The Romanian Youth Orchestra was founded in 2008 by cellist Marin Cazacu as part of an arts and educational programme supported by the Serafim Antropov Friends of Music Foundation and Lanto Communication. The orchestra brings together Romania’s best young musicians, providing them with a unique experience whose aim is to enable them to achieve their best. In recent years, the Romanian Youth Orchestra has been regarded as the country’s best, and in just a short period of time it has made an international name for itself, with European critics hailing it as one of the world’s leading orchestras.

From the very beginning, Cristian Mandeal has taken charge of training the orchestra. Under his leadership, the orchestra has become a Romanian success story. Able to turn every concert into a memorable event, Cristian Mandeal has given the country an orchestra of international calibre, setting a new standard of excellence.

At present, the Romanian Youth Orchestra: Spirit of Enesco and European Tradition project encompasses various directions for musical development. The aim of the programme is to enable musicians to train within the orchestra, to assimilate a rich repertoire through attendance of masterclasses, and, most importantly of all, to cultivate the pleasure of performing as part of an ensemble alongside internationally renowned conductors and soloists, such as Bogdan Băcanu, Sarah Chang, Amanda Forsyth, David Garrett, Stefan Geiger, Andrei Ioniță, Kristjan Järvi, Cristian Măcelaru, Roman Kim, Elizabeth Leonskaja, Ivan Ludlow, Plamena Mangova, Valentina Naforniță, Olga Pasichnyk, Wave Quartet, Peter Sadlo, Olga Scheps, Emmanuel Séjourné, Aleksey Semenenko și Pinchas Zukerman.

The result is a unique orchestra applauded in packed concert halls and venues that have included the Romanian Athenaeum, Sala Radio, the Georges Enesco International Festival, l’Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, the Ravello Festival, the Mahler Festival in Toblach, March Music Day in Ruse, the Youth Orchestras Festival in Milan, the Aix-en Provence Festival, the Berlin Konzerthaus, and the Berlin Philharmonic, Konzerhaus and Musikverein in Vienna, Grande Salle Pierre Boulez in Paris, Bozar in Bruxelles, ElbPhilharmonie in Hamburg – for two times, last presence in 2022 and more.

Since November 2011, the orchestra has been a member of the European Federation of National Youth Orchestras (EFNYO). As a member of EFNYO, the Romanian Youth Orchestra has taken an active part in the MusXchange programme, which is aimed at helping talented young musicians to take part in youth orchestra exchange programmes throughout Europe.

The Romanian young musicians will continue their international presences on new stages from Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg and more.

In addition to concerts around the country, the year 2023 marks another milestone for the orchestra, which has been invited to take part for the seventh time in the Young Euro Classic International Festival, held in the celebrated Berlin Konzerthaus. Also for the seventh time, the Romanian Youth Orchestra will enjoy the great honour of appearing onstage at this year’s Georges Enescu International Festival as part of the Great Orchestras of the World series of concerts.

Seen as a project that has reached full maturity, the Romanian Youth Orchestra continues its journey through the world of quality music, garnering international recognition, and is an ensemble educated in a spirit of professionalism within an exceptional musical setting.