Partnership project - opening concert at Bern Kulturcasino,Dec 5, 2013

"Academia Sighișoara" is an international festival for young musicians and visual artists from all over the world. A place of encounter and interchange, a platform for contemporary art in the new EU country Romania. Academia Sighişoara was founded in 1993 under the name of Summer Music Festival Sigisoara by the Romanian-born Swiss violinist Alexandru Gavrilovici together with the Swiss flutist Heidi Indermühle. What began as a modest master course for music students from Switzerland and Romania in the romantic surrounding of the Sighişoara fort, soon became a significant Music Festival that attracted the notice of the international media. For the next three years Academia Sighisoara is co-financed by a grant from Switzerland through the Swiss Contribution to the enlarged European Union. Starting from October 2013 Academia Sighisoara is a partnership project of Association Cultura Viva Sighisoara from Bern, Switzerland and "Gheorghe Dima" Music Academy from Cluj, Romania.

The official launching of the partnership project was also the first concert of a concert cycle entitled „Great Romanian Musicians”, held at the Kulturcasino, Bern (Switzerland) on the 18th of November 2013. The event was co-hosted by the Association Cultura Viva Sighisoara (Bern) and the Romanian Ambassy of Switzerland, represented by her Excellence Mrs. Anca Opris, the Ambassador of Switzerland . The Romanian partner was represented by dr. Adriana Bera (pro-rector) and Carmen Stoenoiu of the „Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy, Cluj.

The project opening concert was also a hommage á Constantin Silvestri (1913 - 1969), the famous Romanian composer, conductor who’s 100 year anniversary is celebrated in the year of 2013. Viniciu Moroianu (piano, Bucharest), Alexandru Gavrilovici (violin, Bern) and Marie Trottmann (harp, Neuchâtel) performed works by Constantin Silvestri and George Enescu.

The concert series will continue in Romania, the Arcadia Quartet will perform at the „Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy (Cluj) on the 12th of December. This event will represent the Romanian official debut of the partnership between Association Cultura Viva Sighisoara from Bern, Switzerland and "Gheorghe Dima" Music Academy from Cluj, Romania.