Iași, February 18th 2025

Classix Festival details the program of related events organized within the sixth edition: in Iași, between February 23 and March 2, 2025 we will have a contemporary classical adventure dedicated to explorers eager to step out of their comfort zone and enter the world of classical music in an authentic approach.

The Classix in Focus events bring to the forefront relevant themes from the artistic and cultural world, exploring both topics directly related to classical music and related aspects that shape the creative industry and influence contemporary audiences. With a dynamic and accessible format, the series creates a space for open dialogue, where artists, cultural managers and professionals from various fields share their perspectives on the changes and challenges in the current cultural landscape. Each edition proposes new angles of approach and opportunities for connection, being an essential component of Classix. To date, this initiative has hosted 17 panels, complemented by lectures, exhibitions, flashmobs, film screenings and other interactive experiences, consolidating its role as a creative hub for ideas and collaborations.

Classix in Focus events programme:

25th of February | 16:00 | Dialogue | Cvartetul VOCES: Scene, culise și povești
26th of February | 11:00 | Panel | Arta și sindromul impostorului
26th of February | 20:00 | Screening | Ars Electronica Animation Festival 2024 On Tour
27th of February| 11:00 | Panel | Cultural Crossroads: Empowering Artists
27th of February – 15th of March | Vernissage 27th of February· 16:00 | Expoziție: Doar viorile au rămas
28th of February| 11:00 | Book launch | Creative Concert Production and Entrepreneurship
28th of February| 14:00 | Lecture | What music tells us about joy and sadness
2nd of March| 14:00 | Panel | Culture Under Construction

APPARATUM is an interactive multimedia installation, created by the Polish collective panGenerator, that combines analog and digital technology to offer a unique artistic experience. Inspired by the experimental instruments used by the Polish Electronic Music Studio in the 1960s and 1970s, the installation allows users to create their own sound and visual compositions through an intuitive interface. Through sound, light and innovative design, APPARATUM explores the connection between the past and the future of electronic music, transforming any space into a place of experimentation and artistic creation. The exhibition Classix in Focus :: APPARATUM will be open to the public at the “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iași, in the Lost Steps Hall, between February 24 and March 20. The opening will take place on February 24, starting at 4:00 PM. The exhibition is organized in partnership with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024-2025. Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

The dialogue „Cvartetul VOCES: Scenes, backstage and stories” will take place at the Mihai Eminescu Central University Library Iași, on February 25, from 4:00 PM. It will bring to the fore five decades of artistic and human excellence, bringing together the voices of those who wrote the history of the longest-running Romanian chamber ensemble. Moderated by musicologist Cătălin Sava, the dialogue will spark authentic memories with two of the founders of VOCES – Bujor Prelipcean and Dan Prelipcean. Special guests will be Cristina Uruc – Director of the George Enescu Festival and Dragoș Andrei Cantea – Artistic Director of Classix Festival. Together, they will reveal unique stories from behind the scenes of the concerts, meetings with great personalities, the challenges hidden behind over dozens of recorded albums and the moments that defined the next steps in their international musical careers.

The panel Arta Art and the imposter syndrome will explore the tension between authenticity and illusion in the contemporary art world. It will take place at the Braunstein Palace, on February 26, from 11:00. The event will address the imposter syndrome, analyzing how it influences artists and the strategies through which the feeling of inadequacy can be overcome in a field where validation is ephemeral. At the same time, the differences between authentic and profound talent, and success built exclusively through image and opportunism will be examined, putting into question the criteria by which artistic value is recognized today. Together with our guests, we will try to understand whether the imposter syndrome is just an internal struggle or an effect of an industry that oscillates between excellence and superficiality. Guests to the panel are: Valentina Druțu – visual artist and Head of the Iași Art Museum – Palace of Culture, Dan Spînu – composer and professor UNAGE Iași, Andrei Cozlac – Video Artist and Lecturer. UNAGE Iași, Dan Byron – artist, Vocalist of the band byron. The discussion will be moderated by Patricia Roxana Brohanschi – Co-founder / General Manager, Classix Festival / Rocanotherworld.

