One of the most anticipated events of the 2025 edition of the "George Enescu" International Festival was Avi Avital's performance, part of the Midnight Concert series. On September 12th, under the dome of the Romanian Athenaeum, the renowned artist performed alongside his ensemble, Between Worlds. This marked Avi Avital's second appearance at the Enescu Festival, his first experience had been fantastic for both the performers and the audience.

Between Worlds is the title of Avital's second album recorded for Deutsche Grammophon. "It was there," Avi Avital says, "that the idea first appeared to create a bridge between classical and traditional music. Two years ago, I formed a new ensemble called Between Worlds, inspired by the concept of the album. I came with it to the Enescu Festival two years ago with the program Black Sea. We have now released a new album, Between Worlds: Song of the Birds, which also includes Ladino songs. The album title, Song of the Birds, also refers to the Jewish tradition. I have Sephardic roots, and this tradition has evolved differently depending on the cultural regions in which it developed. All of them share a sort of common DNA, which musicologists can define better than I can."

In each of their concerts, mandolinist Avi Avital and the Between Worlds ensemble collaborate with a guest artist. On September 12th, 2025, at the Romanian Athenaeum, the guest was Alessia Tondo, a master of Southern Italian folklore, who delighted the audience with tarantellas and pizziche.

The Between Worlds Ensemble consists of ten international musicians. Thanks to their diverse backgrounds, remarkable versatility, and curiosity, they venture beyond the classical sphere to explore the rhythms and textures of folk traditions. Through carefully arranged traditional Greek songs, the artists explored ancient influences between Greece and Southern Italy, still preserved in the Griko dialect.

The concert concluded with the audience rising to their feet, applauding the performers for several minutes. You can listen to the recording of this memorable evening on Radio România Muzical Concerts, Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at 7:00 PM

Photo: Alex Damian