Cristian Macelaru
(c) Sorin Popa
39-year-old Romanian conductor Cristian Macelaru will succeed Emmanuel Krivine as chief conductor of the Orchestre National de France from 1 September 2021. He will succeed Emmanuel Krivine who will have spent only four seasons with the orchestra.
Born in Romania, at Timisoara, Cristian Macelaru studied the violin. The youngest concertmaster in the history of the Miami Symphony Orchestra in the United States, he then turned to conducting as well.
His career extends mainly to the United States. Winner of the Solti Emerging Conductor Award in 2012 and the Solti Conducting Award in 2014, he performs regularly with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Music Director of the Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival in Cabrillo, California, he was also recently appointed chief conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne, Germany.
