CLASSICAL MUSIC, REIMAGINED: BRD LAUNCHES “THE ORIGINAL SUPERSTARS” AND TRANSFORMS THE ENESCU FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

Press release
Bucharest, August 28, 2025
 

As the main partner of the George Enescu International Festival, BRD Groupe Société Générale adds new chapters to the story of this major cultural event in 2025: the campaign “The Original Superstars” and Enescu in Control – a series of concerts from the festival’s main program that bring classical music into new and unconventional spaces.

Since 2023, BRD has supported the Enescu Festival, the largest cultural event organized in Romania and one of the most important classical music festivals in the world. As in the previous edition, the bank aims not only to support the festival but also to explore new ways to bring the music and spirit of the Enescu Festival closer to the public.

“We believe classical music can be part of anyone’s life and has the power to remain alive in any context. That’s why, at every edition, we strive to support not only the festival’s established stage but also initiatives that open new paths for classical music to reach a wider audience. For us, culture means freedom, openness and the courage to see the world as it is – in a space where all forms of artistic expression have their place,” said Flavia Popa, Secretary General of BRD Groupe Société Générale.

In 2023, the bank invited the public to discover the sensations music evokes through all senses, via diverse and multi-sensory experiences. This year, through the project The Original Superstars, BRD shines a spotlight on the great creators of classical music, evoking their power to fascinate and inspire, much like today’s most influential contemporary figures.

The Original Superstars offers a fresh perspective on the great figures of classical music, challenging the perception that “superstar” is a concept exclusive to the modern era. These iconic composers are brought into the present, revealing their vitality and rebellious spirit through contemporary lenses that revalidate them as stars of 2025.

The campaign is accompanied by two playlists available on BRD Music’s Spotify profile, exploring the subtle connection between classical heritage and contemporary culture. Curated by film director Bogdan Teodor Olteanu and film composer Ana Băncescu, the playlists – “Classic Inspiration” and “Classical Film Soundtracks” – offer a sonic journey through classical influences shaping today’s pop music and cinema. From Rachmaninoff to Frank Sinatra and to George Enescu’s compositions featured in Wes Anderson’s films, the selections highlight the creative continuity across generations and the power of music to transcend genres and eras.

Meanwhile, the cultural journalism platform Scena9.ro dedicates a series of portraits to composers George Enescu, Maurice Ravel, Dmitri Shostakovich and Pierre Boulez, whose works are featured in the festival program. These portraits invite the public to discover the composers not only through their scores but also through the stories and passions that defined them. Additionally, the editorial team at Scoala9.ro is launching an initiative that brings young voices in classical music to the forefront. Reports and interviews conducted during the Enescu Festival explore the world of young fans and artists, offering a fresh perspective on a musical career and reaffirming the idea that classical music can be cool, relevant and deeply connected to today’s generations.

In the same spirit, the new concert series Enescu in Control, powered by BRD and part of the festival’s main program, transforms the audience experience by taking music beyond traditional venues – where encounters with it become surprising, joyful, and full of discovery. Enescu in Control marks a festival first: an opening toward a cultural space that, over the past 17 years, has become a landmark for alternative music in Romania. Throughout the Enescu Festival, every Wednesday evening at 10:00 PM, Club Control hosts events featuring internationally renowned artists and top Romanian ensembles, offering a different kind of musical experience – free, experimental, in dialogue with jazz, electronic music and contemporary percussion.

George Enescu International Festival is one of the largest classical music events in the world, organized since 1958. The 27th edition takes place between August 24 and September 21, 2025, marking 70 years since the death of the great Romanian composer and musician George Enescu. This year’s theme is “Anniversaries / Celebrations,” and the program includes over 100 concerts performed by more than 4,000 artists from 28 countries, highlighting both Enescu’s artistic legacy and his profound impact on universal classical music.
 

About BRD Groupe Société Générale

For the past 9 years, BRD – Groupe Société Générale has supported contemporary voices and themes that build bridges between fields, communities, and generations through its Foundation9. Fundația9 operates through three complementary programs at the intersection of contemporary culture, independent journalism, and lifelong education: Scena9 (online cultural journalism), Școala9 (education journalism platform), and Rezidența9 (a space for cultural meetings and experimentation). Through these initiatives, Fundația9 BRD aims to bring relevant contemporary voices and bridging themes closer to the public.

BRD Groupe Société Générale is one of the largest banks in Romania. As of the end of June 2025, its total assets amounted to RON 90 billion.

BRD is part of Société Générale Group, one of Europe's leading financial services groups and a major player in the economy for over 160 years. The group has around 119,000 employees serving more than 26 million customers in 62 countries across the world and runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients:

•    Retail Banking in France, Private Banking and Insurance
•    Global Banking and Investor Solutions
•    Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services

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Media contact: Traian Traicu – 021 301 61 50 – traian.traicu@brd.ro