The first edition of the Masters Of Classic Festival ended successfully on September 15, during the two weeks the public had the opportunity to witness exceptional performances by 17 great names of opera
Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov, Pumeza Matshikiza, Jerome Bouttelier, mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca, tenors Joseph Calleja and Roberto Alagna, and one of the world’s greatest tenors, Piotr Beczala, and violinist Nikolaj Szpes Zneider. The brilliant pianist Fazil Say also brought an innovative and brilliant touch to the event. Other names that completed the historic line-up are: Emily Pogorelc (United States of America) Louise Alder (Great Britain), Nino Surguladze (Georgia), Saimir Pirgu (Albania) Luiz Ottavio Faria (Brazil) and Olga Kulchynska (Ukraine ).
The closing ceremony was honored by the extraordinary presence and national premiere of the soprano Asmik Grigorian (Lithuania), one of the brightest voices of contemporary opera, together with the Bessarabian tenor Andrey Zhilihovsky, who brought more emotion and intensity to this finale of festival. Together, they turned the evening into a true artistic triumph, leaving an indelible mark in our memory.
The event was enhanced by the presence of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra consisting of 75 musicians and the choir that had 45 members, under the direction of conductor Michelangelo Mazza and choirmaster Steliyana Dimitrova-Hernani. In total, over 140 musicians and artists contributed to this large-scale event.
The Masters of Classic Festival has partnered with the Faculty of Music Performance, offering free admission for 300 singing students. Through this approach, the festival affirms its mission to actively support the training of young lyrical and operatic artists, thus contributing to the development of musical education in Romania. Moreover, the festival aims to educate and cultivate the general public’s taste for classical music, promoting quality opera and art as an essential component of cultural life in our country.
“rumania is a society that has produced remarkable valuesin musicah, but, unfortunately, lifeculturallycontinues to be deprived of high-quality events. Through this partnership, we want to demonstratemcOpera is not an exclusive domain, reserved only for elites, but it is accessible, etcand relevantfor everyone. A culturally rich society cannot thrive without it educate herÞi.e. artistica solid one, and we think it’s startingiatives like Masters Of Classic are essentialtials to bring classical music and lyrical art closer to peoplei.”, said Denise Dana Săndulescu, Music For Life Foundation
The famous tenor Piotr Beczała emphasized in an interview for Radio Romania Cultural: “There are so many festivals that may not have grandiose international ambitions, but they keep the culture alive. I once sang in Bucharestyou at a gal concertand it was fantastic. Maybe people don’t have the opportunity to come to the opera or a philharmonic concert every day, but the opportunity to get out of the routine and get in touch with this art form through festivals like this is more than we can hope for a first step in getting more people into concert halls.”
Also, Elīna Garanča, the world-renowned mezzo-soprano, who gave an exceptional recital at the Masters Of Classic, said: “Classical musică depends on education, and education îNCEP in school. It saddens me that the system does not emphasize the educatedtake the musicalUm. I need the workUm efforts, requirean understanding of the history and an overview of the development of music as an art. If the children wouldstarts toI’m learningit’s an instrument from vâstill tender, yesif they were told more about music, it would be a significant contribution to bringing classical music to the fore.”
The festival was organized by Marcel Avram, together with Music For Life Foundation, European Music Agency and DD EAST Entertainment as promoter. It is important to mention that the event did not benefit from public funding, but was a private initiative, intended to bring value to the cultural life of Romanian society and the Romanian education system.
“Music is my life and I live for music and I launched this festival in Bucharest, my hometown, to create a platform dedicated to quality music and values from the field of classical music” declared Marcel Avram
The Masters of Classic Festival aims to become a brand of excellence in music, consolidating its status as a reference event in the Romanian cultural landscape.
The registration list for the second edition of the Masters of Classic Festival that will take place in 2026 has opened, and the first 200 registrants will benefit from an upgrade of the purchased tickets for the 2026 edition.
Also, those who purchase category A tickets until the end of 2024 will receive a 20% discount on their purchase.
