The organizers of the George Enescu International Competition
The organizers of the George Enescu International Competition announce the results of the instrumental sections’ preselection for the 19th edition: out of the 555 musicians who applied by May 17, 2024, the specialized jury has selected 149 young performers from over 20 countries who will perform in Bucharest in September.
“We are thrilled with the high level of talent and dedication demonstrated by all musicians who entered this year’s George Enescu International Competition. The preselection process was challenging due to the large number of exceptional musicians who applied. The 149 violinists, pianists, and cellists selected by the specialized juries represent the elites of their generation, and we eagerly await their performances in Bucharest. These young artists bring fresh energy to the competition, contributing to the spirit and tradition that the Enescu Competition has upheld since 1958.”
Cristian Măcelaru, Artistic Director of the George Enescu International Competition
“With excitement, we announce the results of the preselection for the George Enescu International Competition, 19th edition, which recorded a historic number of entries in the instrumental sections. Out of the 555 musicians who applied, 149 violinists, pianists, and cellists have been selected to perform in Bucharest. This process would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of the preselection jury, who faced a challenging task given the high level of musicians who showed interest in participating in the competition. Additionally, I would like to thank the organizing team for their tireless and dedicated work, ensuring the flawless execution of this stage. We look forward to welcoming these talented young musicians in September and celebrating musical excellence together.”
Cristina Uruc, ARTEXIM Manager, organizer of the George Enescu International Competition
“For the first stage of the cello competition, 49 competitors were selected from the 213 applicants, aged between 15 and 31. The selected cellists come from South Korea, China, USA, Romania, Taiwan, Russia, Germany, France, Canada, Luxembourg, Austria, Italy, Spain, Japan, Sweden, Slovenia, and Hong Kong. The audience will be able to follow their performances starting from September 1, 2024, at the National University of Music in Bucharest.
The violin competition will start on September 7 at the National University of Music in Bucharest. The 50 competitors selected from a total of 192 applicants are aged between 14 and 31. They come from South Korea, China, USA, Taiwan, Russia, Germany, France, South Africa, Poland, Ukraine, Canada, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Japan, Sweden, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
On September 13, the specialized jury will gather in Bucharest for the first stage of the piano competition. Out of the 148 pianists who applied, 50 competitors passed the online preselection. The young pianists, aged between 15 and 35, come from South Korea, China, USA, Romania, Russia, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Albania, Poland, Japan, Georgia, Slovenia, and Hong Kong.
The complete lists of competitors selected for the first stage of the instrumental sections are available on the official George Enescu Competition website and can be accessed by clicking this link: https://concurs.festivalenescu.ro/the-organizers-announce-the-preselection-results/
The deadline for applications to the Composition section of the Enescu Competition is June 30, 2024.
Applications for the conducting masterclass (passive participation) and for the instrumental interpretation masterclass (piano, violin, or cello) and in-depth study of music (active and passive participation) will close on June 30, 2024.
The 19th edition of the Competition will open at the Romanian Athenaeum on August 31, 2024, with the Gala Concert performed by the National Radio Orchestra. Luxembourg cellist Benjamin Kruithof, Romanian violinist Maria Marica, and Israeli pianist Alexandra Segal will take the stage as soloists, performing Paul Constantinescu’s Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano, and Orchestra. The evening’s program will open with a world premiere: Symphony No. 1 Consolations for Orchestra, composed by South Korean Shin Kim, winner of the Symphonic Music Prize at the Enescu Competition in 2022.
The audience will be able to follow the performances of the 149 musicians from September 1 to 22, 2024, in Bucharest, according to the schedule available on the official Enescu Competition website, which can be accessed at this link: https://concurs.festivalenescu.ro/events/
Tickets and subscriptions for concerts and recitals organized within the George Enescu International Competition can be purchased from the ticketing platform www.eventim.ro, as well as in physical format.
The competition finals will represent moments of maximum interest for music lovers, with conductor Jonathan Bloxham taking the podium of the National Radio Orchestra for the cello section final on September 10, Alan Buribayev conducting the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra for the violin section final on September 16, and Christian Reif leading the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in the piano competition final on September 22, 2024.
The last symphonic concert will take place on September 27, 2024, at the Romanian Athenaeum. Conductor Cristian Măcelaru, Artistic Director of the Enescu Competition and Festival, will take the podium of the Romanian Youth Orchestra, alongside three of the six young conductors participating in the conducting masterclass, instrumental interpretation, and in-depth study of music, to present a gala of Romanian-French music featuring works by George Enescu, Dan Dediu, Hector Berlioz, Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, and Louise Farrenc.
The George Enescu International Competition is an event held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania.
Cultural project financed by the Romanian Government through the Ministry of Culture
Organizer: ARTEXIM
Co-organizer: Art Production Foundation
Co-producers: Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Romanian Television Society, Bucharest City Hall – ARCUB
Main Partner: Rompetrol
Partners: Purcari, Senia Music, La Mama, Althaus, SANADOR, Returo, Nazzuro Aqua
Institutional Partners: Romanian Cultural Institute, George Enescu Philharmonic, National University of Music Bucharest
Legal Services Partner: Țuca Zbârcea & Associates
Mobility Partner: Blue Romania
Supported by: AALR, Paradigma Film, National Company Bucharest Airports
Monitoring Partner: MediaTrust