A magnificent concert hall, recognized as one of the warmest and most spectacular buildings in Europe, the Grand Auditorium of the Romanian Athenaeum is the largest and most accommodating of the spaces in which the public is invited to experience performances by the Philharmonic.
With a capacity of almost 800 seats, arranged to form an amphitheater, the Grand Auditorium is the venue for all the concerts of the Athenaeum’s symphonic and vocal-symphonic season, as well as for recitals and chamber and choral events.
It is also in the Grand Auditorium that other large-scale events are held - lectures, official ceremonies, various performances, and a series of concerts aimed at the young: Music Made Easy and Classical Is Fantastic.
On the circular wall can be seen a magnificent work of art: the Grand Fresco of the Athenaeum, and the sheer artistry of the architecture of the building as a whole—the magnificent arch that frames the stage, the richly ornamented cupola with its warm colors—adds a syncretic element to the concert experience.
The Athenaeum’s Small Auditorium is an intimate, elegant space that provides seating for ninety people. Designed mainly for recitals with a small number of musicians - soloists, duos, trios, quartets - the space provides the best possible setting for chamber music. It is the venue for concerts that form part of the Tuesday Evening Season and the Jazz Season, as well as numerous other chamber recitals.
The Official Salon has traditionally been the venue for press conferences, meetings with musicians, and statements by the Press Office of the George Enescu Festival. Starting from the 2024-25 Season, it has once more been used as a venue for concerts: recitals in the Baroque Salon series are held here, taking advantage of the Official Salon’s intimate ambiance, which is in harmony with the spirit of old music.
The first space that the public encounters is the sweeping vestibule with its twelve Doric columns that support the Athenaeum’s central dome, which are clad in stucco that imitates pink marble. The rotunda is framed by four spiral flights of stairs; in the middle of each, there is a recess in the form of a balcony that provides a view over the foyer as a whole. Each of the four flights of stairs leads to a large door that gives onto the concert hall, the principal space of the Athenaeum. Between 1893 and 1897, an extension was built behind the rotunda, which has as its backdrop the magnificent Carrara marble stair. This space is an uneven bifurcation, which provides a niche in which the bust of George Enescu is placed. The style is Neoclassical, with features specific to the late-nineteenth-century French Belle Époque.
Since 2022, when the first edition of the Athenaeum Summer Festival was held, the Esplanade and park of the Romanian Athenaeum have become spaces integrated into the concert life of the George Enescu Philharmonic. Entry to the open-air concerts is free and unconditional, with each event enjoying audiences of around two thousand music lovers of every age group.
The Romanian Athenaeum’s status as a national heritage monument, given its national importance and iconic architecture designed by French architect Albert Galleron, imposes, unfortunately, certain limitations concerning alterations to make it more accessible.
Access to concerts is by the main entrance, where concertgoers are required to present their tickets or invitations.
To see the seating chart for each auditorium, please visit the details page.
The three stall areas (left, center, right) are encircled by two rings of boxes, each with four to six seats, with even numbers on the left and odd numbers on the right as you look towards the stage. The Royal Box, which is the largest, is to be found in the center and has twenty-four seats.
Printed programmes of the concerts and recitals for the current week are available to the public
We want our audiences to enjoy classical music without feeling any constraints as to how they should dress.
Attending a concert of classical music is a special experience, in which the audience shares in a state of grace. Our receptiveness to beauty is enhanced by the respect we show the musicians and other members of the audience
Concerts usually have intermissions of around fifteen minutes, which are announced in the programme. You will know that the intermission is almost over when the lights dim in the foyers or when you hear the same signal as is traditional in the theatre: a gong or a bell.
Musicians’ performances during concerts of the George Enescu Philharmonic are protected by copyright laws.
Musicians’ performances during concerts of the George Enescu Philharmonic are protected by copyright laws.
Only children over the age of seen are allowed into the auditorium. There is no age limit for attendance at outdoor events.
Café Bar and stall selling books and CDs
