This year's edition of the International Festival Musical Timișoara starts on Friday, the5^th of May. Some important dates of the festival we learn from Ovidiu Andriș, manager of the Banat Philharmonic.

How did you plan this edition of the festival, in view of the fact that Timisoara is this year's European cultural capital?

We conceived this festival together with the Timisoara Opera (for the 2nd edition, again in partnership). We tried to include, first of all, collaborations with international orchestras, but also to include all the musical institutions in Timișoara, such as the Faculty of Music or the Music High School. Let's try to make a celebration of music in this very important year, 2023.

I have noticed a diverse programme in the concerts at the philharmonic. I would ask you to tell us a little about them.

The opening, which will take place on the 5^th of May, is a concert in partnership with the National Opera. We will have musicians from the Banatul Philharmonic on stage, as well as musicians from the Timisoara National Opera, and we will open this festival together. And at the end of the festival we will have these international collaborations with the French National Orchestra. I would like to mention the concert on the 2^nd of June, with the War Requiem composed by Benjamin Britten, with maestro Gabriel Bebeșelea, which will take place at the Millennium Church in Timișoara.

In the middle of the festival, we again see an international collaboration with the European Youth Orchestra, which will feature Daniel Rowland as soloist. For the first time they are coming to Timisoara and we are very pleased that this European youth orchestra is coming to Timisoara.

Tell us a little about the soloists you have invited to the Philharmonic.

If I were to mention the opening concert, we have Mariana Bulicanu - soprano, Valentin Racoveanu - tenor and IonuțPascu - baritone. They will perform Carl Orff - "Carmina Burana". And in the closing concert, we have Dragana Radakovic from Serbia as soloist, Tiberius Simu - tenor and Balla Sandor - baritone.

About the other soloists and the other concerts... Together with the French National Orchestra we have David Fray on piano and Sarah Nemțanu on violin (she is also the concertmaster of the French National Orchestra). Also, during the festival, we have the participation of other soloists, such as Alexander Boldachev on the harp (a unique event that is part of the 5th edition of the Harpissima Festival, which is also in Timișoara) and, of course, on the 19^th of May, the soloists are Manuela and Dragoș Mihăilescu, who will perform Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor.

Do you expect the audience to be more local or tourists?

As far as our expectations are concerned, first of all the expectations are local, because this festival is a very traditional one. Of course, the influx of tourists is starting to increase and we are very happy about that. We even got a request now for more tickets. We can see that a momentum of cultural visits to Timisoara is starting to emerge this year.