The second edition of Classix Festival is taking place in Iasi, between March 14 and 18, 2021. It opens under the concept of timelessness and marks the revitalization of artistic experiences in the current pandemic social context and its adaptation to contemporary audiences.
Festival program:
On Sunday, March 14, at 19:30, the Classix Aeterna concert will take place at the Roman Catholic Cathedral “Holy Virgin Mary, Queen”, performed by the artists: Dragoș Andrei Cantea – piano, Filip Papa – cello, Andrei Chirilă – violin, Mihai Ailenei – clarinet. This event marks the Iasi premiere of the composition of Olivier Messiaen – The Quartet for the End of Time, one of the most important Christian works in the modern chamber music repertoire, preceded by a sound meditation under the signature of Arvo Pärt. The visual projections inside the cathedral define the syncretic experience and offer a peculiarity that has already become a distinct feature of the festival.
On Monday, March 15, at 19:00, the Kaleidoscopic Trends concert will take place in the Hall of the Central University Library “Mihai Eminescu”, an event brought to life with the support of the Austrian Cultural Forum. With an effervescence that closely illustrates the contemporary classic adventure, the Viennese Artio Trio debuts in Romania. The concert program includes the Trio in B flat major for clarinet (violin), cello and piano by Ludwig van Beethoven, Kurt Estermann – Fragments I for violin, cello and piano (2019) and Antonín Dvořák – Trio Nr. 4 in E minor, op. 90 “Dumky”.
On Tuesday, March 16, at 19:00, the Tango vs. Jazz concert will take place in the Foyer of the Palace of Culture in Iasi. With the support of the Bucharest Czech Center, the guest artists represent an effervescent and original duo: Kristina Vocetková – cello and Milan Řehák – accordion. The feelings and passion of the tango intertwine with elements of jazz and Prague aristocracy in the concert repertoire: Astor Piazzolla – Libertango, Milonga del angel, Oblivion, Le Grand Tango, Ave Maria, Escualo and José Bragato: Graciela y buenos aires & Milontan.
Wednesday, March 17, at 19:00, the concert Intimate Echoes (Ecouri Intime) takes place, in the Hall of the Technical University „Gh. Asachi” from Iași. The event is held in partnership with the French Institute. The intimate space of the hall will be the ideal host of a seductive and profound recital by Rémi Jousselme, a world-renowned French guitarist, defined by interdisciplinarity. The compositions performed during the concert are: Joaquín Rodrigo – Tiento Antiguo, Joaquin Turina – Ràfaga, Jacques Duphly – La Forqueray, La De la Tour, Rondeau Tendre, La Millettina, Maurice Ravel – Pavane pour une infante défunte and Federico Mompou, from “Suita Compostelana ”: Prelude, Choral, Song, Muñeira.
On Thursday, March 18, at 19:00, at the end of the festival, the Classix In Perpetuum concert will take place, organized in partnership with the German Cultural Center from Iași, in the “Henri Coandă” hall of the Palace of Culture. The German pianist Alexander Krichel presents two suites: the virtuoso exhibition of sound paintings – Paintings from an exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky and the fusion between Romanian folklore and impressionist tendencies in Suite No. 2 for piano in D major, op. 10 composed by George Enescu.
The series of Classix-In-Focus educational dialogues will take place online: Tuesday, March 16, and Wednesday, March 17, from 13:00 – live, on the Facebook page of the Classix Festival. The sessions mark dialogues with entities such as Steinway & Sons, the Nordic Baltic Act-in-Art network and the Dextra Foundation of DNB Sparebankstiftelsen, one of the most important Nordic banking institutions, actively involved in Scandinavian cultural life.
Classix Festival announces the beginning of a new contemporary classic adventure in the most unpredictable period of our existence. The concerts will be broadcast online on the Facebook page of the organizers and will allow the presence of the public at the venues according to the regulations in force at that time.