23 YEARS IN THE SERVICE OF ROMANIAN HERITAGE AND COMMUNITIES
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The first edition of the project “Concerts on the Siret River”, initiated by Pro Patrimonio Foundation, took place between 18-21 August 2021 in three localities on the left bank of the Siret river: Mihăileni, Vârfu Câmpului and Călinești.
To mark 140 years since the composer’s birth, four concerts took place in the George Enescu House in Mihăileni – the starting point of this initiative.
On 18 August, the first concert of the series was performed by the Outis String Quartet. The four young musicians performed an original programme comsisting of compositions by George Enescu and by the quartet members.
August 19 was celebrated with chamber music concerts by pianist Raluca Știrbăț, soprano Simina Ivan and cellist Rudolf Leopold (Austria), as well as a concert by young soloists, students of the National Art Colleges “Octav Băncilă” in Iasi and “George Enescu” in Bucharest, students of the University of Arts “George Enescu” in Iasi and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
Also on August 19, the album “The complete Enescu musical works for cello and piano” with Rudolf Leopold and Raluca Știrbăț, released by Paladino music in Vienna in August 2021 and recorded in the showroom of the famous Austrian piano factory Bösendorfer, was released.
The surprise element of this series of cultural events was the presence of the Shukar Band (from the village of 10 Prăjini) on the evening of August 20, in Enescu’s courtyard in Mihăileni.
On the same evening of August 20, the Moruzi Mansion in Vârfu Câmpului hosted a concert with a very special repertoire, extended like a musical arc over time from Bach to 20th century atonal music. The programme opened with J.S. Bach’s Solo Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, performed by the young cellist Smaranda Iftime (2nd year student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki) and continued with works by Paul Hindemith, Luciano Berio, Giulio Viozzi performed by the violin duo Les Violons d’Ingres from Italy – Claudia Cancellotti and Erica Scherl.
The closing evening for the “Concerts on the Siret River” took place on August 21 at the Miclescu Mansion in Călinești with a program of lieder and arias performed by soprano Simina Ivan, pianist Raluca Știrbăț and cellist Rudolf Leopold.
“We asked ourselves: why do these neoclassical manors exist along the Siret river? Probably because the owners were refined people and who could afford to do very interesting things here. With this project, the Pro Patrimonio Foundation has initiated a novel way of rediscovering the Siret river and to bring together geography and culture in a new concept that is internationally accepted, namely the cultural landscape. What does cultural landscape mean? It means at the same time community, therefore us, culture, natural landscape and heritage” said Șerban Sturdza, President of Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
During the event there was a premiere screening of the documentary film “The Rebirth of the Enescu House in Mihăileni”, directed by Francisc Mraz, which presents the stages of the restoration process initiated by Pro Patrimonio Foundation and its introduction into the cultural and educational circuit with the help of local communities.
During the four days of events, 30 musicians performed in front of an audience of over three hundred people.
During the same period, landscape architect Nicolas Triboi carried out an anthropological and landscape expedition on the Siret River, aiming to use drawings, sound captures and dialogues with local people to create a modern x-ray of the river’s condition.
“Along the way I’ve been amazed. I discovered a living river, free of petty waste, clean, worth rediscovering and protecting, with odourless water and therefore without sources of pollution and with extraordinary river dynamics. This river is alive.” said Nicolas Triboi at the end of the field experience.
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“Concerts on the Siret” is a project initiated and designed by Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
Sponsors: Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații, Fundația eMAG, Elsaco, Vestra Industry, Formens, Electroalfa, Hidroplasto, Five Continents Group Botoșani, Lacto Solomonescu. Media partners: Jurnal FM
Project organized with the support of the “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iasi, the “George Enescu” International Society in Vienna, Cărturești, the I-portunus program and Mihăileni Town Hall.
Photos Ionut Iosub
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Jurnal Fm, Concerte pe Siret 18 august 2021 – Şerban Sturdza interview
TVR Iasi, emisiunea “Vară pentru voi”, 9 august 2021, editor Anca Medeleanu – Şerban Sturdza and Raluca Ştirbăţ interview
TVR Iaşi, emisiunea “Vară pentru voi”, 19 august 2021, editor Andreea Ştiliuc – Raluca Ştirbăţ interview
Botoșani Exclusiv TV, reportaj Concerte pe Siret, 18 august 2021
Adevarul, Concerte pe Siret şi muzica lui Enescu, în conace din Botoşani
Botoşăneanul, ”Concerte pe Siret” – 140 de ani de la nașterea lui George Enescu
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Read also
“Concerts on the Siret River”. Celebrating 140 years since the birth of George Enescu
Let the sound out, we have DIY instruments!
For the next 2 days, Andreea and Sorin are the musical hosts for sound explorations at Mihăileni. Today’s workshops interrogated the origins of sound, the path of instruments and the relationships between both sound and corporeality and between humans.
12 different types of instruments were drawn and built, using mostly wood as building material.
The orchestra of voices and instruments was thus tuned for the joint Sunday group meeting.
We thank the Mihăileni autumn for its understanding and postponing the rains until after the creative and play programs were completed.
The morning wakes us with a coldness reminiscent of early winter rather than late summer, and the rains insist. Yet no one skipped the landscape workshops.
