Semifinalists in the cello, violin, and piano sections of the 2026 George Enescu International Competition will perform as both soloists and orchestra leaders in a new “play & conduct” format. Introduced for the first time in the competition’s history, the conductor-free semifinals will take place at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest in September.
The cello semifinal is scheduled for September 5, followed by the violin competition on September 11 and the piano event on September 17. Six contestants from each instrumental section will advance to this stage.
Each semifinal will be divided into two parts. First, at 10 a.m., the contestants will perform works by Romanian composer George Enescu, with free public admission.
Then, the play & conduct round will begin at 4 p.m. and require a ticket. During this stage, each contestant will perform as a soloist with the Radio Chamber Orchestra while simultaneously providing the ensemble’s artistic direction without a conductor.
The musicians will have to communicate their interpretation to the orchestra through gestures, eye contact, breathing, and movement while performing their own parts, the organizers said. They will be assessed on their solo performance, musical communication, and ability to lead the ensemble toward a coherent interpretation.
Cello semifinalists will perform Enescu’s Cello Sonata No. 2 in C Major, Op. 26 during the first part of the competition. For the play & conduct round, they will choose one of Joseph Haydn’s two cello concertos.
The violin contestants will perform either Enescu’s Violin Sonata No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 6 or Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25, “in Romanian folk character.” They will then perform and lead the orchestra in one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Concertos Nos. 3, 4 or 5.
Piano semifinalists will select one of three works by Enescu: Suite No. 2 in D Major, Op. 10, Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 24 or Piano Sonata No. 3 in D Major, Op. 24. Their play & conduct repertoire will consist of Mozart’s Piano Concertos Nos. 20, 21 or 23.
The Radio Chamber Orchestra will perform with guest concertmasters Adrian Iliescu for the cello semifinal, Deborah Nemțanu for the violin event, and Sebastian Câșleanu for the piano section.
Up to 50 contestants can be admitted to the first stage of each instrumental section. Twelve will advance to the second round, six to the semifinals, and three to the final.
Tickets for the afternoon sessions are available through Eventim and at Cărturești and Humanitas bookstores. Students, pupils, and teachers from music schools and universities can attend free of charge with valid identification, subject to availability. People with disabilities and their companions are also eligible for free admission, subject to available seats.
The complete program of the 2026 George Enescu International Competition is available on the competition’s official website.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: PR)
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