show category: Concert

OPERA APERTA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2026

On Tuesday, 23 June, at 7:30 PM, the International Opera Aperta Festival 2026 presents CONFESSIONS, a recital performed by the voice class of the “Gheorghe Dima” National Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca, held at Rákóczi–Bánffy Castle in Gilău.

The recital is built around the art songs of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a repertoire in which vocal expression is concentrated, direct, and closely connected to the meaning of the text. Far removed from the large-scale dimension of opera, these vocal miniatures propose a more intimate form of communication, in which voice, word, and instrumental accompaniment come together to create an inner discourse.

The programme follows different facets of emotional experience: love, longing, unrest, loss, and reconciliation. From this perspective, the recital is conceived as a dramaturgical journey, in which each art song contributes to the shaping of a coherent emotional progression. The title CONFESSIONS refers precisely to this dimension of the repertoire: the expression of personal states through a musical language that is restrained, yet highly concentrated.

The performers are young artists from the voice class of Associate Professor Florin Estefan, PhD, at the “Gheorghe Dima” National Academy of Music: Luca Balade, Robert Bede, Liviu Căpriță, Georgiana Costache, Marina Dobrescu, Lorena Avrămuș, Bianca Maria Iova, Karina Mitrana, David Năoian, and Andreas Szilagyi.

The recital is part of the activity coordinated by Associate Professor Florin Estefan, PhD, and Dr. Gergő Nagy.

The choice of Rákóczi–Bánffy Castle in Gilău as the venue offers a fitting setting for the chamber character of the programme. The event brings to the forefront both Tchaikovsky’s vocal repertoire and the artistic development of a new generation of performers.

The event has no interval and is expected to end around 8:45 PM.

Admission is free, subject to registration via an online form.

The registration form will be available soon.

Recommended age: 7+

The International Opera Aperta Festival is organised with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Cluj-Napoca City Hall, the Cluj-Napoca Local Council, the Cluj County Council, and the “Opera 2 You” Association.