The Mozart Festival is an international event organized annually by the Romanian Mozart Society, in partnership with the “Gheorghe Dima” National Academy of Music (ANMGD) and the Transylvania Philharmonic. It was launched in 1991 to coincide with the bicentennial of the composer’s death, closely tied to the founding of the Society itself—an initiative led by the late Cluj musicologist Francisc László.
The festival’s strategy, initially under the presidency of Prof. Dr. Adriana Bera and currently under Assoc. Prof. Dr. Silvia Sbîrciu, remains true to its original principles: inviting world-renowned interpreters of Mozart’s music. Notable guests over the years have included Robert D. Levin as pianist and conductor, Malcolm Bilson with his fortepiano, violinist Jaap Schroeder, the Camerata Salzburg, and the famous composer and clarinetist Jörg Widman. The festival also places a strong emphasis on educating young audiences in the appreciation of classical music.
Renowned Romanian performers who have been invited to the festival include conductors Emil Simon and Horia Andreescu, pianists Dana Borșan and Viniciu Moroianu, violinists Sherban Lupu and Gabriel Croitoru, oboist Aurel Marc, and the Romanian Piano Trio, comprising Alexandru Tomescu, Răzvan Suma, and Horia Mihail, as well as the Transilvan Quartet, Ad Libitum Quartet, and Arcadia Quartet.
Masterclasses conducted by the festival’s guests are another important aspect of the event, aimed particularly at young artists and audiences, through initiatives like “Mozart juvenorum” and the “Do, re, mi, start!” educational concerts organized by ANMGD.
The festival often includes a musicology symposium, which has led to the publication of books such as two volumes of “Mozartian Studies” (2001 and 2007) and other works by Cluj musicologists like Francisc László, Ștefan Angi, Ecaterina Banciu, Gabriel Banciu, Adriana Bera, Melinda Béres, Dora Cojocaru, and Oleg Garaz. Some editions have also featured conferences, book launches, and film screenings.
The festival has consistently drawn attention from diplomatic missions in Bucharest, particularly the Austrian Embassy, under whose patronage it has been held over the years. The embassies of the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Sweden have also been involved, underscoring the festival’s significance not only in the cultural sphere but also in fostering international relations.