Six symphonic concerts to headline 2026 Enescu International Competition in Bucharest

Six symphonic concerts featuring internationally renowned conductors, Romanian orchestras, and young musicians from around the world will form the centerpiece of the 2026 George Enescu International Competition. The 20th edition will take place in Bucharest from August 23 to September 19.

The concerts, all scheduled to take place at the Romanian Athenaeum, will include the opening concert, the Composition Section final, the conducting masterclass closing concert, and the finals of the cello, violin, and piano competitions.

The competition will open on August 23 with the Romanian Radio National Orchestra conducted by artistic director Cristian Măcelaru. The program will feature the three winners of the 2024 edition - violinist Mayumi Kanagawa, cellist Yo Kitamura, and pianist Roman Lopatynskyi - and include works by Diego Santamaria, Dan Dediu, and George Enescu.

On August 27, the Composition Section final will feature the Romanian National Radio Orchestra under conductor Marin Alsop. Composer and pianist Zygmunt Krauze, who chairs the composition jury, will perform his own Piano Concerto No. 3 - Fragments of Memory. The program will also include works by Sarah Kirkland Snider, Steven Mackey, and Doina Rotaru.

The conducting masterclass will conclude on August 28 with a concert by the Romanian Youth Orchestra led by Cristian Măcelaru and three young conductors selected from the masterclass participants. The program includes works by George Enescu, Livia Teodorescu-Ciocănea, Giuseppe Verdi, and Béla Bartók.

The instrumental finals begin with the cello competition on September 7, accompanied by the Romanian Radio National Orchestra under American conductor Case Scaglione.

The violin final will take place on September 13, featuring the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Harry Ogg, while the competition will conclude on September 19 with the piano final, performed with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Daniela Candillari.

Tickets and season passes are available through Eventim, as well as at Cărturești and Humanitas bookstores across Romania. Students, pupils, and teachers from music schools and universities, as well as people with disabilities and their companions, are eligible for free admission, subject to availability.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: press release, by Alex Damian) ...