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The Elisabeta Palace hosted, on Tuesday, the EUROPAfest Festival Evening, with Prince Radu remarking that this event marks "three decades of effort and inspiration" at the 2023 edition.
The 30th edition of the festival will take place between July 7 and 15.
"There are not many artistic events in the capital city that have such a long royal tradition. It has been many years since Luigi Gageos (the director of EUROPAfest) made this bet with himself, with Romania, (...) and managed to become an institution in itself over the years. But it's not surprising, we have to tell also to our friends who come from France, Switzerland or Great Britain, from the United States that the Romanian musical tradition spans at least three consecutive centuries - the 19th century until today, in a wonderful display of forces and talents. Today, our musicians are on all continents, there is almost no orchestra, in Switzerland, for example, that does not have Romanians as members and it was impossible for such a musical capital city as Bucharest not to have a jazz festival and a competition, which was later supplemented with other contemporary musical forms, which defined Europe at the beginning of the millennium", said Prince Radu.
He paid tribute to the efforts of the festival director to provide continuity to the event.
"I have a cerberus on my left, although he smiles, he doesn't accept any compromises and sometimes frustrates a lot of people because he refuses certain names and titles. All in all, it is the annual musical event, probably with the most recognition at Brussels and in the international music milieu, and if we continue to be together from here on, it will only benefit the current and future generations of spectators", added the Prince.
He also drew attention to the musicians from the Republic of Moldova.
"I would like to ask you, in time, not to forget that we are two Romanian countries, not only one. The Republic of Moldova also has inexhaustible musical talents. (...) In time, I suggest that we include the Republic of Moldova in events, for that there are practically no barriers in music and there are no barriers in general. The fact that we are here at Elisabeta Palace, in 2023, after enormous efforts in 1945 - 1947 so that there is no longer any chance of meeting, this means that the barriers do not exist", Prince Radu said.
For his part, Luigi Gageos thanked for the invitation to the Elisabeta Palace and for the support for almost two decades "not only formally, but with all the soul and with all the involvement".
"We already have for July 7 - 15 jazz musicians from 25 countries, including European countries and next to them Japan, the United States, Australia, I think also students from Africa studying in the United States, so musicians who completed their studies and who became musicians all over the world. With this edition, we want to succeed in making a first edition as good as the ones before the pandemic. There were editions in which we also went to Sibiu, the classical music part was performed there with the Philharmonic", said the director of the festival.
One of the most important annual musical events in Romania, the EUROPAfest Festival enjoys the High Patronage of Her Majesty the Custodian of the Crown and HRH Prince Radu.
The festival will start the marathon of EUROPAfest events on July 7 with the Opening Gala Concert and will end on July 15 with the gala in which the best artists perform.
In 2005, EUROPAfest was the first event in Romania to which the Royal House granted High Patronage, and since 2015 it has been included in the list of the most appreciated festivals in Europe, receiving the EFFE/Europe's Finest Festivals title. AGERPRES
