Bucharest National Opera Orchestra awarded Medal of Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Bucharest National Opera Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Jinga, performed on Sunday, July 12, 2026, on the open-air stage at Villa Rufolo as part of the 74th edition of the Ravello International Festival. Before the concert, the orchestra was awarded the Medal of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic.
The evening's soloist, violinist Alexandru Tomescu, performed Niccolò Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor, "La Campanella," on the Stradivarius Elder-Voicu violin. The program also included George Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody No. 2 and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Suite.
The orchestra’s concert marked the conclusion of Romania's semester of the Romania–Italy Cultural Year 2026. The Year opened on December 1, 2025, with a gala concert at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, also performed by the Bucharest National Opera Orchestra, and continued with more than 50 events held throughout Italy.
The program was conceived and promoted by the Embassy of Romania in Italy, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the High Patronage of the president of Romania, H.E. Nicușor Dan, and the president of the Italian Republic, H.E. Sergio Mattarella.
"These events, which have been and will continue to be organized throughout this year in both countries, for the delight of the public, help us get to know each other even better. The bond between our two cultures is inseparable and very old. The connection between people is extremely important,” said Romanian culture minister András István.
Before the concert, conductor Daniel Jinga, General Manager of the Bucharest National Opera, received the Medal of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic. The medal was presented by Federico Mollicone, Chairman of the Culture Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, to the applause of the audience, in recognition of the orchestra's contribution under his leadership to the development of bilateral relations within the framework of the Romania–Italy Cultural Year.
Daniel Jinga, General Manager of the Bucharest National Opera, emphasized the significance of the Romanian orchestra's presence on one of Europe's leading musical stages. "Everything that has happened is unique; this Romanian–Italian cultural season has been a tremendous success, and it is a tangible success that we will appreciate even more as time passes and this experience becomes a cherished memory,” he said.
The Ravello Festival, which reaches its 74th edition in 2026, annually brings together orchestras, soloists, and guest conductors from Europe's major cultural centers on the open-air stage at Villa Rufolo, suspended between sky and sea.
(Photo source: press release)
