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At the end of 2023, the George Enescu Philharmonic—Romania’s most important musical institution—and the Romanian Athenaeum—the home of the Philharmonic and a temple of national culture—embarked on a strategic process of transformation and development to meet twenty-first-century international standards.

The project, aimed at transforming these two institutions into the cultural core of Bucharest, connecting Romania to universal music, artists, ideas, and values, was conceived in partnership with OMA Vision, taking a medium-term view and resting on four mainstays:

Augmenting the George Enescu Philharmonic’s potential to provide audiences with the experience of seasons that achieve international standards of excellence and to enhance its international visibility thanks to the quality of its musicians and overall sound.

Transforming the Romanian Athenaeum into a vibrant center of culture by upgrading its technical infrastructure to ensure a musical experience of the highest quality and diversifying the cultural activities it provides, e.g. creating a museum and holding exhibitions and debates aimed at placing the Romanian public in contact with socially and culturally relevant ideas, as well as with acknowledged international figures.

Consolidating the educational and community side of the two institutions—here to include attracting younger and new audiences to music, culture, and universal values—to allow Romanians to identify and represent themselves as citizens of the world, defined by humanity’s fundamental values.

The project to transform the George Enescu Philharmonic and the Romanian Athenaeum could only begin with the reinvention of their brand identity, in such a way as to reflect the Philharmonic’s pioneering spirit, to attract and retain a broader and younger audience, and reposition themselves as institutions both nationally and internationally.

The Philharmonic’s new brand identity, which was launched in April 2024, is the result of an in-depth process of research, analysis, conversation, and creation, providing a challenge for OMA Vision and a revelation for the Philharmonic as an organization.

Discover the story of the Philharmonic’s reinvention as a twenty-first-century orchestra

The strategic development directions of the two institutions entail the implementation of major projects, for the achievement of which the support of the community and separate organizations is essential.

These strategic directions include:

• Ongoing improvement of the quality of the Philharmonic’s Seasons, not only in terms of their programme/repertoire, but also by attracting major international artists: conductors, musicians, soloists
• Digitalization of the Philharmonic and the Romanian Athenaeum: equipment and infrastructure, database, software, digital platforms, professional training in the use of new technologies
• Design and installation of new lighting, sound, recording, DVB, and HVAC systems that will meet the demands of protecting a historic monument, but also those of a twenty-first-century technical infrastructure
• Creation of a Museum of the Romanian Athenaeum meant to include as well exhibition spaces.