The Romanian violinist Alexandru Tomescu, professor at the Faculty of Music and Theater of the Western University of Timișoara, gave a concert on Saturday, June 17, 2023, entitled "Feast of the violin/ Fête du violon", offering the public the sound richness of the famous Stradivarius Elder violin- Voicu. The event was hosted in the Concert Hall of the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) – a prestigious institution whose building dominates the Mont des Arts space in the heart of Brussels. The cultural project held this weekend was also dedicated to World Music Day (June 21), with a unique exhibition on the agenda, entitled "À la redécouverte d'une amitié: George Enescu – Eugène Ysaÿe". As part of the exhibition, original scores signed by emblematic European composers, photographs and books from the royal archives, selected in close connection with the musical program of the concert, were brought to the premises of the Royal Library of Belgium. The particularly valuable objects, now exhibited for the first time, highlight the special relationship between the great Romanian composer George Enescu and the Belgian composer Eugène Ysaÿe.
The musical event was prefaced by the interventions of the director of ICR Brussels, university professor Dr. Liliana Țuroiu, rector of the Western University of Timișoara, prof. Dr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea and Dr. Marie Cornaz, director of the music department at KBR. To complete the introduction in the unique concert atmosphere, a laudatio presentation was given in honor of the presence of maestro Alexandru Tomescu in Brussels, by Mrs. Ana Camelia Ştefănescu, soprano, and Mr. Zeno Popescu, tenor and conductor of the Equinox Choir Brussels, two well-known musicians and appreciate.
Liliana Țuroiu, director of ICR Brussels: "It is a privilege to have with us a special partner from the Romanian academic environment, an institution recognized for its international openness, for its high-performance research projects and in which culture is capital - the Western University of Timișoara", emphasized Liliana Țuroiu in his speech."
Marilen Gabriel Pirtea, rector of UVT: "The presence of the Romanian musician Alexandru Tomescu in the capital of Europe, together with Belgian musicologists, artists and researchers, as part of a complex project organized with the support of the ICR Brussels team, confirms the fact that we want to succeed in attracting the attention not only of the general public, but also of the communities of specialists in everyone. As rector, I supported these initiatives and offered all the support to make this possible, in the special year of the European Capital of Culture – Timișoara 2023."
The "Violin Festival/Fête du violon" project is financed by the Municipality of Timișoara through the Project Center, as part of the cultural program "Timișoara 2023 - European Capital of Culture" and is co-financed by the Timiș County Council. The event held in Brussels also benefits from funding through the Inside Timișoara 2023 program, run by the Project Center of the Municipality of Timișoara, with amounts allocated from the state budget, through the budget of the Ministry of Culture.
