Yesterday, the 17th of November, at the Romanian Athenaeum took place the concert of the Orchestra of the "George Enescu" Philarmonica under the wand of the conductor Christian Badea. The soloist of the evening was the famous pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja, who interpeted The Concert in A Minor for Piano and Orchestra by Edvard Grieg. The large public repayed the artists with thunderous applause and enjoyed the two encores offered by the pianist.

Here are some impressions from the artists and the ones present at the concert:

"I'm very happy everytime I'm in Bucharest. I love this city and I first came here during my teenage years. My life on the stage started here, when I won the Enescu Contest, so I always feel like home here. I played many programmes with the conductor and friend of mine Horia Andreescu, and now I discovered a new conductor, Christian Badea, that I adore. The orchestra has a special musicality, the musicians pay much attention to what they play, and all that I have to do is to bring the "artistic fire" on the scene, to bring the ideas and my love for music, so that we all do what is given to us: to bring people the love for music from our open hearts and warm up their souls." - the pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja

"We have a very interesting programme this week. We present the public a beautiful symphony, that was played a very long time ago, but in the last 30 years wasn't, by a young 16 years old composer named George Enescu. It's very strange that we need to discover George Enescu. And there is also another aspect: we are the Enescu Philarmonica and we have the duty to play all Enescu wrote, because it's national heritage, and here Enescu is at home. Besides, we have Elisabeth Leonskaja in this concert, who became a sort of friend of Romania years ago- she won the Enescu Contest when she was 18, I was 17 then, I became a big fan of Leonskaja amd I said: "I had to wait all this time so that, eventually, to have the occasion to work with her." She is an extraordinary person. Of course, a fantastic pianist, we know this. It's a great, great pleasure to meet her and work with her. I find it interesting: a 16-17 years old composer, a conductor that when he met the soloist, was 17, she was 18… we try a little bit to recreate this context of the teenagers." - the conductor Christian Badea

"An exceptional evening in the middle of the week, so that we embolden for a sprint towards the end of the week. An exceptional evening in which, on the scene of the Athenaeum from Bucharest the great spirits met - the conductor Christian Badea and this wonderful pianist, Elisabeth Leonskaja, who, I think, feels like hime here, on the scene of the Athenaeum." - Iulia Scântei, judge at the Constitutional Court

"It's been a very special show. Honestly, I didn't know Enescu's youth symphony and… beautiful. I am delighted. It's been a wonderful discovery for me. I won't praise master Badea anymore, because he's an excellent and well-known conductor. The second part, Grieg's Concert, was also amazing! The pianist is exceptional. The whole sang extremely well together; I was obvious there was a wonderful harmony." - Prince Mihai of Laufenburg

"I've had many collaborations with Elisabeth Leonskaja. She is a complex artist, she loves Romania. At the first Enescu Contest, at the age of 18, she won the first Prize. An extraordinary career! She was the only pianist Richter played with four hands or two pianos. A fascinating concert! Everytime she plays it there are new things in it, new sensibilities, and this bis- the replay of the Second part of the Concert by Grieg- had a special atmosphere, that sounded like a Swan song, but I am convinced Elisabeth Leonskaja, with her great artist charm, of great sensibility, of a high quality person, will come back to Bucharest." - the conductor Horia Andreescu

"Elisabeth Leonskaja is a model for many artists that want to follow this career. This interpretation of the Concert by Grieg ennobled us as well. It is something special to have her here because she loves the Romanian Athenaeum, she loves the "George Enescu" Philarmonic and, above all, she loves sharing her thoughts and all the joys of her discoveries through the music she plays. Of course, this concert had a special context, because it took place under the wand of the master Christian Badea - one of the greatest Romanian conductors. He is the one that succeeds, through all his concerts he made with the "George Enescu" Philarmonic, to reach an excpetional level, and the presentation of the fourth Youth Symphony by George Enescu is also a challenge the master Christian Badea proposed to the "George Enescu" Orchestra of the Philarmonic. This orchestra has the name of George Enescu and so, the dots connect. It's a symphony that's full of energy, gull of enthusiasm, optimism, hope. It's been a pleasure to listen to it. It rarely happens, but the public came to the conclusion that George Enescu has been a genius since a young age." - Marin Cazacu, the manager of the "George Enescu" Philarmonic