“Dead City” is an interactive VR-based opera experience that combines elements of cinematic narrative, game mechanics and opera. The exhibition will be open from February 26 to March 20 at the Palace of Culture, and the opening will take place on February 26 at 4:00 PM. The plot and libretto of the Dead City exhibition are inspired by Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s 1920 work of the same name. While the original work takes place in Bruges, the contemporary version of Dead City takes place in a pandemic-stricken Warsaw – empty, melancholic and nostalgic. Paul, the main character, tries to say goodbye to his recently deceased wife by visiting the places that had the greatest significance for their love story. Viewers are taken through their home, their favorite cinema, bars, parks and, finally, to the place where they said goodbye – the dark depths of the Vistula River. There, Paul dissolves and transforms into a black, ever-changing void. Along the way, the voice of his beloved, Maria, bids him farewell with these haunting words: “Everything is a memory, nothing dies because nothing exists. Be still, be still. Nothing dies because nothing exists, and everything is.” The exhibition is organized in partnership with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024-2025. Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

On February 26, from 8:00 PM, at Acaju, a selection of the award-winning works of the 2024 edition of the Ars Electronica Animation Festival can be viewed. Best-Of Prix Ars Electronica includes eight animations, six of which were awarded prizes in this year’s competition. The two Nica de Aur winners, along with a distinction award and three honorable mentions, provide an overview of current trends in the world of animation. Most of these works combine advanced technology with pressing socio-political themes, addressing topics such as the climate crisis, digital surveillance, the invisible work behind AI algorithms, the erosion of trust in the digital image and global cultural transformations. The event is organized in partnership with the Austrian Cultural Forum, and admission is free.

On February 27, at 11:00, the panel will take place at the Braunstein Palace in Iași.Cultural Crossroads: Empowering Artists. In this panel, the guests will explore international collaboration in culture and its impact on the mobility of artists and ensembles. It will analyze how partnerships between institutions, band managers and cultural platforms contribute to the promotion of artists on international stages, but also to the facilitation of cultural exchanges. Along with Klara Bernat – manager of Ensemble MidtVest, Andrei Popov – Executive Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum, Vincent Henry – Director of the French Institute in Iași, Alexander Rubel – Director of the German Cultural Center in Iași and Carina Sava – moderator, artistic manager and founder of Women in Music, the discussion will bring to the forefront strategies for supporting emerging talents, mechanisms through which artists can make their voices heard in international contexts and the importance of a cultural infrastructure open to collaboration.

The photography exhibit Only the violins remained – Alma und Arnold Rosé will be on display at the Vasile Pogor Museum Iași, Studio J between February 27 and March 15, 2025. The exhibition opening takes place on February 27, at 4:00 p.m. Offered by Haus der Geschichte Österreich (Museum of Recent History of Austria) and the Austrian Cultural Forum, the exhibition “Only Violins Remained – Alma und Arnold Rosé” is presented through a scenographic concept supervised by visual artist Constantin Butoi, created with the support of the “Luceafărul” Theater in Iași, for the Classix 2025 Festival.

On Friday, February 28, from 11:00, at Casa Balș – “Eduard Caudella” hall, the book launch will take place „Creative Concert Production and Entrepreneurship” – in the presence of the author Andreas Sønning. The discussion will be moderated by Dragoș Andrei Cantea. Drawing on over three decades of international experience, Sønning offers innovative frameworks for interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical production practices, and dynamic concert dramaturgy. The book offers practical models and case studies, equipping musicians, producers, and cultural leaders with the tools they need to navigate the evolving landscape of music production and performance. It explores the integration of art, business, and technology, offering insights into sustainable career development and creative entrepreneurship in the performing arts.

The lecture „What music tells us about joy and sadness …” will take place on February 28, at 2:00 PM, in the Studio Hall of the National University of Arts “George Enescu” Iași. The lecture will explore how, during the Baroque period, music was not only an artistic act, but also a means of influencing emotions. The theory of affects, based on ancient philosophy, argued that each composition had to convey a distinct state – be it joy, sadness, melancholy or exaltation. This vision will be analyzed in depth, highlighting its impact on musical interpretation. The event will be held by Univ. Doz. Dr. Dagmar Glüxam, Austrian musicologist, violinist and lecturer at the University of Vienna, author of the volume “Aus der Seele muß man spielen …” (2020), one of the most relevant works on the theory of affects.

