Our story began in 2020, when a very good friend asked: “Why don’t you organize a cello festival in Romania?” For us, this question became a great challenge.

The camaraderie and collaboration among cellists really stand out in the classical music world because they support each other, whether it’s sharing knowledge, creating opportunities, or organizing large-scale projects.

The CellEAST Festival has evolved into a national cultural brand and became part of the Eastern European cello festival network.

During the 2022-2024 editions, we had the pleasure of inviting renowned soloists and professors, including: Wen-Sinn Yang (Switzerland/Germany), Bruno Cocset (France), Marin Cazacu (Romania), Răzvan Suma (Romania), Andrei Ioniță (Romania/Germany), Denis Severin (Ukraine/Switzerland), Mihai Marica (Romania/America), Laszlo Fenyo (Hungary), Valentin Răduțiu (Romania/Germany), Alexandra Guțu (Romania), Attila Pasztor (Austria), Dragan Djordjevich (Serbia), Atanas Krastev (Bulgaria), Mihail Jojatu (Romania/America), Marius Urba (Lithuania/Germany), Ștefan Cazacu (Romania), Krzysztof Karpeta (Poland), Yoko Hasegawa (Japan), Adrian Mantu (Romania/Ireland), Ella Bokor (Romania), Julia Karpeta (Poland), Mircea Marian (Romania), Nick Photino (America), Octavian Lup (Romania), Teodora Atanasova (Bulgaria), Ani Marie Paladi (Romania) and Filip Papa (Romania).

The young generation of musicians is crucial for our cultural future, for this reason we organize every year masterclasses and group lessons which are essential in the artistic development of all participants.

Another major project in Romania was the CellEAST International Competition, the first edition which took place in 2024. This is the only international competition in Romania dedicated exclusively to cellists, and it attracted 70 participants from 18 countries.

The upcoming 4th edition of CellEAST Festival is scheduled for May 10–18, 2025, with events in Bucharest, Sibiu and Dumbrăveni.

Internationally renowned cellists will perform in Bucharest, Sibiu and Dumbrăveni, enriching Romania’s cultural landscape – Bruno Cocset, Marin Cazacu, Andrei Ioniță, Sevak Avanesyan, Denis Severin, Attila Pasztor, Răzvan Suma, Ella Bokor, Ștefan Cazacu, Mircea Marian, Octavian Lup and Ciprian Cîmpean.

The CellEAST Festival thrives thanks to the dedication of a great team and the generous backing of sponsors and partners. This support is crucial for making projects like the masterclasses, competition and amazing concerts.