SIBIU OPERA FESTIVAL

Launched in 2001 under the name “Sibiu International Festival of Lyrical Art”, the Sibiu Opera Festival project represents a large-scale musical event with significant international participation, designed to satisfy the interest of audiences in Romania and abroad in opera music.

Organized annually by the Sibiu State Philharmonic, the festival also serves as a platform for artistic expression and stage affirmation for young talents in the field of opera music, through the inclusion of a vocal competition section.

The masterclasses, participation in the Take an Opera Break program, and the Sibiu Opera Festival Gala are addressed to those at the beginning of their careers, offering them the chance to study with established artists and to appear for the first time on stage alongside a professional orchestra.

The festival’s events take place in established venues — the Thalia Hall of the Sibiu State Philharmonic and the “Ion Besoiu” Cultural Center — as well as in unconventional spaces. The programs focus on opera, operetta, musical and ballet performances, opera for children, vocal-symphonic concerts, lied and opera aria recitals, competitions, and related events.

Each edition brings to Sibiu over 500 guest artists from Romania and abroad: conductors, soloists, choral and chamber ensembles, opera and ballet companies, and artistic teams from some of the most renowned lyric theaters.

The 24th edition of the Sibiu Opera Festival took place from September 27 to October 11, 2025, featuring the Parma Opera Choir (Italy), Teatro Goldoni (Livorno, Italy), the Romanian National Opera of Timișoara, the Hungarian Opera of Cluj-Napoca, the “Nae Leonard” National Opera and Operetta Theatre of Galați, and, of course, the Sibiu State Philharmonic. In total, over 700 participants (artists, staff, technical and administrative personnel) were involved in approximately 20 musical events.

The next edition of the festival will take place from October 1 to 17, 2026.

Project co-financed by the Sibiu City Hall through the Cultural Agenda 2025.