Reaching its 18th edition, the George Enescu International Competition continues to reinforce its top position at the international level in 2022, inspired by the reinvention of the pandemic context: it will have three stages in two phases – online and live.
The competition functions as an international launching platform for future world-renowned musicians and to promote George Enescu’s compositions among the new generation of artists around the world, thus being a natural complement to the George Enescu Festival, the most important international cultural event organized in Romania.
The operating model of the competition is inspired by the life model of the artist whose name it bears. The Enescu Competition supports and promotes young talents from all over the world, just as the great composer supported young musicians during his life. As honorary director of the Romanian Music Association, George Enescu made substantial donations to pay for scholarships for musicians, and in 1912 he toured in Romania, raising over a thousand pounds to set up and award a national composition prize.
The Program and Stages of Competition
- The 2022 Edition will open with a Gala Concert on the 4th of September on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum, performed by the George Enescu Philharmonic, conducted by maestro Peter Ruzicka, with an international premiere: An Axe For The Frozen Sea by Karlo Margetic, the winning work of the Composition Section (Symphonic Music category) of the last edition. The program also presents the Triple Concerto for violin, cello and piano by Ludwig van Beethoven performed by the three winners of the last editions.
- 19 recitals and concerts are scheduled for this edition, as stages of competition and extraordinary recitals.
- 9 new members of the jury, all renowned international classical musicians
- The registration for the Competition is done by filling in a form, and the judging process for the first stage of the Competition will take place online by analyzing the video recordings sent by the contestants.
- For the first time in the history of the Competition, the competitors registered for violin, cello, piano and who pass the online stage, will enter directly into the Semifinals.
- During the Competition, the public will have access to all stages of the Competition. Access is free for the online stage, and for the events at the Romanian Athenaeum, tickets and season tickets will be on sale.
- Several recitals will be held in Bucharest by members of the international juries invited this year, all renowned international classical musicians, as well as recitals performed by the three winners of the 2021 edition.
- The Competition’s Finals will be conducted by renowned musicians of the international scene. Wilson Hermanto, Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestra Cameristi della Scala, returns to the Enescu Competition for the final of the violin section. Tito Muñoz, Musical Director of the Phoenix Symphony will participate for the first time in the Enescu Competition for the finals of the cello section, while the conductor for the piano final is yet to be confirmed.
- The total value of the prizes is 120.000 EURO, and most importantly, prizes destined to encourage the international promotion and artistic launch of the most talented competitors.
- Winning the first place at the 2022 Enescu Competition is the ticket for the stage of the 2023 George Enescu International Festival – the most talented contestants will have the opportunity to perform in the next edition of the Festival with some of the largest orchestras in the world.
