The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra is a musical institution of Romania.
Founded in 1886, under the supervision of Eduard Wachman, the Romanian Philharmonic Society had as purpose the creation of a permanent symphonic orchestra in Bucharest. By December of the same year, its first concert took place.
Once that the palace of the Romanian Athenaeum was inaugurated on March 5, 1889, the concerts of the society started to take place in that location, as they do to this day.
Wachman, who conducted the first permanent orchestra until 1907, was followed by Dimitrie Dinicu (1868-1936), and himself was followed as the principal conductor starting from 1920, by George Georgescu (student of Arthur Nikisch and Richard Strauss).
During this time, the repertoaire of the orchestra was greatly enlarged, and the Philharmonic entered the international scene. Meanwhile, great musical personalities of the inter-war period, such as Jacques Thibaud, Pablo Casals, Igor Stravinsky, Enrico Mainardi, Alfred Cortot, Maurice Ravel, Richard Strauss, Yehudi Menuhin or Herbert von Karajan, played in Bucharest with the orchestra.
After World War II, the institution diversified its activity by creating the Academic Choir, a strong nucleus of soloists (such as Maria Kardas Barna who was a permanent piano soloist until 1971), and several chamber ensembles. After the death of George Enescu in 1955, the Philharmonic was renamed George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in his honour. Likewise, the Orchestra is, by tradition, the first to play at the George Enescu Festival.
Through its existence, the Philharmonic had as principal conductors, personalities such as Constantin Silvestri, Mircea Basarab, Dumitru Capoianu, Ion Voicu, Mihai Brediceanu, Cristian Mandeal. Currently, the general director is Andrei Dimitriu, and the art director is Nicolae Licaret.
Fouded in 2010 by Cristian Mancaș, the George Enescu Philharmonic Foundation purpose is to support, promote and integrate "George Enescu" Philharmonic into the international artistic circuit, by creating and performing artistic events with the participation of the most proeminent personalities of the world music stages. "George Enescu Philharmonic Foundation" as a descendant of the Romanian Philharmonic Society wishes to continue a tradition of excellence in the musical enterprise as well as the rediscovering and perpetuation of the remarkable and highly artistic climate.
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