The next festival will take place between July 6\u201312, 2026, and until then, we will post updates on the festival’s Facebook page.<\/p>\n\n\n
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1550406408449{background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”none”]Each year in July, early music sounds in Miercurea Ciuc. During a whole week, early music concerts are given by musicians from our country and abroad, in the Mik\u00f3 Castle and in various locations of our town.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]The Early Music Festival was established in 1980 by the Barozda and the K\u00e1joni Ensembles.
In 1986 the Festival was forbidden by the authorities, and it was renewed only after the change of the regime, this time with international perception.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_btn title=”Web Page” style=”gradient” gradient_color_1=”orange” gradient_color_2=”sandy-brown” size=”lg” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-info” add_icon=”true” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.regizene.ro||target:%20_blank|”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]The representatives of early music give general and master courses for the young artists, who wish to enlarge their knowledge in playing early music. [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_btn title=”Facebook Page” shape=”square” color=”blue” size=”lg” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-facebook-square” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCsikszeredai.Regizene.Fesztival%2F%3Fref%3Dbr_rs||target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Instagram profile” shape=”square” color=”purple” size=”lg” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-instagram” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fmciucearlymusic%2F||target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”YouTube channel” shape=”square” color=”danger” size=”lg” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-youtube” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUCUj06TAjHvE9sUfCNIytyMA||target:%20_blank|”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”723″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”none”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n
Introduction in Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival and details about the 2025 edition<\/p>\n
The Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival is one of the oldest continuously operating early music festivals in Europe and a unique example of long-term cultural sustainability in Central and Eastern Europe. Founded in 1980, the festival has maintained uninterrupted activity for over four decades \u2014 an exceptional achievement in a region marked by major political, economic, and institutional transitions.<\/p>\n
K\u00e1joni J\u00e1nos was an important 17th-century Franciscan friar, polihistor, composer and melody collector, organist and constructor and repairer of organ, press office founder and publisher, architect, historian, botanist.<\/p>\n
A central place of his life and activity was the Franciscan Church of \u0218umuleu Ciuc (part of Miercurea Ciuc), where he lived and worked. Kajoni left behind an important cultural legacy. One of the most significant elements of this heritage is the Codex Caioni, a manuscript containing a rich collection of musical material from his era. The codex is an important source of 17th-century European music, including both sacred and secular melodies, dances, and songs. According to the testismony of Codex Caioni, musical life in Transylvania four hundred years ago was an alloy of Western European and traditionally Transylvanian art music. The work of the most famouus European composers of the age, a large number of music pieces that formed part of the Hungarian noble culture can also be found in the Codex; these pieces may be classified neither as Baroque music in the European sense, nor as folk music, and still represent an inestimable value for us today.<\/p>\n
Today, this source is extremely valuable for researchers and performers of early music. The Codex Caioni provides a rich repertoire and inspiration for early music ensembles working in the region, but also for musicians in Western Europe. The musical material preserved in the manuscript shows how the musical culture of Transylvania was closely connected with the wider European musical world, linking this region with the broader European cultural heritage.<\/p>\n
Besides the Codex, other manuscripts have also survived, from which musicians still perform historical pieces today. At the same time, much research still remains to be done: archives, church collections, and manuscript repositories may still contain undiscovered sources that could further deepen our understanding of Kajoni\u2019s remarkable legacy.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the legacy of the Franciscan friar, Joannes Kajoni, we can experience the Transylvanian atmosphere of the age through the music played, danced and enjoyed by the Transylvanian Hungarian nobility.<\/p>\n
