George Enescu International Competition 2026: Opening Concert

With Christian Măcelaru, the Romanian National Radio Orchestra, and the winners of the 2024 competition

Cast

Mayumi Kanagawa — Violin (Winner of the 2024 Enescu Competition)

Yo Kitamura — Cello (Winner of the 2024 Enescu Competition)

Roman Lopatynskyi — Piano (Winner of the 2024 Enescu Competition)

Romanian Radio National Orchestra

Cristian Măcelaru — Conductor

Program notes

The twentieth edition of the George Enescu International Competition officially begins with this special event at the Romanian Athenaeum featuring maestro Christian Măcelaru, the Romanian National Radio Orchestra, and the three winners of the 2024 Enescu Competition! The evening's program includes Diego Santamaria's The Stone and the Ivy, winner of the Originality Award in 2024, as well as the Awards Gala of the Composition Section. Romanian contemporary composer Dan Dediu's triple concerto Brahmsodia brings together 2024 laureates Mayumi Kanagawa (violin), Yo Kitamura (cello), and Roman Lopatynskyi (piano); and the evening closes aptly with the Symphony No. 1 in E-flat major by Enescu himself, one of the cornerstones of Romanian symphonic ingenuity written when the composer was just 24.