Mr. Sebastian Tegzeșiu, the 44th edition of the International Chamber Music Festival kicks off on Tuesday, May 13th, 2025, at the Black Church in Brașov, with a concert performed by the Chamber Orchestra of the Brașov Philharmonic. What is the concept behind this year's edition of the festival?

The International Chamber Music Festival has a long-standing tradition. Usually, when people refer to chamber music from the classical period, they think of quartets, trios, duos, quintets, octets. This year, we at the Brașov Philharmonic have tried to present a new concept and bring to the public a broader idea of what chamber music means - including a jazz ensemble, as it also consists of a small group of musicians. Even if they play jazz or another genre, it still fits within the chamber music category.This year, the opening concert will be performed by the Chamber Orchestra of the Brașov Philharmonic. The next concert will feature the Gaudeamus Quartet, an ensemble with a career of over 40 years within the philharmonic. This will be followed by the Philharmonic's Wind Quintet. On Friday evening, we have a jazz concert, on Saturday evening - early music. And on the last day, Sunday, for the festival's closing, there will be a truly unique concert with Gilles Apap and the ensemble The Colors of Invention, who will take us on a fantastic musical journey from pre-classical music to modern-day compositions. We are really looking forward to this concert!

The inaugural concert features works by Arcangelo Corelli and George Frideric Handel. What inspired your choice of this program?

We wanted it to be something special. The fact that the Philharmonic is stepping outside the Patria Hall and into the Black Church - this is the first concert of the year taking place in that venue... From Corelli we journey to Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst. Just like the arches of the church, these [musical] arches symbolize time and transition, the bridge between eras - from Baroque music to that of the 20th century. It will be a unique concert, as we will perform Handel's organ concertos. Then, through Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, we'll create an atmosphere of melancholy and reflection across the centuries.

The festival includes the educational concert "Genius Sonorities," dedicated to children, as well as projects that cross musical boundaries, such as "Liminal Zone - Caramel." How do you see the role of this stylistic diversity in promoting chamber music to a broader and more diverse audience?

The Philharmonic's mission is to be close to the community. The institution belongs to the people. Every educational concert is sold out; since the beginning of the season in September, tickets for the entire year were gone in just two days. So, we've added another educational concert. At the same time, we don't forget the general public, who love jazz (and Brașov has a fantastic jazz festival). And as long as there is a jazz audience, why shouldn't they come to the Philharmonic as well!?

Looking to the future, what is your vision for this festival? How would you like to see it evolve in the coming years?

The Chamber Music Festival returned to the Philharmonic stage last year after a five-year break. Any event that gets interrupted is difficult to restart. But here we are, happy to already have a growing audience. In the years to come, we hope the festival continues to grow. We'd like to extend it to two weeks and embrace the full spectrum of musical color - from rock and jazz to chamber orchestra, quartets, quintets, octets - gradually including everything we believe belongs in the realm of chamber music.