The festival places strong emphasis on the transmission of knowledge and the sustainability of early music practice by actively supporting the next generation of performers. The ensembles Codex and Concerto Spiralis are regular returning artists, contributing to a continuous artistic dialogue within the festival. One of the members of these ensembles, teaches at Transylvania University of Bra\u0219ov, Faculty of Music, where he has founded an ensemble with his students. Through such initiatives, the festival fosters meaningful connections between professional musicians and emerging artists, ensuring the continuity and vitality of the early music tradition.<\/p>\n
The Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival takes place within a distinctive minority cultural context. Miercurea Ciuc, where the majority of the population belongs to the Hungarian community in Romania, is widely recognised as one of the key centres of Hungarian cultural life in Transylvania. Since its beginnings, the local early music movement has developed in close dialogue with the revival of traditional folk culture, particularly through the dance house movement and the pioneering work of the Barozda ensemble. This unique cultural environment has fostered a natural connection between historical performance practice and living musical traditions, encouraging the transmission of intangible cultural heritage and strengthening community identity. By bringing together early music, folk traditions, and intergenerational learning, the festival contributes to preserving and revitalising a rich musical heritage within a minority cultural landscape.<\/p>\n
The festival\u2019s programme is built on three pillars: the concerts of the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival, the masterclasses and closing concerts of the Early Music Summer University, and a range of accompanying events (including scholarly lectures, musical activities for children, a Renaissance Children\u2019s Day, a Renaissance dance house, etc.). The festival has repeatedly received the EFFE Label \u2013 awarded to the best European festivals \u2013 and is a member of the European Early Music Network (REMA).<\/p>\n
The Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival is an important meeting point for Hungarian early music performers, providing a forum where young musicians can build professional connections, learn from masterclasses, and experience outstanding musical inspiration.<\/p>\n
Festival Theme: Johann Sebastian Bach \u2013 Legacy, Renewal, and Living Tradition<\/strong><\/p>\n The 2025 edition of the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival was built around the musical legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach, commemorating the 340th anniversary of his birth and the 275th anniversary of his death\u2014a double jubilee celebrated worldwide in recognition of one of the greatest composers in music history.<\/p>\n Although Bach was primarily known during his lifetime as an organist and church composer, today he is universally regarded as one of the most influential figures in music history and the central figure of the most significant musical family in Western culture. His work embodies both intellectual depth and emotional universality, making it an ideal focal point for a contemporary early music festival seeking to connect historical heritage with present-day audiences.<\/p>\n Early Music as a Living Artistic Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n Over the past six decades, early music has developed into a vibrant and independent branch of classical music. Historical performance practices, the use of period instruments, distinctive timbres, improvisation, ornamentation, and the revival of long-forgotten works have given early music a fresh and dynamic voice for contemporary audiences.<\/p>\n The 2025 festival embraced this philosophy, presenting Bach\u2019s legacy not as a museum artefact but as a living, evolving artistic language. Audiences enjoyed performances by musicians from Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium across historic venues such as the Franciscan Church of \u0218umuleu Ciuc, Mik\u00f3 Castle, Cs\u00edki Cinema, Saint Augustine Church, Reformed Church, Unitarian Church, and less conventional sites like L\u00e1z\u00e1r Castle in Sz\u00e1rhegy. The programme included 18 concerts alongside workshops, a Renaissance dance house, and a Renaissance Children\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n A Coherent Thematic Programme<\/strong><\/p>\n The Bach-themed concept permeated the entire nine-day festival programme. Across approximately 18 concerts and numerous accompanying events, audiences experienced a wide-ranging exploration of Baroque aesthetics, spirituality, and musical innovation. Concerts were held every day of the festival, with some days featuring up to three performances.<\/p>\n Events took place in both traditional and unconventional venues \u00a0creating a strong dialogue between music, history, and architectural heritage.<\/p>\n It was a great joy for them that the festival was filled with the works of one of the greatest masters who ever lived.