Children participate practically and creatively in making herb pots, and the botanical prints far exceed the trainees’ expectations.
The weather allows us a portion of play in the glade and practice for Sunday championships.
We change the series to give as many children as possible the opportunity to take part in our workshops. We resume the activities of the first two days with 20 more children.
Even though autumn seems to have settled in full swing in Mihăileni, with cold temperatures and rain, the workshops go on outdoors in the tent, with more protective clothing and hot tea on the go.
Playtime after craft classes is the most successful warm-up remedy, and the glade across the road the best host for such activities. We eluded the rain during today’s workshops as well.
Pots, prints and a storm
On this day we set out to go home with a part of the Enescu House garden and some of its colours.
The children built their own wooden pots, equipped with waterproof foil, sand-pearl soil and 4 baby plants: rosemary, lavender, mint and sage. They each made a painted face dedicated to their drawing experiments, the figure of George Enescu as a friend of plants.
They imprinted big and small bags with local petals and leaves, using boiling and hammering techniques. They then experimented with some more exotic flavours such as turmeric and coffee and pigmented another series of bags.
However, the sport and play practice was interrupted by a fairytale thunderstorm which reminded us that autumn in Mihăileni comes much sooner than in Bucharest.
After all the activities related to preparing the courtyard and then hosting the concerts, it was the children’s turn to have a week dedicated to them. Yesterday five trainers worked with a team of 23 children from the local community.
In the first workshop they prepared a plant press construction. The press involved the actual wooden construction, the preparation of cardboard and paper inner modules for the positioning of the plants and a creativity competition in decorating the wooden covers of the press with pyrography and glued plants.
In the second workshop, the children learnt how to make an herbarium notebook by going through all its stages
After lunch the opposite glade hosted them for sports training in bedminton, volleyball and archery as well as a well-deserved rest in the shade.
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“The School of Landscape, Art and Sound” is a Pro Patrimonio Foundation cultural project co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.
UiPath Foundation is a Pro patrimonio Foundation paartner in the program “Academy of Music and Education for Children” which has been running from the beginning of 2020 at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Project Partners: Botoşăneanul, Radio România Muzical, Revista Zeppelin, National Geographic, AsoP, Filiala Teritoriala Vest, Societatea Internaţională George Enescu din Viena, Fundația Remember Enescu.
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Also read:
The School of Landscape, Art and Sound at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni
Worksite diary – Landscape and Art Workshop
From the 18th to 21st August, 2021, Pro Patrimonio Foundation launches the first edition of the event “Concerts on the Siret River” which will take place in area north of the Siret River, Botoșani County. This year the concerts will take place at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni, the Miclescu Mansion in Călinești and the Moruzi Mansion in Vârfu Câmpului. “Concerts on the Siret River” wishes to become an annual project, increasingly broad in terms of cultural offer, venues, notoriety, types of events and aims to attract a regional, national and foreign audience for a sustainable development, based on the local values and tangible and intangible heritage. The beauty of nature, the diversity of the architectural heritage, and the traditions of the region can support the development of rural areas and place them on the tourist, economic and cultural map of Romania.
The concerts will be performed by pianist Raluca Știrbăț, president of the International Society “George Enescu” in Vienna, initiator and supporter of the project to save George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni, cellist Rudolf Leopold (Austria), soprano Simina Ivan (Austria, Romania), the OUTIS Quartet, the violin duo Les Violons d´Ingres (Italy), Smaranda Iftime (cello) and the Shukar Fanfare (Romania). A special concert will be performed by young soloists, students of music colleges and universities in Iași, Timișoara, Bucharest and Helsinki. The project will include a screening of the documentary film “The Rebirth of the Enescu House in Mihăileni”, directed by Francisc Mraz.
The concerts aim to integrate the Enescu House in Mihăileni into the local and national cultural and educational circuit. During the chamber music concert on 19 August at the Enescu House, the album George Enescu – Complete works for cello and piano will be launched, which has just been released by the Viennese label Paladino music, featuring Rudolf Leopold and Raluca Știrbăț.
“To the north of the Siret River lies collection of elements that do not realize their own value. After doing a study on the development of tourism in Moldova, we found that the values of these places are more diverse and complex and that an overview could strengthen the cultural fabric of the area. This gave rise to the idea that music together with the cultural landscape could be coagulating elements, an important concept that Romania is trying to develop in all heritage policies. Music, architecture and cultural landscape are beginning to link a territory in which communities and people become effective actors. This led to the solution that Pro Patrimonio, who owns the Enescu House and has restored it, should create together with the people of the community, the town halls and local personalities a meeting point which the pandemic has complicated. What we initially thought of as a punctual and broad event had to be divided and transformed it into a triple event under the title “Concerts on the Siret River” over four days, fifty kilometres, from Mihăileni to Vârfu Câmpului and Călinești” said Șerban Sturdza, President of Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
“A chic little town and cosmopolitan border point of the Austrian Empire, Enescu’s Mihăileni preserves memories and moments more than precious, even decisive for the composer’s destiny. Built in the mid-19th century by his maternal ancestors – the distinguished Cosmovici family of priests and intellectuals, men with remarkable musical interests – the house once belonged to an economic and cultural area of great effervescence which is hard to imagine from our present perspective. The Pro Patrimonio’s “Concerts on the Siret River” project aims – by combining heritage and cultural-educational actions, where music plays a central role – to revitalize this region by attracting and involving local communities and start acting by raising awareness in the extremely complex and diverse potential of this region. We look forward to a large and enthusiastic audience, as well as supporters and donors who we are convinced will understand the value of a space with unique values in the Romanian landscape and beyond” said pianist Raluca Știrbăț, President of the International George Enescu Society Vienna.
