On August 19, 2025, marking 144 years since the birth of George Enescu, the festival bearing his name will celebrate the composer’s legacy through a special event hosted at MINA – Museum of Immersive New Art in Bucharest. Audiences are invited to a free series of screenings of George Enescu – Poema Română: Immersive Experience, a fusion of tradition and technology that offers a new way of experiencing classical music.
The immersive projection takes place every 30 minutes starting at 18:30, with the last session beginning at 21:00. Admission is free, based on reservation through the Eventim platform.
This event marks the launch of the first immersive concert series in the history of the George Enescu Festival, set to begin at MINA on August 28, according to the organizers.
Composed in 1897 when Enescu was just 16 years old, Poema română, Op. 1, is the first work to which the composer assigned an opus number, a gesture that reveals his artistic ambition even at a young age. Its premiere in Paris in 1898 was met with critical acclaim. After decades of suppression under the communist regime, the piece was revived for Romanian audiences by conductor Horia Andreescu over 30 years ago.
The immersive visual experience, created by Les Ateliers Nomad with support from JTI – Immersive Experience, is set to a historical Electrecord recording featuring the National Radio Orchestra conducted by Horia Andreescu. The projection transforms the traditional concert into a multisensory experience, combining sound, image, and space.
The Enescu – JTI Immersive Experience series continues between August 24 and September 21, 2025, every Thursday and Friday at 20:00, turning MINA into a stage for four original performances that integrate classical music, visual art, contemporary performance, and technology.
One of the highlights is ONIRIUS, a production envisioned by choreographer Gigi Căciuleanu, set to music by Paul Ilea. The immersive visuals by Les Ateliers Nomad amplify the dreamlike atmosphere of this contemporary dance and poetic stage piece, which premieres on August 28 and 29.
Another standout performance, BACH IN THE JUNGLE, presents a unique sonic and visual experiment that brings together the baroque elegance of Bach, the lyricism of Villa-Lobos, and the passion of Piazzolla. Violinist Leticia Moreno and bandoneonist Claudio Constantini perform on September 4 and 5.
On September 11 and 12, KLIMT MEETS BÖSENDORFER – Ver Sacrum creates a dialogue between the symbolic art of Gustav Klimt and chamber music. The rare Bösendorfer Klimt grand piano, paired with the talents of pianist Alexandra Silocea, mezzo-soprano Patricia Nolz, and actress Laëtitia Eïdo, creates an atmosphere of refined elegance.
Finally, on September 18 and 19, ULTIMA PIESĂ draws inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, blending music, immersive projections, and artificial intelligence. This concert-installation is based on the neural activity of composer Constantin Basica and offers a storm of sound, memory, and emotion.
The George Enescu International Festival, one of the world’s leading classical music events, has been held since 1958. Its 27th edition takes place between August 24 and September 21, 2025, marking 70 years since Enescu’s death. Under the theme “Celebrations,” this year’s festival features over 100 concerts and more than 4,000 renowned artists from around the globe.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: the organizers, by Alex Damian)
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