A master of the art of conducting and a declared admirer and promoter of George Enescu's music, Lawrence Foster returns to the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum for concerts this Thursday and Friday, October 30^th and 31^st 2025.

The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra will open the evening with Adrian Pop's "Triptych" and Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, featuring the young violinist Daniel Lozakovich as soloist.

The second part of the concert will feature Ludwig van Beethoven's Mass in C Major, Op. 86. Lawrence Foster spoke to us about the program he is conducting and his collaboration with the orchestra.

Let's begin with the work that opens the program: Triptych by Adrian Pop, a piece full of folkloric influences that invites listeners into the Transylvanian sound world.

Pop's work is deeply rooted in folklore. Its sound world actually reminds me more of Hungarian folk music, I'd say. It's a wonderful composition: beautifully orchestrated, with Bartók-like accents and a writing style somewhat reminiscent of the Concerto for Orchestra. It's an extraordinary piece, one that I like very much, and the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra performs it superbly. I thought we would need more rehearsals, but we went through it once, worked on a few details, played it again, and I can say the orchestra is in remarkable shape. I was in Bucharest about a year and a half ago too, and I must say the orchestra sounds even better now. I loved it then too, but today it's even more refined. The working atmosphere is excellent, the musicians are disciplined, efficient, and wonderful.

The second part of the program features Beethoven's Mass in C Major. The composer himself said that in this work, the focus lies less on the divine figure and more on "the human being entering the church." How do you interpret this idea?

Of course, he meant that in a broader sense and there's a lot of truth in it. What I love about this Mass in C Major is its deeply introspective character. Naturally, there are also typically Beethovenian passages, full of strength and conviction, where he asserts his faith, but the opening is extraordinarily spiritual and toward the end, after the journey through the Credo, Sanctus, and the other movements, the music returns, almost inevitably, to that initial state of peace. That return feels so natural that I almost shed tears every time I reach it. It's a poetic, sincere, and profoundly moving moment. I think the work expresses Beethoven's most intimate convictions. When you hear Credo in unum Deum, you truly feel compelled to believe. In daily life, I don't personally believe in these things, but when I conduct this music, no one is more Christian than I am, even though philosophically I'm not. The music is so honestly felt that you simply cannot perform it without sensing, at least for that moment, that there is order in the cosmos, in the universe, and that we all have a purpose. All the theological ideas of the Church, which you can discuss or debate on a rational level, are conveyed here purely through the way Beethoven wrote the music. In some ways, I even find this Mass in C Major more convincing than the Missa Solemnis, which may be too monumental. On the other hand, the violin solo in Missa Solemnis is one of the most deeply moving passages in all of music, comparable, perhaps, to the sublime violin solo in Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Returning to the Mass in C Major, this work inspires in you a sense that you must believe. It gives you hope. It's an immensely emotional work, and, typically for Beethoven, an extremely demanding one. He never made life easy for singers: the breathing, the ranges, the dynamics are all challenging. But if you succeed, it's an extraordinary experience.

What is your view of the work at the centre of the program: the famous Violin Concerto in E minor by Felix Mendelssohn?

It's famous for very good reason, it's a perfect piece after all. You can't say that about every work, but here, everything is exactly where it should be. The main theme, the transition to the slow movement, the finale, it all flows naturally. The melodies have an eternal quality; they stay in your ear forever, and the orchestration is flawless. You wouldn't want to change a single note. Nothing is excessive, nothing is missing. It's pure perfection. I think that's why audiences have always loved this concerto. To me, it's the most communicative of all violin concertos, perhaps even more than Beethoven's, which is, of course, a masterpiece, but less "perfect" in form. In Mendelssohn's concerto, every note matters, whether in the orchestra or the solo line. The melodies are so beautiful that, when it's played well, you simply feel good at the end. What more could one ask from a concerto?

You've collaborated before with the violinist Daniel Lozakovich. What can you tell us about this young artist?

He was once recommended to me, almost imposed, by the new music director in Marseille. I had a concert coming up, and he said: "Look, there's this extraordinary young violinist, I'd like you to accept him as soloist." I said, "No, I don't know him, I'd rather not..." Eventually, I agreed, a bit reluctantly. He came, started playing the Bruch Violin Concerto, and I was stunned. We were able to work together in great detail, but without talking too much. Everything Daniel did made sense to me, emotionally and musically. He's only 24, but he plays with a maturity that reminds me of Henryk Szeryng. He's not trying to impress with effects; he wants to convey what he believes the composer intended, and his technique is exceptional. There are many young virtuoso violinists today, but Daniel Lozakovich has a rare sensitivity. I recommended him here in Bucharest, and I'm very glad this collaboration came to fruition. He truly is a great violinist.

You come to Romania several times each year to Cluj, to Bucharest...

Yes, I spend about four weeks a year here now, maybe more since I also go to Iași, and sometimes here as well, where I always take great pleasure in returning. I also enjoy working in Iași: the orchestra there has an extraordinary musical unity. Romania now has some very fine orchestras. This one, for instance, I believe has returned to a top-level standard thanks to Marin Cazacu and Mihai Constantinescu, and the guest conductors are of the highest calibre. Mihai Constantinescu is not someone who promotes himself, but what he has done for Romania's musical life, from the Enescu Festival up to today, is immense. Together with Marin Cazacu, who also has a long history with this orchestra, they've managed to bring it back to an extraordinary level, perhaps one not seen since the days of Celibidache or George Georgescu. The period with Mandeal was also very strong. Now it's truly a pleasure to work with the musicians of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra: they're attentive, focused, and friendly. I'm genuinely delighted by this collaboration.