More than 60 international artists from 13 countries to arrive in Iasi between February 13th and 19th, during the third edition of the Classix Festival. 8 classical music concerts, 10 masterclasses, an illustration exhibition, a debate, a lecture and 7 film screenings await the explorers of the contemporary classical adventure.

This edition of the festival proposes the discovery of beauty in a feminine form – mystical, full of power, as well as the pursuit of the primary instinct that leads to the temporary abandonment of the song, embracing the power of rhythm.

Festival program:

On Sunday, February 13th, starting with 19:30, the Elegy of Hope concert will take place at the Roman Catholic Cathedral “Holy Virgin Mary, Queen”. Starring: Dragos Cantea, Bjarne Magnus Jensen, Filip Papa, Daniel Auner, Barbara Auner, Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg and Konstantin Zelenin. In the program we find works signed Granados, Vasks, Rachmaninov, Enescu and Pärt. The interdisciplinarity that Classix Festival wants to offer to classical music will be visually supported by illustrated projections on the dome of the Cathedral, thus transforming the usual concert experience into a syncretic one.

On Monday, February 14th, starting with 19:00, the “Henri Coanda” hall of the Iasi Palace of Culture hosts the Fata Morgana concert. With the support of the Austrian Cultural Forum Bucharest, the concert hosts the Auner Quartet, an ensemble selected in the New Austrian Sound of Music – NASOM program and appointed by the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as cultural ambassador for 2020/2021.

Fantaisie d’une Femme will take place on Tuesday, February 15th, at 19:00, at Casa Bals, “Eduard Caudella” hall. On the stage of the concert will perform: Grzegorz Niemczuk (Poland), Grace Jee Eun Oh (South Korea), Bjarne Magnus Jensen (Norway), Florent Mourier (France), Shana Moron-Caravel (France). The program includes the Romanian premiere of Marcus Paus’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, as well as works by Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Viardot, Poulenc and Chaminade. The concert is organized with the support of the French Institute Iasi, the Polish Institute Bucharest and the Norwegian Embassy in Romania.

On Wednesday, February 16th, at 19:00, the Animal Instinct concert will take place at the House of Culture of Iasi Students. Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 “Trout” composed by Franz Schubert and Concertino, Leoš Janáček’s work will be performed by: Slávka Vernerová Pěchočová (Czech Republic), Tudor Bolnavu (Romania), Doru Costachescu (Romania), Sebastian Virtosu (Romania), Virgil Prisacariu (Romania), Dragos Cantea (Romania / Norway), Bjarne Magnus Jensen (Norway), Jonas Lyskjær Frølund (Denmark), Niklas Mouritsen (Faroe Islands) and Constantin Barcov (Romania / Sweden). The concert is organized with the support of the Czech Center.

The Back to The Future concert will take place on Thursday, February 17th, at 19:00, in the Hall of the Central University Library “Mihai Eminescu” Iasi. Håvard Gimse (Norway) on piano and Gustav Rivinius (Germany) on cello will play compositions by Beethoven, Debussy, Boulanger and Sostakovich. The concert is organized with the support of the German Cultural Center Iasi, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Romania and the Norwegian Academy of Music.

The Viking Rush will take place on Friday, February 18th, starting at 19:00, in the foyer of the Palace of Culture Iasi, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Romania. On this stage the quintet V Coloris will perform, marking two important premieres: the absolute premiere of Edvard Grieg / Stefan Diaconu: Lyrical Suite and the local premiere of the composition signed Doina Rotaru: Lumina. The concert program also includes György Ligeti: six bagpipes for the wind quintet and Carl Nielsen: The wind quintet, op. 43.

The last day of the festival, February 19th, brings to the stage of the National Theater “Vasile Alecsandri” Iasi two concerts: Friendship in Jazz and Primal Instinct. From 16:30, the concert “Friendship in Jazz” unites on the festival stage the chamber forces of the National Youth Orchestra of Moldova and the Sonos Alumni Chamber Orchestra of UNAGE Iasi, supported by Kaufland Romania. The soloists performing are: Tudor Bolnavu (violin), Virgil Florin Prisacariu (double bass) and Daniel Paicu (clarinet). The concert program consists of: Benjamin Britten: Simple Symphony, Giovanni Bottesini: Gran Duo Concertante for violin, double-bass & strings, Oleg Negruta: Concert no. 2 for clarinet and string orchestra and Romeo Cozma: Jazzissimo – Entertainment for chamber orchestra and percussion.

The final concert of the festival, Primal Instinct, which will start at 20:00, hosts musicians Grzegorz Niemczuk, Anna Lipiak, Toma Popovici, Daniel Dascalu, Alexandru Stroe and Sorin Rotaru, performing works by Tchaikovsky, Bartók (Sonata for two pianos and percussion Sz. 110 in local premiere), Lutosławski and Zarębski. The concert is organized with the support of the Polish Institute Bucharest.

The Classix in Focus series puts into perspective a series of aspects closely related *or not* to classical music in the contemporary context and in relation to a series of paradigms that are constantly evolving. The program of this edition includes: the exhibition of illustrations “Heroines” which will be displayed for 30 days at the House of Museums Iasi, its opening on February 16th, 17:00; screening of the documentary “#newTogether“, lecture by the rector of the Norwegian Academy of Music on the composers who worked in the 20th and 21st centuries and the panel debating “Feminism in classical music“, which has as guests: Astrid Kvalbein, Cristian Lupes , Valentina Dediu-Sandu and as moderator Dragos Cantea.

Within Classix in Art, between February 14th and 18th, 10 masterclasses will be organized by Kaufland Romania for young students and high school students of music institutions from all over the country. 52 artists will participate in masterclasses of: piano, violin, bassoon, cello, clarinet, oboe, flute and horn.

On February 17th, starting with 15:00, there will be a guided tour with the theme “Musical tradition in Iasi“, organized in partnership with the Iasi.Travel Association. Public participation is free, and the tour will visit the locations where the Classix 2022 concerts take place.

The concerts will be broadcast live on the Classix Facebook page and on the partners’ pages. Festival tickets and season tickets can be purchased online, and access to events is in accordance with current regulations.