The "Ermil Nichifor" Doctors' Orchestra will perform on October 12th at the University of Music and Arts in Berlin. Entitled "Doctors and Musicians," the event marks the 70th concert season of the Romanian Doctors' Orchestra and also pays tribute to George Enescu, 70 years after his passing.Dr. Mircea Penescu, concertmaster of the "Dr. Ermil Nichifor" Doctors' Orchestra, spoke to us about this concert and other projects of the ensemble:

The concert in Berlin is a celebration of the 70 concert seasons of the Doctors' Orchestra. How would you describe the Orchestra today, after 70 years of activity?

I believe that this Doctors' Orchestra, which was founded in 1954 out of the passion and love for music of a group of outstanding doctors-and, I dare say, exceptional musicians. I think this orchestra is a unique cultural phenomenon in Romania's cultural life.

Indeed, the orchestra has had 70 uninterrupted seasons, performing primarily on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum as well as in other major venues in Bucharest and across the country. I think it has followed an ascending path, perfecting its sound under the guidance of exceptional conductors who have dedicated themselves to this artistic mission. The shared passion for medicine and music has brought together a remarkable ensemble that has gradually achieved outstanding levels of performance, as we can see today.

The orchestra's group of doctors has been constantly renewed-former students have become permanent members, they have become permanent members, doctors, and the phenomenon continues. Today, I believe the Doctors' Orchestra performs at a level high enough to perform on European stages.

You will also be performing a concert in Potsdam. How did the idea for a tour in Germany come about, and what are your goals for this tour?

Germany is emblematic when it comes to music, and German doctors are also deeply involved in musical activities. There is even a German doctors' orchestra, and we have collaborated with several such ensembles. For example, orchestra from Wetzlar, with whom we have previously toured. We have performed in Munich, Vienna, Wiesenbach, and Berlin's Philharmonie, we even performed in Berlin,in the Philharmonic Hall, so we are familiar with Germany's rich musical atmosphere and e know Berlin well as an extraordinary cultural center.

It is worth mentioning that there is a European Doctors' Orchestra, founded about twenty years ago, when my colleague at the conductor's stand, Dr. Laurențiu Dașca, and I took part in the very first concert of this European ensemble, which was held at Trinity College. It was then decided that each year there would be at least two concerts by the European orchestra - one in London, in the metropolis, and another in a European or musical capital. The second concert actually took place at the Romanian Athenaeum.

Therefore, we are very familiar with what Germany represents, with our partners there, and it is a great joy to meet them again on this occasion.

What can you tell us about the program you will perform in Berlin?

The program is quite complex. As usual, we will perform under the baton of maestro Iosif Ion Prunner, who has been leading us with mastery, enthusiasm, and great consistency for over 25 years.

We will perform both Romanian music - Enescu, Alfred Alessandrescu, Silvestri - and, alongside these Romanian pieces that somehow define us, we will also include works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert.

We have therefore created a very diverse and attractive program, which I believe will be appreciated by both the German and Romanian audiences, which are invited to the concert on October 12th, taking place in the grand hall of the University of Berlin. On October 13th we will perform at St. Nicholas Church in Potsdam, also a church with special acoustics, where we hope a large audience will attend.

How are the rehearsals for the tour going?

Rehearsals have become more frequent. They are demanding, more intense this time, because under maestro Prunner's baton are performing almost exclusively doctors, without much assistance from our professional musician colleagues - as, I must admit, usually happens. Of course, this situation pushes our musical performance to a higher level… But we are managing through hard work, diligence, and perseverance. In the end, we have succeeded and we ahave prepared. There are even daily rehearsals now, something that doesn't normally happen.

The Doctors' Orchestra often collaborates with renowned soloists, with important artists both nationally and internationally. This time you will perform with mezzo-soprano Gabriela Popescu, harpist Maria Bîldea, flautist Zacharias Tarpagkos, and pianist Cristian Niculescu. How do you select the artists you collaborate with?

Of course that over the decades, many great artists have performed alongside us, especially Romanian ones, and I don't want to start listing names here…for fear of omitting someone important. But indeed, let me tell you, it all began, as far as I remember, with Ion Voicu, Mihai Constantinescu, Ștefan Ruha, followed by pianists Valentin Gheorghiu and Dan Grigore, and our great singers - Dan Iordăchescu, Silvia Voinea, and others. Again, I hesitate to list names for fear of leaving out any important artist, but we have always collaborated with renowned soloists, including international ones.

How do we choose them? It also depends on the context of each concert.

Most of our concerts carry a special meaning. For example, we recently held a commemorative concert dedicated to maestro Eugen Sârbu, who was a great friend of the Doctors' Orchestra. On that occasion, we invited some of his former students, who came from various countries - Italy, Germany, Japan.

So, it depends on the context.

What other events can we expect in the new season of the Doctors' Orchestra?

The first event will take place on November 23rd, at the Romanian Athenaeum. It is the sixth edition of the concert entitled The Joy of Healing. This is a major event organized under the aegis of the Oncology Patients' Association, also known as the "Joy of Healing" Association, led by Mrs. Cătălina Lițu, a truly remarkable person - full of empathy and understanding for this category of patients - who organizes wonderful events. The musical component is just one aspect of this foundation's activity.

So, we will have such a concert. In fact, in just two hours, here at the hospital, we will have a meeting with everyone involved in the organization to finalize some details.