (oboe), Laurențiu Darie (bassoon), Dan Avramovici (clarinet), Alexandru Avramovici (clarinet), Laurențiu Sima (tuba), and Ion Bogdan Ștefănescu (flute) a program that includes works by George Enescu, Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn, and more. On December 4, the public can enjoy a concert by the George Enescu Philharmonic Choir, with Christmas pieces and carols. The choir, conducted by Iosif Ion Prunner, will perform alongside pianist Andrei Licareţ. More on the program here. Another Christmas choral music concert is scheduled on December 18, when the Symbol-Jean Lupu Choir will perform a program of local and international carols. More here.

The St Iosif Cathedral in Bucharest will host once again a Christmas Concert delivered by the Royal Choir. The event, scheduled for December 13, continues a tradition started in 2012, which sees the landmark cathedral welcome the public for an evening meant to celebrate the spirit of the winter holidays. The choir will be conducted by Răzvan Rădos, and Ciprian Mardare, Silviu Alexandru Mihăilă, Ileana Sima, and Ștefan Ailenei feature as guests. Entrance is free of charge.

The State Philharmonic of Sibiu has scheduled for December 21 and 22 two Christmas concerts that will see soprano Antonia Beteag and tenor Andrei Manea perform a selection of season works and carols. The program is available here.

The State Philharmonic of Oradea is celebrating the country’s National Day with a December 1 concert featuring a program of Romanian composers - Pascal Bentoiu, Paul Constantinescu, and Marțian Negrea. For Christmas, it scheduled two concerts for December 22 and December 23, with the Oradea State Philharmonic Choir, the children’s choir of the Iuliu Maniu Greek-Catholic High School, soprano Ancuța Măslină-Pop and tenor Robert Bede. The program is available here.

In Timișoara, the Choir of Banatul Philharmonic will hold on December 22 a concert of carols, while on December 30, a New Year’s Eve concert that will see the Banatul Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir perform a festive program of works from composers c. M. Von Weber, J. Strauss, E. Waldteufel, B. Smetana, A. Hopkins, F. Lehar, C. Orff, and G. Verdi, among others. Soprano Narcisa Brumar and tenor Cristian Bălășescu are the guests of the event.

Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, a quintessential winter season performance, is scheduled in the December program of opera houses across the country. At the National Opera of Bucharest (ONB) and the Romanian National Opera of Cluj all December representations of The Nutcracker are listed as already sold out. Still, the Bucharest Opera for Children also runs several performances beginning November 26 through December 11. The program is listed here. The National Opera of Iași has a performance scheduled for December 10

The National Opera of Iaşi has also scheduled for December 1 a recital dedicated to Romania’s National Day, and on December 21, 22, and 23, five gala events titled The Magic of Christmas. The Iaşi Opera’s musicians, soloists, and children’s choir will all be involved in delivering the program.

Also for Christmas, the Madrigal - Marin Constantin Chamber Choir has announced the national tour On the road to Christmas. It will take place between December 4 and December 19 in seven cities throughout Romania, kicking off the celebrations for the Madrigal Choir’s 60th anniversary. More details here.

The Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, led by John Axelrod, returns to Sala Palatului on December 30 to deliver the tenth edition of its New Year concert. The event will present the Classical Rock concept in a program combining classical works but also pop and rock music. Singer Florin Ristei, a winner and juror of the show X Factor Romania, will also perform at the event, billed as a mix of tradition and modernity for a festive evening and a unique musical journey. More details here.

Theater

In Sibiu, the Radu Stanca National Theater presents throughout December a new version of The Dreamweaver – A Christmas Story. It is the 14th year that the theater presents the show, directed by Florin Coșuleț, in a new version “centered in caroling, youth, and meeting.” The production, which saw sold-out performances throughout the years, will have a first run on December 6 and others on December 13, 15, 20, 21, and 22. It will also tour to Sebeș, Alba county, on December 14, Cristian, Brașov county, on December 17, and Făgăraș on December 18.

Exhibitions

Outside the regular offering of Bucharest’s museum and Art Safari, which runs until December 11, several exhibitions opened recently. Works by six contemporary Cuban painters are on display at the Cervantes Institute in Bucharest. Following the Cuban Culture Days in Bucharest event, the exhibition gathers works by de Eduardo Abela Torras, Juan Leo Brower, Yari Delgado, Sándor González Vilar, Oscar Javier Jacas and Yasbel Pérez-Domínguez. It is open until December 22. More details on the visiting hours and the included artists here.

At art gallery Gaep in Bucharest, The Domino Effect 3 (opening on November 25) brings together six artists represented by Gaep and six artists they invited. The Domino Effect 3 adds to the gallery’s previous exhibitions that have set up a chain reaction between artists, encouraging dialogue and collaborative exchange. In 2020, for The Domino Effect, each artist represented by the gallery selected a work by the following artist in an alphabetical order. Last year, the alphabetical order was replaced with a random succession of names generated by an online tool, while this year the exhibition allows six artists, who have never shown their work at Gaep, to join the artist represented by the gallery in this group exhibition. The artists included in The Domino Effect 3 are Răzvan Anton, Mihai Șovăială; Vlatka Horvat, Kristina Horvat Blažinović; Sebastian Moldovan, Alina Manolache; Damir Očko, Marko Tadić; Mihai Plătică, Răzvan Botiș; Ignacio Uriarte, Diogo Pimentão. The exhibition is open until January 28.

Fairs

Besides the Christmas fairs, some of which we list here, one of Bucharest’s two main book fairs, Gaudeamus runs its 29th edition between December 7 and December 11 at Romexpo’s Pavilion B2. The event is a good opportunity to check out the latest releases, both Romanian titles and translations, meet favorite authors at various events, and sample some options for presents for the upcoming holiday season. Entrance to the fair, which is open between 10:00 and 20:00, is free of charge.

(Photo: Fotoeye75 | Dreamstime.com)

simona@romania-insider.com