A special concert conducted by Maestro Nir Brand opened the celebrations for Israel’s 75th anniversary in Romania last month.
The concert was organized by the Embassy of Israel in Bucharest in collaboration with the National Radio Orchestra which performed led by Brand. Attending the event were about 1,000 special guests including Romanian Culture Minister Lucian Romaşcanu and other government officials.
"We are opening a series of events celebrating the 75th anniversary since the establishment of the State of Israel, as well as 75 years of uninterrupted collaborative relations between Israel and Romania," said Reuven Azar, Israel's ambassador to Bucharest, as reported by the local TV station Antena 3 CNN.
Even under the Communist regime, Romania maintained its diplomatic ties with Israel and even facilitated the emigration of Romanian Jews to Israel. This longstanding relationship has led to a strong cultural and economic partnership between the two nations.
"Historically speaking, Romania has been the only country in Eastern Europe that has had uninterrupted relations with Israel,” Azar added. “Israel has over one million citizens of Romanian descent. We have many things in common and they must be celebrated.”
In addition to his regular appearances, Brand performs for ClassiKid and Music Without Borders, two organizations he founded. The former is a government-funded program to teach Israeli schoolchildren life skills through classical music, while the latter is a non-profit organization with similar goals but active in Africa.
At the beginning of the concert, the orchestra performed both the Israeli and the Romanian anthems.