Enescu House, Mihăileni
17.00
Project “Concerts on the Siret River” and the George Enescu House in Mihăileni presentation for the press
19.00
Chamber concert by the OUTIS Quartet. David Ursei (violin), Francisco Ramonda (violin), Mihai Todoran (viol) and Victor Sandu (cello).
20.30
Premiere screening of the documentary film “Renaissance of the Enescu House in Mihăileni”, directed by Francisc Mraz.
Free admission.
Enescu House, Mihăileni.
Concerts organized to celebrate the 140th anniversary of George Enescu’s birth.
18.00
Concert of young pianists, students of the “Octav Băncilă” and “George Enescu” National Art Colleges in Iași and Bucharest, students of the “George Enescu” University of Arts in Iasi and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki: Tudor Jora, Irina Petrescu, Matei Dumitrescu, Mateea Bâzgă, Ana-Karina Voion, Mario Lucaci, Viviana Țaga, Carmina Vidrașcu, Beatrice Popliuc, Cosmin Gavrilă, Smaranda Iftime (cello). Extremely promising musical talents who have already proved their abilities in numerous national and international competitions, they will perform works of great difficulty from the Romantic and Romanian repertoire.
Ora 20.00
Chamber concert. Guests: Raluca Știrbăț (piano), Simina Ivan (soprano) and Rudolf Leopold (cello, Austria).
Launch of the album: George Enescu – The complete works for cello and piano
The programme of the two concerts will include works by George Enescu, Béla Bartók, Franz Liszt, Serghei Rahmaninov, Claude Debussy.
Free admission.
George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni, Botoșani county, a historical monument owned by Pro Patrimonio Foundation, was saved from collapse and underwent a seven-year restoration process. This is where the composer spent his childhood and adulthood, completing many of his masterpieces. It was the last place he visited before leaving the country for good in September 1946. The house belonged to George Enescu’s mother, Maria Cosmovici, and was built by her parents most likely in the mid-19th century. Today, the house is given back to the local community as a cultural and educational centre. In 2020 the restoration works were completed, a moment marked also by the inauguration of one of Pro Patrimonio Foundation’s most ambitious projects, the “Academy for the Study of Music and Sound”.
Moruzi Manor, Vârfu Câmpului
18.00
Chamber concert. Guests: Les Violons d´Ingres (violin duo, Italy) and Smaranda Iftime (cello)
Access by invitation only.
The duo “Les violons d´Ingres” was born in 1997 from the meeting of violinists Claudia Cancellotti and Erica Scherl, both students of maestro Enzo Porta. Since then, the duo has performed in various Italian and foreign cities such as Bologna, Florence, Perugia, Windhoek, Jerusalem, Ramallah and others. The participation of the two musicians is due to the support received from the European I-portunus programme.
The Moruzi Mansion in Vârfu Câmpului is close to the Siret River and is set in a park-like courtyard made up of a natural reserve of ancient oak trees. The beauty of the place is quite special and can create a unique setting for cultural events: concerts, workshops, conferences.
Enescu House, Mihăileni
19.00
Shukar Band Concert.
Free admission.
The Shukar Fanfare from the village of Zece Prăjini, Iași, has distinguished itself by its specifically Balkan tones, the musical style being associated with that of Goran Bregovic. In 1993, the band’s music was launched abroad by the former sovereign of Romania, Michael I, visit to Montreux. With over 25 years of activity, under the guidance of the leader Costică Panțîru, the band members have travelled all the continents, giving concerts in Europe, Asia, America, and even being for a period (2006 – 2009) employees of the Zingaro Theatre in Paris. They can boast of tours in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Brussels.
Miclescu Manor, Călinești
19.00
Recital of lieder and arias. Guests: Simina Ivan (soprano) and Raluca Știrbăț (piano)
Access by invitation only.
The Miclescu Ensemble from Călinești is, at this moment, probably the most authentic restored manor house in Romania, a model of relationship with the local community. The manor was a model of a modern agricultural farm and one of the oldest and most beautiful manor houses in Romania during the interwar period. Nationalised and destroyed after the advent of communism, the manor was recovered by its direct descendant, Mr. Radu Miclescu, and restored with care and dedication. For 15 years, the Miclescu Manor has become a unique artistic space, a successful agricultural farm, an educational restoration site, a welcoming place after its inauguration for intellectuals, artists, journalists and politicians. The social and philanthropic imprint of the Miclescu family also extended to the church at Cervicești and, in general, to the local community, for which it created jobs and provided aid in various forms.
All activities take place outdoors.
On August 18, 19 and 20, from 18.00 and until the end of the events of each evening in the garden of Enescu House in Mihăileni, Cărturești Bookstore will organize a book stand from which books of literature, architecture, music, art and children’s literature can be purchased.
