BUCHAREST (Reuters) -Romania’s state-sponsored George Enescu Festival, one of Europe’s biggest classical music events, is seeing its audiences grow despite public spending cuts, as interest in eastern European music and contemporary works help to broaden its scope.

The 27th Enescu festival, named after Romania’s most famous composer and launched in 1958, ends on Sunday with a performance by the Dutch-based Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

World-renowned classical musicians such as pianist Martha Argerich, violonists Anne-Sophie Mutter and Renaud Capucon are among some 4,000 artists who have performed in this year’s festival.

“Listening to Martha Argerich stays with you for life, I never thought I would be able to see her play live,” said Carmen Firan, a Romanian writer based in New York w

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