On Sunday, March 2, from 2:00 PM, the panel will take place at Braunstein Palace.Culture Under Construction. Invited to debate the cultural, tangible and intangible infrastructure, analyzing the opportunities and obstacles in the development of new concert halls are: Cristina Uruc – Manager Artexim / George Enescu Festival, Bujor Prelipcean – Manager State Philharmonic “Moldova” in Iași, Andrei Fermeșanu – tenor, Manager Romanian National Opera in Iași and Knut Skansen – General Manager Oslo Philharmonic. The discussion will be moderated by Dragoș Cantea – pianist and Artistic Director of Classix Festival.

Admission to Classix in Focus events is free.

The nine concerts that are organised within Classix Festival 2025 are:

23rd of February| 19:30 | In Reverentia
24th of February | 19:00 | Reverie D’Amour
25th of February | 19:00 | Heroin Chic
26th of February | 19:00 | Classic Express
27th of February | 19:00 | The Rest is Silence
28th of February | 19:00 | Bach in Movement
1st of March | 11:00 | Un Compozitor la Carnaval
1st of March| 19:00 | Baroque Royale
2nd of March | 19:00 | Il Dolce Finale

Subscriptions and concert tickets are available for purchase on the official festival website. To encourage the participation of young people, students and pupils benefit from a 50% discount. Also, those who pay with a BRD card can benefit from a 15% discount, which is automatically applied when selecting “BRD” as a payment method on the platform. In the spirit of accessibility, people with disabilities and their companions benefit from free access by filling out the form available online on the festival website, in the FAQ section.

To stay up to date with the latest news from the festival, classical music lovers can subscribe to the dedicated newsletter available on classix.ro and follow Classix’s official social media channels.

Organisers: Asociația Industrii Creative, Showberry
Main partner: BRD Groupe Société Générale
Cultural partners: Centrul Cultural German, Institutul Francez din România la Iași, Forumul Cultural Austriac, Institutul Italian de Cultură din București, Institutul Polonez, Institutul Adam Mickiewicz
Institutional partners: Episcopia Romano-Catolică Iași, Biblioteca Centrală Universitară „Mihai Eminescu” Iași, Opera Națională Română Iași, Filarmonica de Stat „Moldova” Iași, Complexul Muzeal Național „Moldova” – Palatul Culturii Iași, Muzeul Național al Literaturii Române Iași, Muzeul Municipal „Regina Maria” Iași, Universitatea Națională de Arte „George Enescu” Iași, Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași
Strategic partner: DAC Music Performance
Diplomatic partner: Embassy of Denmark in Romania

Hospitality partners: Vitamin Aqua, Gramma, Soft & Grace, Noir Coffee Roasters, Hotel Unirea, Hotel Bellaria, Volvo Iași – Premium Nordic Cars, Oddity, Acaju, Iași.Travel, Indus, Pizza di Napo, Andalu, Campari

Promotion partners: WINK Public Multimedia, Printco, Aeroportul Internațional Iași
Lifestyle partners: Chotronette, Tudor Tailor, Studio Estetique, Serenity Head Spa
Media partners: Aici a stat, Bookhub, Cărturești, Ercis FM, Fashion Premium Magazine, Happ.ro, IQads, Life.ro, Modernism, Observator Cultural, Radio Clasic FM, Radio France Internațional România, Radio România Iași, Radio România Cultural, Radio România Muzical, Revista Golan, Spotmedia, Scena9, Suplimentul de Cultură, Iași în Oraș, Viva FM, Ziarul de Iași, Ziarul Metropolis, Zile și Nopți.

Cultural project co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration.

The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the project results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding recipient.

***

The Creative Industries Association is the organizer of the Rocanotherworld and Classix festivals in Iași, aiming to culturally revitalize the city, engage creative communities and engage in the civil life of society through actions that promote a proactive, contributory and participatory spirit.

Showberry, a 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.

Website: www.classixfestival.ro

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/classixFestival/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classixfestival/

Youtube: https://shorturl.at/louFW