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Record labels Mercury Records, Marco Polo, Naxos Similar George Enescu, Horia Andreescu, Cristian Mandeal, National Radio Orchestra, Christian Badea | ||
The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra is a musical institution located in Bucharest, Romania.
Founded in 1868, 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.
After 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).
After World War II, the institution diversified its activity by creating the Academic Choir, a 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.
The Philharmonic's principal conductors have included 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.
Founded in 2010 the George Enescu Foundation aims to support, promote and integrate Romanian Culture into the international artistic circuit.