On Friday, November 29th, the 51st edition of the International "Musical Craiova" Festival began. Ivona Stănculeasa, manager of the Oltenia Philharmonic in Craiova, shared more details about the series of events in an interview with our colleague, Ioana Țintea.

Ms. Ivona Stănculeasa, the 51st edition of the International "Musical Craiova" Festival opens today with a performance featuring the French violinist and conductor Gilles Apap. How has the Craiova public responded to this inaugural concert, and what feelings do you hope the audience will leave with after the event?

We hoped for and warmly welcome this response, as this morning's rehearsal with an audience gave us confidence that we will have a full house and that the success will meet expectations.

Through such an event, we aim to promote the fusion of styles-classical and contemporary, with influences from folklore and jazz from across the ocean. All these elements find expression in Gilles Apap's music. It is his first time in Craiova, and what we have seen this week, particularly how the musicians responded to his invitations-persistent ones at that-shows his talent in convincing them that music represents freedom and transcends borders. Music culture doesn't recognize nations or different languages; it unites us through the beauty of rhythm and melody.

Gilles Apap has collected music from all around the world, and he will bring it to the Oltenia Philharmonic stage to open the "Musical Craiova" Festival.

What are the highlights of the 51st edition of the International "Musical Craiova" Festival? What surprises have you prepared for the Craiova audience?

One of our favorite surprises is seeing the youngest laureate of the "Dinu Lipatti" International Piano Competition on the Oltenia Philharmonic stage. The first edition of this international competition concluded a month and a half ago, and its echoes still resonate in our hearts. Among the laureates is Robert Bașcoveanu, who represents the vibrant tradition of a renowned piano school. Craiova has produced great pianists over time, and Robert, under the guidance of Liviu Pârvu and maestro Mihai Ungureanu, is the latest talent in this lineage.

Maestro Ungureanu's pivotal contribution to the success of the competition's first edition must also be highlighted. Robert Bașcoveanu will confirm this trust, performing a recital featuring pieces from the Baroque to the Romantic era-Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Franck, and Rachmaninoff-a rigorous program that this talented 17-year-old offers to the audience of the 51st International "Musical Craiova" Festival.

What other events are on the program?

St. Nicholas will also visit Craiova as the Oltenia Philharmonic is located in the heart of the city and its Christmas Market (the largest in Europe). So, the visitators of Craiova can participate at this special concerts. On December 6th, we'll host a special vocal-symphonic concert conducted by Maximilian Haberstock, a young conductor well-known to Craiova audiences since his debut two years ago with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. This time, he returns with Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony and two vocal-symphonic works by Haydn and Schubert-a truly classical and harmonious program.

On December 13th, we will celebrate the Puccini Centennial. The Oltenia Philharmonic will honor this musical anniversary with a performance of Puccini's Messa di Gloria for soloists and orchestra. It will be the peak of this penultimate evening of festival, under the baton of maestro Radu Zaharia. We eagerly wait this Puccini concert, especially that this grand piece was never published during Puccini's lifetime, it was discovered only after World War II. So, on December 13^th, we have Messa di Gloria by Giacomo Puccini.

The final will be magnificent because it will be a concert that will bring together on the stage of Craiova Philharmonic musicians from Vienna alongside those from Craiova. Why am I thinking about Vienna? Why did we want to make this connection? Because Vienna was the classical music capital in the 20th century. And now, to celebrate the first concert of the Craiova Philharmonic Society founded 120 years ago, on December 17th Viennese waltzes will echo on our stage, celebrating this historic anniversary.

This year, the Oltenia Philharmonic in Craiova celebrates its 120th anniversary. How does this festival reflect the institution's history and tradition?

As I mentioned earlier, music transcends borders, the beauty of the rhythm and the charm of a song overcome the limits that we impose on ourselves or limits that others think they can impose on us. Music is this universal language that unites us and the fact that this year, our concert stage is open to renowned musicians whose names grace the world's most prestigious posters, this is an immense source of pride for us.

120 years obligate us to honor this legacy. It's a tradition we aim to preserve alive and showcase to the world, demonstrating that we have every reason to be proud. The Oltenia Philharmonic strides confidently into the future.