The Oradea State Philharmonic (Filarmonica de Stat Oradea) is a musical institution located in the former building of the Catholic Circle, next to the former Ursulines Monastery in Oradea, Bihor County.
At the end of the 19th century, the Catholic Circle was established as a social-spiritual movement within the Romanian Catholic Church. To be able to organize leisure activities and cultural and educational events, a new building was constructed in 1895. The edifice was designed in an eclectic style by the renowned architect Kálmán Rimanóczy jr.
The building was constructed around an inner courtyard and had generous spaces. There was an elegant festive hall with a podium for concerts and shows, a salon, a billiard room, an editorial office for the newspaper Tiszántúl (Beyond the Tisza), a library, and a printing house. In 1914, a new wing was added to the building with the help of the architect Ferenc Starill.
The Oradea State Philharmonic was founded on 23 December 1923 under the name Philharmonic Society (Societate Flamonica). In 1949, the society was nationalized and adopted its current name. In 2003, the institution moved into its current building after it was renovated.
