The pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja was the soloist of the concert which took place on Thursday, 16^th August 2011, during Enescu and the Music of the World Festival at Sinaia. Simona Tănascu chronicled the event and talked with the conductor Horia Andreescu as well as with the cellist Marin Cazacu, the festival's artistic director.

Sinaia, the Concert Hall of the Casino, the pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja and Romanian Sinfonietta Orchestra, conducted by Horia Andreescu; Concert for piano and orchestra by P.I. Tchaikovsky and Symphony No.9 From the New World by Antonín Dvořák on the programme - these are the coordinates for the event which took place Thursday evening. Its true significance was that of a concert which proved the generosity, simplicity and modesty of great artists who come to welcome the new generation. I felt this generosity before I heard the first sound in Tchaikovsky's concerto, I saw it in the look Mrs. Leonskaja addressed to the young members of the orchestra. I could say that the famous pianist accompanied them for twenty-five minutes in the sound journey called Piano Concerto by Tchaikovsky.

«Elisabeth Leonskaja is a great artist who loves Romania. She came here knowing that she will perform such a difficult concert as Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 with children and had that patience, that tenderness, that humour - when it was the case, that energy that she transmitted to the children. I am sure that this extraordinary model will remain in the memory of those who were present those two days of working with Elisabeth Leonskaja and on the stage that evening. » said the conductor Horia Andreescu about the collaboration between Romanian Sinfonietta Orchestra and Elisabeth Leonskaja.

But here is what the famous pianist said about the meeting with the very young musicians: « I am very pleased to see that Romania's musical future is in good hands, and the feeling of playing with people who want to learn so much is incredible. These young people are devoted to music and love it so much, it is truly a present. »

Add Dvorak's Symphony No.9 to P.I. Tchaikovsky's concerto and you will have a whole. A whole in which Horia Andreescu made the young musicians discover...

'…the musical and spiritual harmonization, the understanding of the role, of the responsibility of that moment in the progress, in the evolution of a symphonic work, which means the excitement of the first big responsibility that each of them is taking, but particularly the ones who are in leading positions, of groups, especially of woodwind - there are many things that build the whole, up to understanding a conductor's concept, a work's concept, the message, the meaning of a work - it is their chance to start and understand early how they must act (some of them are only fifteen years old), how wonderful it is to accomplish this thing. From almost seventy, only twelve of them have started working, collaborating with professional orchestras from the country - only a few of them and not since a long time ago.'

Such an encounter between great maestros and the very young artists is an unique opportunity, and we can say that the ones who were present in the Hall of the Casino in Sinaia were privileged. Elisabeth Leonskaja said about the audience: 'If there is something real happening on the stage, authentic music, the people in the audience forget about themselves and share our joy.'

'You have witnessed the enthusiasm of this kind audience, avid for an emotional burst, as it happened this evening', shared us the cellist Marin Cazacu.

All these could not have been possible if Enescu and the Music of the World Festival did not exist. When I was speaking about modesty, simplicity, and especially about generosity I did not refer only to Elisabeth Leonskaja and Horia Andreescu, but also to Marin Cazacu, cellist and artistic director of the festival. His faith in the strength and desire of the young generation of artists to find their way on the music path is what makes possible this, for now, unique festival in Romania. This is an example worth following.

What qualities should have those who are at the beginning of this troublesome path?

'To love people, to love musicians, to love music, to love Romania.' answered the cellist Marin Cazacu.