Enescu’s Pastorale-Fantaisie rediscovered by Gabriel Bebeșelea, at #EnescuOnline. Violinist Ray Chen and the Orchestra “Evgeny Svetlanov”of Russia join the conductor on stage

Between April 26 and 28, the Enescu Festival Online presents the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia “Evgeny Svetlanov” conducted by Gabriel Bebeșelea. The soloist is the Australian violinist Ray Chen, one of the most talented young musicians in the world today, highly regarded by critics and with an equally impressive public success.

The concert was performed during the 2019 George Enescu International Festival, at the Grand Palace Hall. The program opens with Enescu’s Pastorale – Fantaisie, an early work without opus number that was interpreted only once during the composer’s life, at its première in 1899. Put by Enescu at the back of his drawer of unpublished manuscripts, the score was brought to light 118 years later, in 2017, by conductor Gabriel Bebeșelea, who gave modern premières of the work in Cluj-Napoca and Vienna.

Violinist Ray Chen follows, winning over an audience of classical music lovers not only with his impressive technique but also with the passionate vigour he invests in the interpretation of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto. At the end of the concert, Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony creates a moment of profound romanticism with a repertory intimately known by the orchestra and instantly loved by the audience.

Ray Chen is a violinist who redefines what it is to be a classical musician in the 21st Century. With a media presence that enhances and inspires the classical audience, reaching out to millions through his unprecedented online following, Ray Chen’s remarkable musicianship transmits to a global audience that is reflected in his engagements with the foremost orchestras and concert halls around the world. Initially coming to attention via the Yehudi Menuhin (2008) and Queen Elizabeth (2009) Competitions, of which he was First Prize winner, he has built a profile in Europe, Asia, and the USA, as well as his native Australia, both live and on the disc.

Gabriel Bebeşelea is the Principal Conductor of the “Transylvania” State Philharmonic Orchestra of Cluj-Napoca. Admired for his enthusiasm and musicality, his reputation grew substantially and rapidly over the last years, establishing him as a fast-rising star of the conducting world. Highlights of the 2019/20 concert season include his debuts with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Tonkunstler Orchestra, and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Also, forthcoming engagements include returns to the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia “Evgeny Svetlanov” and the Ulster Orchestra. An inspired promoter of Enescu’s creation in all his projects, conductor Gabriel Bebeșelea stated in a recent interview: “One of the greatest satisfactions in my musical life comes from the fact that orchestras all over the world ask me these days to perform more and more music by George Enescu.”