"The orchestra is very young and possesses a fresh energy. I believe it is only fitting that we also invite younger soloists, conductors and guest artists," says Kovács Emőke, Manager of the "Dinu Lipatti" Philharmonic in Satu Mare, speaking about the institution's ensemble.

In an interview with our colleague Ariadna Ene-Iliescu, Kovács Emőke introduces the Philharmonic's new concert season and talks about the guest artists, the institution's involvement in the "Heirs of Musical Romania" project, as well as the events and projects planned for audiences this year.

What can you tell us about the 2026-2027 concert season of the "Dinu Lipatti" Philharmonic in Satu Mare? What are the main new features, and how is the season structured?

We have a rich season ahead, featuring a wide range of beautiful and engaging programmes, from symphonic works to concert performances, with exciting guest artists. This year, we have invited a large number of talented Romanian musicians, with a particular focus on young artists. I believe it is especially important to give them an opportunity to take their first steps, and perhaps to use our stage as a launching pad for their careers.

Let us not forget that, although the "Dinu Lipatti" Philharmonic has a rich history, its orchestra is very young and possesses a fresh energy. I believe it is only fitting that we also invite younger soloists, conductors and guest artists.

As you mentioned, young artists are a central focus of the Satu Mare Philharmonic's activities. You also have a partnership with the "Heirs of Musical Romania" programme. Are there any events within this programme that will take shape during the 2026-2027 concert season?

Yes, this season we will be welcoming a young cellist, who will give a recital. We would also like to promote all the talented young musicians whose voices deserve to be heard through their instruments.

Do we already know when the event will take place and who will be performing?

The competition laureate, Sofia Blându, will give a recital at our Philharmonic on the 23rd of February 2027.

Who are some of the other young artists featured in the 2026-2027 concert season programme?

Every year, we organise the Satu Mare Musical Days Festival, which is celebrating its 49th edition this year. We have already welcomed artists such as Vlad Răceu, Cadmiel Boțac, Gabriel Cupșa, the French horn player, pianist Mihai Diaconescu, and our much-loved violinist Valentin Șerban. We will also be joined by Mihnea Ignat, Irina Sârbu, Andrei Tudor, Radu Popa and Radu Rățoi. There are so many talented artists in Romania!

Could you tell us about some of the highlights of this season?

I'd like to mention a few events that have already taken place. We opened the season with "Carmina Burana", followed by a series of classical music concerts. We also have something special in store for our youngest audiences, with two dedicated projects: Nature in Music, featuring Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, and the musical tale Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, which is a programme in which, to make the latter programme even more engaging, we accompany the music with projected images illustrating the story. But first, we introduce the characters and the musical instruments that bring them to life: the oboe, which gives voice to the swan; the horn, representing the prince; and the harp, which evokes the magic and the moonlight reflected on the lake.We also have another project, Little Mozart, in which we introduce children to the world of the piano and its related instruments, including the grand piano, the upright piano, the celesta, the harpsichord and the cembalo. Children have the opportunity to see these instruments up close and discover their unique sounds. Our educational projects for children are one of the key highlights of this season.

We also have projects dedicated to audiences who may not attend philharmonic concerts as often and are looking for a more entertaining musical experience. In the first part of the season, we are offering a concert featuring Andrei Tudor as both conductor and pianist, with Adrian Nour joining the orchestra as soloist. The programme includes "West Side Story", "An American in Paris" and Harry Mancini and Anderson songs , a repertoire that brings together diverse styles, influences, and sounds from American music.

Another equally fascinating project, dedicated to the same audience, is "Interwar" - a musical journey through the Romanian music of a bygone era. The concert will be conducted by Radu Popa and will feature the wonderful jazz singer Irina Sârbu. The programme includes famous songs from Bucharest's interwar period, in orchestral arrangements by Ioan Dobrinescu. And, towards the end of this year, on the 10th of December, we will present a tribute to Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.

These are our less traditional concerts. Nevertheless, we also try to incorporate classical music into our programmes for this audience. At the same time, every Thursday, we hold concerts dedicated to classical music lovers, who come to our performances and enjoy them to the fullest, filling our concert halls. We place great importance on ensuring that each programme offers something new, featuring works that are not necessarily very well known. Our repertoire includes symphonies by Saint-Saëns and César Franck, among others.

Who are some of the guest artists performing in these Thursday concerts dedicated to classical music?

We opened the season with Maestro David Crescenzi, and we have also had concerts conducted by Tiberiu Soare and featuring saxophonist Palkó Csanád and the conductor Azis Sadikovic, who represented us in George Enescu concert.

We have also welcomed Huba Hollókői and Josu de Solaun, who was himself a former winner of the George Enescu International Competition.

Other concerts this season will feature Radu Chişu and the outstanding violinist Sarang Seohyun Kim, winner of the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition. We will also be joined by conductors Radu Popa, Mihnea Ignat and Serghei Simakov, as well as Andrei Tudor.These are some of the artists and conductors featured in this season's classical music programme.

This season, we also have the honour of welcoming Sarah Nemtanu, Barnabás Kelemen, the distinguished Hungarian violinist, Răzvan Popovici, Renáta Gebe-Fügi and Radu Rățoi. So, there are many more important and exciting names from the world of music joining us throughout the season.