The city of Craiova offers its guests and locals a rich cultural life. The Philharmonic "Oltenia" is a well-known institution in Romanian musical life. The prestigious institution was founded in 1904 and was reorganized by royal decree in 1947. The current activity of the Philharmonic is carried out by the Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Academic Choir, as well as many chamber ensembles. The Symphony Orchestra was formed by about 80 professional musicians and its repertoire included masterpieces of symphonic music, operas, requiems, arrangements of famous jazz pieces and others. The Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1957 and specializes in presenting pre-classical and classical music. Today, its repertoire is more diverse and includes mainly contemporary music. The Academic Choir, established in 1953, is one of the most valuable compositions in the country in this genre. The Oltenia Philharmonic orchestra organizes every year the International Festival "Music Craiova".