<\/p>\n CLUJ BAROQUE ORCHESTRA (RO, HU, CH, DE, DK): <\/strong>\u201cJauchzet Gott in allen Landen\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The Cluj Baroque Orchestra brings us some of the most popular works of Johann Sebastian Bach on the occasion of the 340th anniversary of the composer\u2019s birth, including the 4th and 2nd Brandenburg Concertos as well as the rarely performed reconstruction of the Oboe Concerto in D minor. In the 4th Brandenburg Concerto, alongside the two solo recorders, we can also hear brilliant and virtuosic violin passages<\/p>\n BAROQUE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA (RO, HU, DE): <\/strong>Mass in b minor, BWV 232<\/strong><\/p>\n The collaboration between the Bach Choir of Bra\u0219ov and the Lux Aurumque Chamber Choir of Miercurea Ciuc in the framework of the Early Music Festival continues in 2025 after a first project in 2018, when they performed Johann Sebastian Bach\u2019s St. Matthew Passion.\u00a0The Mass in B minor<\/strong>, is the sum of techniques and experiences in the vocal field gathered by Bach during his lifetime. It is also a personal legacy and a theological statement through music. Concepts of trinity, sacraments, sin, death and resurrection are expressed musically at the highest level. The work was not heard by Bach during his lifetime; in fact, the first complete performance took place in 1856. The 99-page score of the Mass is today preserved in Berlin and since 2015 has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.\u00a0 Of all Bach\u2019s vocal works, the Mass in B minor ranks first in popularity.<\/p>\n At the heart of the concert of Concerto Spiralis<\/strong> were two cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) that cover a wide range of human emotions, from transcendent solace to the bittersweet moment of earthly farewell.<\/p>\n \u2018Ich habe genug\u2019 is about the solace in the closure of life and the longing for a divine home. The cantata traces a profound spiritual journey: the opening aria expresses a deep resignation to the transience of earthly existence, the dreamlike floating of the middle, lullaby-like movement expresses a longing for rest, while the final aria is a dance-like burst of joy \u2013 death is not feared but celebrated as a happy homecoming.<\/p>\n \u2018Non sa che sia dolore\u2019, by contrast, is a secular cantata, mixing pain and irony. The dramatic tone of the recitatives portrays the pain of farewell, while the virtuosic and sometimes playful tone of the arias softens the tragic aspect. The concluding movement is like coming out of a storm into a calm harbour \u2013 after leaving behind sorrow and fear, it proclaims the joy of relief.<\/p>\n The instrumental works played between the two cantatas bridge the sacred and profane worlds, highlighting the timeless beauty and expressive power of Bach\u2019s music. The solist was Kalafszky Adri\u00e1na.<\/p>\n SALAT-ZAKARI\u00c1S SOMA & JOAN BORONAT SANZ \/ CH played sonatas for viola da gamba. <\/strong>The three sonatas for viola da gamba by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) occupy a prominent place not only in Bach\u2019s oeuvre, but also in music history as a whole. The works were composed during Bach\u2019s Leipzig period (1723-1750), during those highly creative years when the composer was particularly immersed in the genre of chamber music. Even though at this time the viola da gamba began to decline in significance, Bach decided to combine this instrument with the harpsichord in trio sonatas. The three voices in the works gain equal importances, and are divided between the viola da gamba and the harpsichord with an exquisite compositional care. The three voices demand a high level of harmony from the performers, and at the same time create the opportunity for an intimate, dialogical musical atmosphere.\u00a0<\/p>\n It is in the spirit of this relationship that Soma Salat-Zakari\u00e1s and Joan Boronat Sanz perform the three sonatas, opening up new approaches and creating the possibility of an immersive musical experience in which Johann Sebastian Bach\u2019s sonorities are uniquely condensed. Representing this harmonious relationship at the highest level of artistic quality, the two performers use their expressive interpretation to render the abstract realm of the work as concrete as possible for the audience, thus turning the musical experience into a musical ritual of exceptional intensity.<\/p>\n 17th<\/sup> Early Music Summer University in Miercurea Ciuc, between 5\u201311 July 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n Masterclasses:<\/strong><\/p>\n Optional courses available for all participants:<\/p>\n Accompaniment on harpsichord: Zsuzsa Csengeri Kosty\u00e1k (Romania), Zsolt Garai (Romania)<\/p>\n Collaborators: Elena Maria \u0218orban (Romania), Katalin Hanke (Romania), No\u00e9mi Kar\u00e1csony (Romania)<\/p>\n If required, the organizers can provide translation during the classes<\/em>.