Enescu Competition: Conductor Cristian Măcelaru to lead Bucharest masterclasses open to the public

Conductor Cristian Măcelaru, the artistic director of the George Enescu International Festival and the George Enescu International Competition, will once again coordinate the conducting and instrumental performance masterclasses that are part of this year’s competition.

Held in Bucharest between August 24 and August 28, these workshops are meant to support the development of young talents in a professional setting, connected to the world’s great stages.

The conducting masterclasses held at the Radio Hall will be free to watch, offering the public access to the processes of creation and rehearsal.

This year’s edition expands the program with a composing masterclass, in addition to conducting and instrumental performance. The participants, selected following a rigorous process, will work directly with top-notch artists to benefit from practical sessions, personalized feedback, rehearsals with an orchestra, and real performance contexts.

During the conducting masterclass, six participants will actively work with the orchestra, and three of them will conduct the final concert at the Romanian Athenaeum, scheduled for August 28. The program also covers mentoring sessions and workshops dedicated to communication and artistic wellbeing, delivered by Angelica Postu.

The instrumental performance masterclass focuses on “refining artistic expression and identity,” while the composition masterclass “opens up an essential dimension of contemporary creation.” Three young composers will be selected to develop their works, which will be performed live in a pre-concert at the Romanian Athenaeum.

The masterclasses are held at the Romanian Athenaeum, Radio Hall, and the Music University of Bucharest. The public will have free access to the masterclasses held at the Radio Hall.

This year’s edition of the George Enescu International Competition is held in Bucharest between August 23 and September 19. The competition covers four sections, namely cello, violin, piano, and composition, and takes place under the theme In Pursuit of Excellence.

Cristian Măcelaru is currently music director of the Orchestre National de France and of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He is the recipient of a Grammy Award for the album Wynton Marsalis: Violin Concerto, a project that gathered violinist Nicola Benedetti and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

(Photo: Petrică Tănase/ George Enescu International Competition)

simona@romania-insider.com