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Concerts on the Siret is a project initiated and designed by Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
Sponsors: Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații, eMAG Foundation, Elsaco, Vestra Industry, Formens, Electroalfa, Hidroplasto, Five Continents Group Botoșani, Lacto Solomonescu.
Media partner: Jurnal FM
Project organized with the support of the “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iasi, the “George Enescu” International Society in Vienna, Carturesti, the I-portunus programme and the Mihăileni Municipality.
Pro Patrimonio Foundation has been intervening for over 20 years in almost all regions of Romania to revitalise and strengthen disadvantaged communities remote from areas of progress. The aim is to re-establish community identity links for a built heritage that is currently abandoned, has lost its role, and, as far as possible, to reintroduce it into the economic and cultural circuit. Actions focus on practical education projects, aimed at rehabilitating and re-functionalising the historic heritage, as well as community involvement and awareness of their own identity. As a non-profit non-governmental organisation with branches in Romania, UK and France, the Foundation runs projects designed to save heritage, educate and raise awareness regarding the importance of cultural heritage.
Read also How our “Concerts on the Siret River” were
Epilogue.
Even if Tuesday and Wednesday were the days of travel for volunteers and the Pro Patrimonio team on both days we worked hard to clean the place and complete the main path. We relied exclusively on the help of older children from Mihăileni, whom we thank, once again, for an exemplary involvement.
The last touches of this year’s garden arrangement will be made during the week of the landscape and sound workshops, August 23 – 29, together with our 100% reliable team from Mihăileni: the children’s community.
We leave free the place for Concerts on Siret, a new project conceived and initiated by Pro Patrimonio.
We saved the last day of summer school for planting on the side of the house and cleaning the back bank.
Once they know us in the community, the children of Mihăileni cannot imagine not helping us. So we have been working with some of them today.
We ended the entire program with a surprising and comprehensive four-hour tour of Mihăileni with the local history teacher.
We are glad to have been able to leave behind a brighter face of the garden and a better context for future cultural events.
Sunday – day for rest
After a week full of adventures, almost daily rain, searching, hiking and hard work, we chose a Sunday with somewhat more relaxing activities.
In the morning we went to see the pulse of the Mihăileni market.
Until noon we gave free control over botanical print experiments personalising the site shirts with leaves and flowers.
In the afternoon we were welcomed for a special visit to the Miclescu Manor at Călinești where we were loaded with stories of the place and photos of the garden and the house.
We collected sights from our trips, vegetables from the greenhouses in Mihăileni and ended the day with an overnight visit to a village wedding.
Communitary Saturday – call to “clacă” (work gathering).
The yard was cleaned, decorated and prepared all morning to receive the visit of the Mihăileni villagers coming to attend the work gathering. Together with the village boy-helpers we “sprinkled” the planting beds with pine wood chips, put all the plant pots in place, edged the current “pool” and the future main walkway with Corten sheeting and prepared the botanical print workshop.
Around 25 children and a few adults joined the afternoon planting event. With many of the children we had the joy of seeing each other again after last year’s workshops. We were pleasantly surprised to see the children as enthusiastic and full of life as they were in 2020. The race of “who planted the most plants” was hard to contain. Good thing the team kept up with the kids’ fast pace. You could see the results of the two-hour teamwork in front of the house in ornamental plants and shrubs along the fence.
The reward for the labours of the land came in the form of pies, doughnuts and a musical recital by a nearby children’s group.
We squeezed the last of the children’s strength in a hammer concert to print their souvenir bags.
End of the day with a round of tag in the garden, watering plants and stories on the porch. That’s enough for today. We look forward to a Sunday of relaxation and artistic experimentation.
A day as intense as can be in Mihăileni!
We depend on mechanised machinery to make our garden work more efficient and to fit into a particularly tight timeframe. Yesterday’s storm blocked machine access to the garden in the morning and even by midday we were anxious whether the excavator tracks would be able to scrape through the muddy site.
Luck and the machine users’ goodwill were on our side and we managed to fill the drainage ditch today.
Along with this big bump, we prepared the ground for Saturday’s upcoming plantings and welcomed the new family of decorative and climbing plants as well as the bags of mulch to our yard.
The future gravel driveway has now become a geotextile “pool” and is temporarily set up as an amphitheatre space for the “clacă” concert.
The evening of this full day also sees the “christening” of the new drainage system with a heavy rain, in the spirit of what we are already used to these days.
Ground mounts decrease in some parts but increase in other areas of the garden.
Storm code, mud pools and geotextile paths through the house and garden.
This day was not without adventures for the Enescu House team either. The work was largely split between those levelling the kerbs of the new gravel driveway and starting to dig the soil for the future decorative areas in front of the house, and those working ‘in the trenches’ on the house drainage ditch.
Along with manual work with shovel, spade, sledgehammer and foil preparation the excavator completed and helped us for a good part of the tasks.
Unforeseen events are always present, but accompanied by good humour, good food from Siret and help from neighbours.
The landscaping site has started!
Even though the full team was to meet up only in the afternoon, the work started in earnest.
One of the major works planned for this week is the resurfacing of the main driveway. We want a generous gravelled area in front of the house to better showcase it and more appropriately host local educational and cultural events.
So we cleared the old stone kerb path and the landscape volunteers from Cluj laid out the new path.
