The General Assembly of the AEAA - Association Européenne des Agents Artistiques will take place in Romania for the first time between May 8 and 10, bringing together artistic managers and agents from across Europe representing the symphonic, chamber, opera and solo performance sectors, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday.

The event is organised by ARTEXIM in partnership with the 'George Enescu' Philharmonic at the Romanian Athenaeum. For three days, Bucharest will become a venue for professional dialogue and international networking, gathering directors of artistic agencies, cultural managers, representatives of major Romanian musical institutions and specialists from the international cultural industry.

The programme of the meeting includes professional sessions held at the Romanian Athenaeum, meetings dedicated to European cultural strategies, discussions on artists' mobility and the development of international collaborations, as well as artistic and social events for participants.

At the opening of the event on May 8, international guests will attend concerts performed by the National Radio Orchestra at Sala Radio and by the 'George Enescu' Philharmonic Orchestra at the Romanian Athenaeum, followed by a welcome reception organised by AEAA downtown Bucharest.

The official proceedings of the General Assembly will begin on May 9 in the Official Hall of the Romanian Athenaeum. On the same day, at the invitation of AEAA and ARTEXIM, managers from 15 Romanian performance and concert institutions - philharmonics and opera houses - as well as the director of the National Chamber Orchestra of Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, will also take part, contributing to an expanded dialogue among professionals from the region.

The programme will also include presentations delivered by key figures from the Romanian music scene, including Marin Cazacu, manager of the 'George Enescu' Philharmonic, Liliana Staicu, director of the Radio Romania Cultural Projects and Events Centre and director of Radio Romania's musical ensembles, representing the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, and Daniel Jinga, manager of the Bucharest National Opera.

Participants will also attend an extraordinary recital performed by the ARCADIA Quartet, one of the most highly regarded Romanian chamber ensembles on the international stage, which this year celebrates 20 years of activity.

Hosting the AEAA General Assembly in Bucharest confirms the strengthening of Romania's position within the major European cultural networks and the growing interest of the international scene in the development of the Romanian and Eastern European music sectors.

Founded in 1947, AEAA brings together members from 17 countries and represents more than 4,000 artists across Europe. In 1994, following its internationally recognised activities in artistic management, ARTEXIM became a member of AEAA and remains to this day the only Romanian agency belonging to the organisation. The first Romanian member within AEAA was Mihai Constantinescu, followed in 2022 by Cristina Uruc upon taking over the management of ARTEXIM.

Since 2025, Cristina Uruc has served as President of AEAA, having been unanimously elected during the General Assembly in Istanbul.

The 2026 edition marks a historic moment: it is the first time in the organisation's more than seven decades of existence that the AEAA General Assembly is being held in Romania. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Petronius Craiu; EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)