“Classic to the Power of Three” National Tour: Violoncellissimo returns this autumn with its 8th edition—a special anniversary edition for cellist Marin Cazacu.
Violoncellissimo, one of Romania’s most renowned chamber ensembles, embarks in the autumn of 2026 on the eighth edition of the “Classic to the Power of Three” National Tour. This year, the tour holds special significance: cellist Marin Cazacu—the ensemble’s founder, mentor to its musicians, and Director of the George Enescu Philharmonic—celebrates his 70th birthday on September 30, 2026.
The program for this eighth edition continues the tour’s established direction: a musical journey spanning from the Baroque era to the contemporary, featuring arrangements created specifically for the ensemble that showcase the cello’s timbral diversity and the musicians’ onstage cohesion. The concerts include works by Constantin Dimitrescu, David Popper, and Astor Piazzolla, alongside reinterpretations of themes from the international repertoire.
Formed by Marin Cazacu from among his current and former students, the Violoncellissimo ensemble has been active for over three decades and undertook its first national tour in 2019. Throughout its years of touring, the ensemble has performed internationally at venues and events such as the UNESCO Hall in Paris, Expo 2020 Dubai, Expo 2025 Osaka, as well as in Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels, Washington, and Prague.
Characterized by a flexible lineup—ranging from four to one hundred cellos, depending on the event—Violoncellissimo has cultivated a loyal audience through a repertoire that spans Baroque, Classical, and jazz styles, as well as contemporary arrangements and famous themes specially adapted for the group. Marin Cazacu was born on September 30, 1956, and studied the cello at the Dinu Lipatti Music High School in Bucharest, followed by the Ciprian Porumbescu State Conservatory, under professors Serafim Antropov and Aurel Niculescu. A prize-winner at international competitions in Geneva, Markneukirchen, Leipzig, Bologna, and Belgrade, he has served as a concert soloist with the George Enescu Philharmonic since 1983 and is a university professor at the National University of Music in Bucharest. He has performed on three continents under the baton of conductors such as Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Cristian Mandeal, and Horia Andreescu, and plays a Lorenzo Ventapane cello (1820). Alongside his performance career, Marin Cazacu founded the “Enescu and the Music of the World” International Festival in Sinaia in 1999 and initiated the Romanian National Youth Orchestras project.
The concert at the Romanian Athenaeum on November 8 traditionally marks the conclusion of the national tour at the premier venue of Bucharest’s musical life. The concert in Rome, dedicated to Romania’s National Day, continues the ensemble’s presence in Europe and extends the tour beyond the country’s borders.
Classical to the Power of Three. Violoncellissimo is a Pro Contemporania tour, part of the “Legendary Tours” (*Turnee de poveste*) series. 2026 ITINERARY
MARIN CAZACU – 70
August 21, 7:00 PM – Sinaia, Casino Hall / preview performance at the “Enescu and the Music of the World” Festival
September 27, 7:00 PM – Constanța, “Regina Maria” National College of Arts
September 28, 7:00 PM – Râmnicu Vâlcea, Philharmonic Hall
October 5, 6:30 PM – Iași, Romanian National Opera
October 10, 7:00 PM – Bistrița, Palace of Culture
October 11, 6:00 PM – Gilău, Rákoczi-Bánffy Castle / part of the “Cluj Musical Autumn” Festival
October 18, 7:00 PM – Deva, Drăgan Muntean Cultural Center
November 1, 7:00 PM – Slobozia, Ionel Perlea Cultural Center, Europa Hall
November 8, 7:00 PM – Bucharest, Romanian Athenaeum
November 23, 7:00 PM – Rome, Palazzo Barberini