Although we were to receive the mechanical help of the excavator only tomorrow, the local crew surprised us with time to spare for the work and we started digging for both the new driveway and the new drainage ditch for the house in first day. The site “got ennobled” along the way with mounds of dug dirt and deep mud left from the rain. The team hangs on tight!
The three volunteers arrive from Bucharest during the day so the next day we will be more prepared to fight for the new Enescu House garden.
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The diary documentation through texts and photos was done by Andreea Machidon, coordinator of the Heritage Education program for Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
Work team: Andreea Machidon, Mihai Puica, Diana Teodora Vacaru, Adina Ispas, Mihaela Lungu, Adina Rachita, Ana Maria Pravicencu, Ruben Mardaru şi Marcu (+2y).
Details about the School of Landscape, Art and Sound at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni
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“School of Landscape, Art and Sound” is a Pro Patrimonio Foundation cultural project, co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or the way its results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.
UiPath Foundation is a Pro patrimonio Foundation partner in the program “The Children’s Academy of Music and Education” which has been running from the beginning of 2020 at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Project parteners: Botosaneanul, Radio România Muzical, Revista Zeppelin, National Geographic, AsoP, Filiala Teritoriala Vest, Societatea Internaţională George Enescu din Viena, Fundația Remember Enescu.
06.07.2021
Good news for our Enescu summer!
The new funding approved by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund completes our plans for this year in Mihăileni, started together with the UiPath Foundation, and the coming period seems to be full of surprises.
Under the name “The School of Landscape, Art and Sound”, this year at Casa Enescu we are bringing together two workshops centred around the notion of landscape and the practical and creative resources it offers.
From 28 July to 2 August 2021, six days will be dedicated to the Landscape and Art Workshop for the redevelopment of the George Enescu House courtyard and the artistic exploration of the natural resources offered by the garden and its surroundings. The garden work dedicated to young professionals in the field and the general public, will try to familiarize participants with as many stages as possible in the layout, preparation and arrangement of the site, while facilitating study visits to the area and becoming the basis of artistic experiments such as plant presses and natural pigments.
From 23 to 29 August, 40 children from three communities around the George Enescu House in Mihăileni will take part in the Landscape and Sound Workshop where they will practice their roles as landscape gardeners, gardeners and botanical artists through games and practical or artistic projects. In keeping with the specificity of the place, the study of sound will complement the children’s experience with specialists in the field and will challenge them to develop their practical skills through the construction of their own instruments, thus experimenting with the different qualities of the local wood species.
The materials gathered during the workshops and along the way, as well as the dedicated field study during this period will form the basis for the production, by the end of the year, of a Heritage Notebook, a tool for the creative exploration of the Enescu House and its surroundings through practical, sensorial or artistic challenges. The booklet will be conceived as a guide to the place, revealing the house history, architecture and garden, as well as elements of cultural identity in the immediate vicinity that can be accessed on foot, by bicycle or by car. This online-offline resource is offered to the general public who wishes to discover for themselves the story of the house and its surroundings.
“With all the challenges we encountered, the experience of the heritage workshops for children started last year at Enescu House convinced us that the long road between Bucharest and Mihăileni is worth the effort every time the opportunity arises. The community children’s openness, interest and joy sincerely impressed us and we hope that this year’s meetings will bring the children’s community even closer to the Foundation’s initiatives, to the Enescu House and its history in general, but more than that, perhaps to the way of relating to heritage, which we hope they will be able to carry forward in any future context they may find themselves in.” Andreea Machidon, Heritage Educational Programs Coordinator for Pro Patrimonio Foundation
By means of the proposed workshops and activities we want to complete the process of transforming the George Enescu House in Mihăileni, as a house — garden ensemble, into a cultural and educational center. It facilitates educational and cultural programs for adults and young professionals who want to complement their theoretical knowledge with practical or artistic exercises and experiments, and carries out educational activities for children in the vicinity throughout the year, together with partners UiPath Foundation, local teachers and guests from outside the community.
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“The School of Landscape, Art and Sound” is a Pro Patrimonio Foundation cultural project co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.
UiPath Foundation is a Pro patrimonio Foundation partner in the program “The Children’s Academy of Music and Education” which has been running from the beginning of 2020 at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Project’s parteners: Botosaneanul, Radio România Muzical, Revista Zeppelin, National Geographic, AsoP, Filiala Teritoriala Vest, Societatea Internaţională George Enescu din Viena, Fundația Remember Enescu.
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Call de participanţi: Şcoala de Peisaj şi Artă
George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni was again filled with sounds, happines and children at the end of October 2020 when “The Childrens’ Academy for Music and Education”, the music program developed by the Pro Patrimono Foundation in partnership with UiPath Foundation, debuted in several small series.
24 children received individual musical instruments and continue the program through weekly work. They are guided by Mrs. Paula Gavriluţă, a teacher in the community. The children experienced the sound of blockflots for the first time and had fun with the rhythms of the boomwhakers.
Mihăileni, 18 August 2020
After 7 years from the signaling of the emergency situation, the restoration site of the George Enescu House in Mihăileni ends, and the house will be inaugurated with a piano recital by pianist Raluca Știrbăț. The concert is dedicated to the supporters of this project and to the memory of George Enescu, whose birth marks 139 years today.
