149 young artists from over 20 countries have been selected from an unprecedented 555 applicants for the cello, violin and piano divisions of the George Enescu Competition 2024. Furthermore, six Conductors under age 35 were selected from over 45 applications for the competition’s inaugural Conducting Masterclass led by Cristian Macelaru. The competition will run from August 31 to September 27, 2024 in Bucharest, Romania.
The record 555 applications came from 57 countries: 213 entries in the Cello Division, 195 entries in the Violin Division and 147 entries in the Piano Division. Open to entrants up to age 35, the competition drew applications from musicians as young as 13. A majority of candidates comes from Asia, many come from the United States, with Europe being largely underrepresented. After the victory of Luxembourg’s cellist Benjamin Kruithof in 2022, the country is sending this year another cellist with Cyprien Keiser.
A complete list of competitors selected for the first round of the instrumental sections is available on the official George Enescu Competition website: https://concurs.festivalenescu.ro/the-organizers-announce-the-preselection-results/