<\/p>\n The students\u2019 expectations were exceeded by the quality of instruction, the approachability of the teachers, and the provision of a supportive environment with all necessary equipment, classrooms, and resources by the organizers. The six-day intensive summer university fully met the objectives set by the organizers. The event also fulfills educational, taste-shaping, and next-generation nurturing roles.<\/p>\n Impact<\/strong> By dedicating its thematic focus to Johann Sebastian Bach, the festival successfully combined historical depth, artistic excellence, international collaboration, and audience engagement into a unified and meaningful festival concept.<\/p>\n Recognized multiple times with the EFFE Label and a member of REMA, the festival exemplifies a sustainable and resilient model for early music festivals worldwide.<\/p>\n Online Presence & Media<\/strong><\/p>\n The creative communication strategy of the 2025 Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival centred on engaging diverse audiences with the festival\u2019s thematic focus on Johann Sebastian Bach and Baroque music. Using a multi-layered communication approach, the festival translated a historically rich and complex musical theme into accessible and emotionally resonant messaging on key platforms, notably its official Facebook page, where updates, event highlights and participant experiences were regularly shared with the community.<\/p>\n The Facebook channel was used to showcase the festival\u2019s narrative arc \u2014 from detailed descriptions of daily concerts and masterclasses to personal reflections from participating artists and audiences \u2014 thereby creating ongoing engagement<\/em> throughout the nine-day programme. Posts documented not only the musical performances but also emotive highlights, such as temple concerts that offered \u201cmusical and spiritual experiences\u201d to attendees.<\/p>\n Crucially, the festival\u2019s communication bridged heritage and contemporary relevance. Messaging consistently highlighted how early music emerges as a living art form, introducing historically informed performance and Baroque repertoire in ways that resonate with modern audiences. Social media posts emphasised community connection<\/em> \u2014 sharing participant testimonies and behind-the-scenes moments \u2014 reinforcing a sense of belonging and cultural participation.<\/p>\n The Facebook platform also served as a central information hub for program details and real-time updates, ensuring clarity and accessibility for both local attendees and international visitors. Visual storytelling \u2014 including photo albums and event videos \u2014 helped communicate the festival\u2019s atmosphere and aesthetic, enhancing audience immersion and anticipation.<\/p>\n This integrated communication approach contributed to the festival\u2019s overall reach and impact, enabling approximately 7,500 festival attendees to connect with the programme and with each other, both online and on-site. By creatively leveraging Facebook as a dynamic storytelling and engagement space, the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival successfully transformed a complex cultural theme into a shared, lived experience<\/em>.<\/p>\n In the online space, daily and continuous communication primarily took place on the festival\u2019s website and Facebook page, but the festival\u2019s Instagram account was also used.<\/p>\n During the festivals were short videos: 14 short film were made:<\/p>\n The 2025 Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival exemplifies long-term cultural sustainability and heritage preservation. Running uninterrupted since 1980, it integrates cultural, social, and environmental sustainability through historically informed performance, masterclasses, workshops, and youth engagement. By celebrating the legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach and the 17th-century Codex Caioni, the festival transmits European early music heritage while fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer. Performances in historic venues, local transport initiatives, and digital outreach minimize environmental impact. Through international collaboration, audience development, and immersive educational programs, the festival ensures both the vitality of early music practice and the protection and living transmission of a unique Central European musical heritage.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The next festival will take place between July 6\u201312, 2026, and until then, we will post updates on the festival’s Facebook page. [vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1550406408449{background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”none”]Each year in July, early music sounds in Miercurea Ciuc. 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In 2025, approximately 7,500 participants attended concerts and events, experiencing a unique blend of early music, folk traditions, and intergenerational learning. By integrating heritage, education, and community identity, the festival continues to preserve and revitalize the rich musical legacy of Transylvania while connecting it with the wider European cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n
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