The inauguration concert of the George Enescu House in Mihăileni will take place on August 19, at 7.30 pm. Pianist Raluca Ştirbăţ, president of the “George Enescu” International Society in Vienna, will perform for a small audience in the house courtyard. In 2013 she reported the disastrous situation of the composer’s mother’s house, Maria Cosmovici, and made efforts to classify it as a historical monument in November 2014 (LMI code BT-IV-m-B-21063). Subsequently, the Order of Architects of Romania (Bucharest and North-East branches) and the Remember Enescu Foundation, whose president is the violinist Alexandru Tomescu, joined forces to responsibly save a landmark of major importance for our national identity and European cultural heritage.
The rescue project of the Enescu House in Mihăileni started and continues as a common effort, in which private entities, individuals and legal entities, support financially or in nature the entire restoration effort. From 2014 until now, Pro Patrimonio Foundation has held over 15 events and charity concerts in Vienna, London, Paris, Iași and Bucharest. In November 2019, the Enescu house became the cause for the Ball of the Romanian nobility and friends, thus financing the continuation of the construction site.
The Pro Patrimonio Foundation became the sole owner of the monument through the donation of a third of the house made by Dr. Ștefan Botez, successor of George Enescu, and through the direct acquisition of the rest of the house, money also obtained from private donations
Following the general policy of the foundation carried out over the 20 years, the rescue interventions of a monument were constantly done together with for the local community. As in the case of other Pro Patrimonio projects that are living spaces used for cultural or educational purposes by the local community (example Vila Golescu from Câmpulung Muscel, Wooden Church from Urşi, PP Carp Manor from Ţibăneşti, etc.), and in the case of the George Enescu house from Mihăileni, we carry out the same locally adapted procedure. Following the development of the partnership with UiPath Foundation, we have developed a music education program dedicated to children from neighboring local communities.
The integration of the George Enescu House from Mihăileni in the cultural and educational circuit is done through the Children’s Academy for Music and the Study of Sound “George Enescu” from Mihăileni, which aims to function as a center of excellence. It will bring together both the memorial component and the music education component, hosting residencies for people involved in artistic creation, music research. Adjacent spaces in the vicinity of the memorial house will accommodate young students and visitors. The education module, the Children’s Academy for Music and the Study of Sound, developed in partnership with the UiPath Foundation, is part of this broader program and will involve children in the area, giving them the chance for quality education and a unique cultural environment close to families and their households
The piano belonged to Mircea Vulcănescu and is a donation with traceability in documents. The instrument, a Bösendorfer from 1928, was refurbished in Bucharest and used, over time, by several musicians, among others, Dinu Lipatti and Johnny Răducanu.
The concert will be presented with the support of TVR Iași and the team led by Gabriela Baiardi, loyal supporters of the Enescu House cause in Mihăileni.
Thoughts at the inauguration
“A beautiful project is just beginning. I’m refering to the education and research project in the field of music. It starts in Mihăileni, at the Enescu house, and we hope to include as many interested people from the international world as possible. In the seven years of sustained efforts, the place where Enescu spent a lot of time, in childhood and adulthood, was rehabilitated, restored, completed. At the same time, it has become a pretext for many people from different villages, cities or countries to come together and make plans together to turn this place into a landmark for future cultural projects. The building will not only be a museum, but a place for exchanges of views on music, education and expanding the field of research, with scientific and aesthetic shades. This is how a porch that surrounds two sleeping quarters, a few rooms and a typical Moldavian kitchen with a bed over the oven can become a favorite place for the most prestigious artists of the future. ” – Serban Sturdza,president of the Pro Patrimonio Romania Foundation
“There are moments of grace in life when the surreal becomes real and dreams become reality. Mixing in a handful of beautiful, smart and incredibly good children, although noisy, in the yard of Enescu’s childhood home in Mihăileni is such a moment. After years of hard work and effort, the dream of kind and idealistic people, confident in lost causes – after all, the only ones worth fighting for – has come true. We thank all the donors and supporters who joined us and were not scared! Together we managed to transform the sad, desolate and shameful image of a ruin into a living, cheerful and authentic space! I think the Master would be happy to walk among the kids, with his hands behind his back and already quite bent, and to ruffle one or another restless kid with his huge hands. He might have crafted a violin out of a corn stalk or them, but he would have liked to gently direct the brush on paper and mix the watercolors, as he juggled the harmonies of his mother’s old piano in the house in Mihăileni.
Dear Master, we hope you enjoy our gift and our reverence! And maybe you’ll visit us, from time to time, to tell us if we’re doing our job well … ” -pianist Raluca Știrbăț, president of the “ George Enescu ” International Society in Vienna.
