The Sibiu State Philharmonic (Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu) is a professional symphony orchestra, based at the historic Thalia Hall in the historic center of Sibiu.
The orchestra was founded in 1949, but it grew out of a musical tradition that had already been developing in Sibiu for generations. Professional orchestral performances were being organized at the court of Samuel von Brukenthal by the 18th century, and during the 19th century the city attracted musicians such as Franz Liszt, Johann Strauss, Johannes Brahms and Joseph Joachim. Much of this musical life was supported by local societies, especially the Musikverein, which opened its own concert hall on Strada Filarmonicii in 1878 and helped give Sibiu a permanent home for orchestral and choral performance.
That tradition provided the foundation for the Sibiu State Philharmonic, established on January 1, 1949 as a permanent professional concert institution. The new orchestra took over the former Musikverein building on Strada Filarmonicii and remained there for more than five decades, developing a broad symphonic and operatic repertoire while touring extensively in Romania and abroad. Over the years it performed with musicians including Ion Voicu, Valentin Gheorghiu, Sviatoslav Richter, Rudolf Kerer, Ivry Gitlis and Montserrat Caballé.
A major change came only after the restoration of the Thalia Hall, the historic theater built inside the Thick Tower. The hall had been severely damaged by fire in 1949 and stood unused for decades before reconstruction began in 1990. When the work was finally completed in 2004, the Philharmonic moved from its long-standing home on Strada Filarmonicii into the restored theater, where it has remained ever since.
The Philharmonic now presents a regular season of symphonic and chamber concerts alongside festivals and special projects. The Sibiu Opera Festival brings opera, operetta, ballet, recitals and vocal-symphonic performances to the city, while Brave New Music focuses on contemporary composition and interdisciplinary work. Most events take place at Thalia Hall, although the Philharmonic also uses other venues around Sibiu for selected concerts and festival performances.
