Classical music lovers rejoice: the famous “George Enescu” festival extends to Canada this September with three world-class events in Toronto and one in Montreal.

George Enescu was a 20th century musical genius, so no wonder his native country Romania hosts a world class music festival in his honour.

Launched 1958, three years after his death, the international musical gathering was meant to be celebrated every three years. Since 2001, the festivities run every two years, and for the 24th edition in 2019, they extend to Canada.

The four Canadian events (early bird tickets to Aug 15, and discount passes available here) will feature Enescu works, mixed for good balance with a repertoire aimed to please a large spectrum.

Jonathan Crow

These intimate performances (no orchestral pieces; full program here) will reveal Enescu’s appeal as a composer for violin and piano, while compositions from Brahms, Ravel to… Astor Piazzola will round up the evenings.

The list of musicians is equally exciting, including a number that call Toronto home (such as TSO’s Concertmaster Jonathan Crow) plus world travelers such as Alexandru Tomescu, who will be performing on a Stradivarius manufactured in 1702, and Omar Massa bringing his bandeon.

The event is produced by a prestigious team led by Dr. Michael Berkovsky (president), Coral Solomon (artistic director), along with the logistics provided by Tradicious, a Toronto based producing company on the rise.