“I am glad with all my heart that today, finally, George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni will be officially inaugurated. More than 6 years ago, when I first went there with Mr. Archbishop Serban Sturdza, such a moment seemed a pure fantasy. Here that the sustained efforts of the entire community of artists, architects, people passionate about culture have finally yielded results. I would like to thank all those who supported this cause and especially Raluca Știrbăț. The Remember Enescu Cultural Foundation has been organizing cultural activities in Mihăileni for 5 years – classical concerts, within the Stradivarius Tour, summer masterclasses, painting camps, etc. I am sure that George Enescu would have been shocked by the emotion and joy seeing what is happening today in Mihăileni. ”
Audio message https://bit.ly/AlexandruTomescuaudio– violinist Alexandru Tomescu, Remember Enescu Foundation
„The inauguration of the Enescu House from Mihăileni is an event of major importance for the Romanian culture. The resonance of the complex activity that George Enescu had is continuous and inspires the lives of musicians everywhere with a special intensity. It is a Romanian duty to remember the Enescian genius in the richest possible forms. The initiative to create an Enescu House open to musicians, composers and music lovers magnetizes with a special force and fulfills a dream, which has been fully realized.
I would like to congratulate especially the initiator of this project necessary for our nation, Raluca Șirbăț, pianist and special personality of our musical world, who managed to excite a team of precious collaborators, who brought this wonderful dream to fulfillment. ”
– Violeta Dinescu, composer
“At a time when everything is falling apart around us, from the cancellation of shows, concerts and the diminution of culture in general, new rays of light appear, such as this wonderful house of Enescu’s from Mihăileni. Remade and ready to be connected to the music world, it is an element of national pride. A kind of normalcy obtained with abnormal efforts, in a country that wants to be normal ….
Thank you Raluca Știrbăț for saving this building and I can’t wait to see it with my own eyes! – Remus Azoiței, violinist, professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London
Video message sent by Ileana Tonca, soprano, Staatsoper Vienna https://bit.ly/IleanaToncaVideo
Video message sent by Ștefan Șimonca-Oprița, violinist, student at the Faculty of Music in Saarbrücken https://bit.ly/ȘtefanȘimoncaOprița
Video message sent by Ana-Maria Sandi, daughter of the painter Dumitru Bâșcu, George Enescu’s brother https://bit.ly/AnaMariaSandi
The inaugural concert of the George Enescu House is part of the project “EventFull Days at George Enescu House – cultural-musical explorations and exercises”, a cultural project realized by Pro Patrimonio Foundation in partnership with UiPath Foundation, co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the project results can be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding beneficiary.
Pro Patrimonio Foundation and UiPath Foundation announce the start of the project Childrens’ Academy for Music and Education active in George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni, Botoșani County.
The purpose of this educational project, launched with the partnership between the two organizations, is to develop the potential of children in these rural communities and to use George Enescu’s house, a historical monument, for educational purposes. The initiative is under the umbrella of George Enescu Academy for Music and the Study of Sound, initiated by Pro Patrimonio and which made it possible to integrate the George Enescu House from Mihăileni into the cultural and educational circuit, thus transforming it into a center of excellence for the study of music.
The musical education project The Childrens’ Academy for Music and Education will be carried out throughout the year 2020 and will involve children from the secondary schools in the area, offering them access to quality education and a unique cultural environment in the proximity of the communities they belong to.
Using a historical heritage house as a tool for child education and the creation of a community around it is part of the strategy by which Pro Patrimonio Foundation has managed to save other monuments. This way, the George Enescu house in Mihăileni will be preserved and appreciated. This is the only memorial house for George Enescu in Romania that honours the composer’s memory through education and active musical culture creatively enhancing his legacy. Soon, thanks to these events, the George Enescu house in Mihăileni will enter into an active cycle that will make children and young people interested in music and the culture of the place very happy. It is a risky challenge because the rural localities are depopulated and the social cohesion is weak. Therefore, the chance is to offer the inhabitants attractive alternative activities and to connect them with music lovers from the most distant corners of the world. The memory of George Enescu, the beauty of the landscape and the architectural monuments, the complexity of the activities, all in one place have the chance to generate a cultural nucleus full of meaning. This is the scenario of a new event declared declared Șerban Sturdza, President of Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
We have joined Pro Patrimonio Foundation in this unique initiative and we believe that the potential of children in rural areas can be enhanced by creating educational opportunities in the communities they belong to. We are expanding our intervention to Botosani County in 2020 with an approach focused on facilitating access to education for vulnerable children in the communities around the George Enescu house in Mihăileni. The educational support package, which we already offer in Bucharest, Cluj, Galați and Vaslui counties, takes into account the complex needs faced by children from vulnerable families in their journey towards a better future, declared Raluca Negulescu-Balaci, Executive Director of UiPath Foundation.
In addition to the musical education activities constantly carried out within the Academy, annually, during the summer, for one week, non-formal education workshops will be organized by Pro Patrimonio in Mihăileni, while UiPath Foundation will include 20 children from vulnerable families who come from the communities around the George Enescu House in the Future Acceleration Program, an integrated support project granting access to education.
About UiPath Foundation
UiPath Foundation is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political, non-religious organization that helps children from vulnerable backgrounds to reach their potential and grow alongside their communities, through equal access to education and by developing the skills of the 21st century. UiPath Foundation was founded by UiPath in January 2019 and acts as an independent organization
Starting with children from Romania and India, UiPath Foundation runs educational programs that respond to the multiple needs of children facing poverty, in partnership with local non-profit organizations.
