The artistic concept of the edition and the first announced concerts

Between March 1–8, 2026, the seventh edition of Classix Festival will redefine the relationship between the human brain and creativity, through the ways in which we perceive, imagine, feel, and heal ourselves through the arts. Through concerts, installations, lectures, and participatory formats, the festival will highlight the emotional, cognitive, and social functions of art.

Classix Festival 2026 – Art & Mind will be a call for presence, slowing down, and rediscovering the fact that behind every act of creation lies the most complex instrument of all: the human mind. For eight days, the festival will transform Iași into a space dedicated to reflection, inspiration, and artistic dialogue, offering the public an intense and refined experience in the company of internationally renowned artists.

“The artistic experiences of the past year have strengthened my belief that music is not only an aesthetic expression, but also a form of care. Through the Art & Mind direction of the 2026 edition of Classix Festival, we aim for musicians to develop an artistic citizenship, aware of their power to contribute—through art—to the everyday challenges of today’s society. Art & Mind explores the connections between the brain and creativity, the ways in which we perceive, feel, and transform ourselves through art. Music, in particular—whether practiced or listened to—plays an essential role in maintaining mental balance, preventing dementia, and fostering our multidisciplinary development. Classix 2026 will mark an evolution toward an artistic consciousness founded on balance, at a historical moment when technology is redefining intelligence,” said Dragoș Andrei Cantea, co-founder and Artistic Director of Classix Festival.

The first concerts announced in the Classix Festival 2026 program

The first two concerts confirmed for the 2026 edition highlight the dialogue between emotion and reason, between sound and mind, between tradition and experiment. Tickets are now available online on the festival’s website – classixfestival.ro.

On March 4, 2026, the Hall of Honour of the Palace of Culture in Iași will host the Love Frequencies concert, performed by Duo Minerva (Austria), featuring Johanna Gossner (clarinet) and Damian Keller (accordion), in a recital that transforms love into a sonic language.

Through works by Kurt Weill, Nino Rota, Erik Satie, Georges Bizet, and Gustav Mahler, the concert will explore the multiple frequencies of human emotions, intertwining fragility and passion into a musical plea for empathy and connection.

“In the six years of collaboration with Classix Festival, we have discovered a space where classical music becomes a living, courageous, and profoundly human experience. The artistic excellence of the program—supported by internationally acclaimed artists and a dedicated team—has turned Iași into a reference point for young audiences eager for authenticity and innovation. Each edition has surprised us with its fresh approach, and in 2026, with Duo Minerva—a duo that redefines the genre and has already made its mark across Europe—we are proud to continue this success story that has made Classix Festival a solid international musical benchmark.” said Andrei Popov, Executive Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum Bucharest.

On March 5, 2026, the Aula of the “Mihai Eminescu” Central University Library in Iași will host the In Between concert, performed by the Esbjerg Ensemble from Denmark — one of Europe’s most acclaimed chamber music groups.

The audience will be invited on a musical journey through contrast and balance, where the piano and the saw become instruments of introspection. Works by Per Nørgård, Carl Nielsen, Igor Stravinsky, and Robert Schumann will shape a voyage between vibration and silence, between the order of thought and the freedom of emotion — a metaphor for the relationship between art and mind, essential to the spirit of this edition.

Tickets are available for purchase online on the festival’s website, and to support youth participation, students and pupils benefit from a 50% discount. In addition, those who purchase tickets or passes for Classix Festival 2026 can enjoy a 15% discount when paying with a BRD card, automatically applied when selecting the “BRD” option on the ticketing platform.

Classical music lovers who wish to stay up to date with festival news and ticket or subscription information can subscribe to the dedicated newsletter on the festival’s website.

Classix Festival is an international and independent festival held annually in Iași, which redefines the concert experience through interdisciplinarity and adapts it to the contemporary audience. The event fosters cultural dialogue, repositions classical music beyond the realm of elites, and brings it closer to the curious, the passionate, and the explorers, through the use of new technologies and new media arts.

Under its defining slogan — “a contemporary classic affair” — Classix transforms each edition into a sonic and visual journey, inviting audiences to (re)discover the emotional power and contemporary relevance of classical music. The repertoire combines established masterpieces with rare or rediscovered works, offering a fresh perspective on classical creation, within a dialogue between generations, cultures, and artistic expressions.

Launched in 2020, Classix has become one of the most important independent classical music events in Romania. Over its six editions so far, the festival has brought together more than 350 international artists from 23 countries, attracting over 30,000 in-person attendees and more than 365,000 online views, consolidating its role as a catalyst for cultural innovation and a promoter of international dialogue.

The associated programs, Classix-in-Focus and Classix-in-Art, enrich the festival’s universe through interdisciplinary dialogue, exhibitions, screenings, and masterclasses. To date, they have included 23 panels, 6 exhibitions, 10 short film screenings, 193 masterclass sessions, and 18 creative scholarships, totaling €18,000, awarded to emerging musicians, visual artists, and performers.

In 2024, the Classix universe expanded further through Classix Lab, a project dedicated to young artists, held in Iași, Suceava, and Vatra Dornei. It featured 5 concerts, 3 discussion panels, a workshop, and 25 masterclass sessions, gathering over 2,000 spectators and 12 internationally active artists, while providing a development platform for over 70 emerging artists.

At the same time, the Classix Concerts series continues the festival’s spirit throughout the year nationwide, hosting performances in both conventional and unconventional venues. These events introduce innovative curatorial formats and encounters between established and emerging artists, bringing the diversity of contemporary artistic expression closer to audiences.

Thus, Classix is not just an event, but a cultural movement — one that promotes openness, innovation, and artistic collaboration.

Organizers: Asociația Industrii Creative, Showberry
Main partner: BRD Groupe Société Générale
Cultural partners: Forumul Cultural Austriac, Centrul Cultural German, Institutul Italian de Cultură din București, Institutul Francez din România la Iași, Institutul Polonez
Institutional partners: Filarmonica de Stat „Moldova” Iași, Episcopia Romano-Catolică Iași, Complexul Muzeal Național „Moldova” – Palatul Culturii Iași, Biblioteca Centrală Universitară „Mihai Eminescu” Iași, Opera Națională Română Iași
Strategic partner: DAC Music Performance

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Asociația Industrii Creative is the organizer of the Rocanotherworld and Classix festivals in Iași, aiming at the cultural revitalization of the city, engaging creative communities and involving society in civil life through actions that promote a proactive, contributory and participatory spirit.

Showberry, member of AROC (Romanian Association of Concert and Cultural Event Organizers), is a startup winner of the Invest in People program! Since 2015, it has been developing cultural and creative projects, being one of the main promoters of public concerts and thematic events in the northeastern region of Romania. Since 2016, it has been a co-organizer of the Rocanotherworld festival, and since 2020 of the Classix Festival, together with the Creative Industries Association.

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Website: www.classixfestival.ro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/classixFestival/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classix.ro
Youtube: https://shorturl.at/louFW

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Contact: media@classixfestival.ro