About Pro Patrimonio
Pro Patrimonio is a non-profit organization whose main mission is the conservation, rescue and reactivation of cultural heritage facing extinction, especially architectural heritage. The aim is to reintroduce into the economic circuit a built heritage presently abandoned that has lost its role and to restore its identity and community ties. The actions are focused on practical education projects, oriented towards the rehabilitation and re-functionalization of the historical heritage, as well as on the communities’ involvement and awareness-enhancement with regard to their own identity. Pro Patrimonio Foundation supports the idea that every citizen can become responsible for heritage and that, by being consciously involved in its responsible use, he can gain advantages and satisfactions while contributing to the consolidation of culture.
The Foundation has branches in Romania, the United Kingdom and France and has been established in 2000; it is carrying out 8 projects designed to save the built heritage, educate and raise the awareness of the citizens regarding the importance of cultural heritage. Since its founding, Pro Patrimonio has progressively acquired and received as donations properties of national importance, related to representative personalities for the history and culture of Romania. The foundation owns, manages and collaborates, restores and enhances through various activities: George Enescu’s childhood home in Mihăileni, near Botoșani; Golescu Villa from Câmpulung Mușcel; Neamţu Manor from Olari village near Craiova; a traditional Saxon house in Viscri; Perticari Davila Manor near Pitești, P.P. Carp Manor from Ţibăneşti, near Iași; the project 60 de biserici de lemn60 wooden churches, with programs for learning heritage trades addressed to young people and the Education for Heritage program for children.
About George Enescu House in Mihăileni, Botoșani Country
The emergency intervention project regarding the rescue and rehabilitation of George Enescu’s House in Mihăileni, Botoșani County, started in 2013 at the initiative of the pianist Raluca Ştirbăţ, the president of “George Enescu” International Society in Vienna. Pro Patrimonio Foundation, the Order of Architects of Romania – Bucharest and North-East branches and Remember Enescu Foundation whose president is the violinist Alexandru Tomescu have united in an attempt to save responsibly a landmark of major importance for the national identity and European cultural heritage. Through the efforts of Raluca Știrbăț, the composer George Enescu’s mother’s (Maria Cosmovici) house, has been classified as historical monument in October 2014 (LMI code BT-IV-m-B-21063).
George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni was donated in 2014 in a proportion of one third to Pro Patrimonio Foundation by Dr. Mihai Botez, direct heir to the composer, the rest of the house being bought by the foundation (through private efforts and donations) in 2019.
Enescu House in Mihăileni became the cause of the Romanian Boyar Families and Friends Ball. Already at its third edition, the elegant ball brings together representatives of the Romanian boyar families now spread all over the world. Every year, at the end of autumn, they meet in Bucharest to celebrate with joy their shared values, the spirit of unity and support a cause in which they believe. This time we were glad to see each other again and have the sustained efforts of Pro Patrimonio Foundation recognized and supported by such a high-profile event. The first event that occurred on November 8, 2019, was the Charitable Concert for the Enescu House in Mihăileni, supported by pianist Raluca Știrbăț and violinist Alexandru Tomescu. In the NeoBoema Hall of the Universe Palace the public was delighted by the musical works of George Enescu, Vasile Filip, Constantin Silvestri or Tudor Ciortea. We thank Mr. George Butunoiu for the space made available for us on this occasion.
The evening of November 9, 2019 was dedicated to the Ball that took place in the elegant spaces of the Manuc Inn where the guests, representatives of the Romanian Boyar families had the generosity to donate a total of 29,429 euros for the benefit of the Enescu House from Mihăileni. We thank this occasion to the organizing committee of the Ball – Constantin Cantacuzino, Mihai Ghyka, Irina Cantacuzino, Ileana Kripp, Grigore Ghyka – for all the support offered and for the judicious administration that made raising this amount possible. We also thank the companies Graphic Arts, Weather Publishing, City Grill, Manuc’s Inn, enRose, Moritz Ice, Carassia, Alira, Ursus, Prince Stirbey, Rue du Pain.
From the raised amount, after we have covered the Ball expenses, with the 20,000 euros left we’ve used it for this year’s expenses – that include major operations of house renovation – finishing of the porch, finishing and completion of windows and doors, painting of wooden elements, finishing of the socle, interior and exterior wall finishing, finishing the chimneys for the two stoves. To be finished: the kitchen stove, the street fence, electrical wiring, furnishing of a bathroom, electrical equipment instalments (sockets, switches, lighting fixtures), interior furniture. In addition we can even equip the house with a much needed piano.
Once the house will be finished and furnished, in addition to elite musical project attracted Academy of Music and Sound Study will promote education projects in local communities.
@Credit photo Andrei Gîndac
Since the start of the initiative to save the Enescu House, the intangible heritage (music) has naturally joined the campaign for raising awareness and emergency rescue of the material heritage (architecture). Among the concerts and recitals held both near the Enescu House and in other places with cultural and memorial values, we can name: the concert given at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London by pianist Raluca Știrbăț and violinist Alexandru Tomescu for the renovation of the Enescu House in Mihăileni, 26 March 2015; the fundraising campaign for the restoration of the Enescu House within the Stradivarius Enescu Experience Tournament, including an Alexandru Tomescu recital in front of the Enescu House in Mihăileni, May 2015; Raluca Știrbăț recital at the Ion Mincu House in Bucharest, headquarters of the Romanian Order of Architects, December 2015.
The review of the March 2015 event at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London can be found at:
http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=12749
