The George Enescu International Competition is a music competition for young pianists, violinists, cellists and composers, that takes place in Bucharest, Romania. It has helped launch the careers of many musicians, and among its list of first-prize winners are legendary pianists such as Radu Lupu, the winner in the 1967 edition. [1] Other winners include Spanish pianist Josu De Solaun Soto, Russian pianists Elisabeth Leonskaja, in 1964, and Dmitri Alexeev, in 1970. [1]
The competition started in 1958, as part of the George Enescu Festival, and celebrated its first five editions (1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1970) in what was then the Socialist Republic of Romania. It was considered, by the countries of the Eastern Bloc, one of the most prestigious music competitions. Jury members included famous musicians such as Claudio Arrau, Nadia Boulanger, Arthur Rubinstein, Magda Tagliaferro, Guido Agosti, Florica Musicescu, Dmitri Bashkirov, Carlo Zecchi, and Lazar Berman. Probably because of financial circumstances during Ceausescu's dictatorship, the competition was abandoned in 1970, though it resumed twenty-one years later. [2]
The competition is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions in Geneva.
The competition and prize-giving ceremony has historically taken place in the Romanian Athenaeum, with the mayor always traditionally attending. [3]
As of 2020 [update] Cello, Violin and Piano prizes: [4]
Composition prizes:
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 |  Tian Bonian |  Valentin Răduțiu |  Michal Korman |
| 2014 |  Eun-Sun Hong |  Tony Rymer | Sarah Rommel |
| 2016 |  Zlatomir Fung |  Anastasia Kobekina |  Mon Pue-Lee |
| 2018 |  Marcel Johannes Kits | Yibai Chen |  Stanislas Kim |
| 2022 | Jaemin Han |  Sebastian Fritsch | Ştefan Cazacu |
| 2022 |  Benjamin Kruithof |  Constantin Borodin | Constantin Siepermann |
| Year | Symphonic Music | Chamber Music |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Dan Dediu |  Massim Trotta |
| 2003 |  Oliver Waespi | Diana Rotaru |
| 2005 | Diana Rotaru | Maria Ungueranu |
| 2007 |  Sakai Kenji |  Megyery Kristina |
| 2009 |  Lam Lan-Chee | Qian Shen-Ying |
| 2011 | Chang Eunho | Kwang-Ho Cho |
| 2014 | Sebastian Androne | Alexandru Murariu |
| 2016 | Tian Tian | Caterina Di Cecca |
| 2018 | Alexandru Murariu | Jung Hoon Ham |
| 2020/21 |  Karlo Margetic | Young Jae Cho |
| 2022 | Shin Kim | Leonardo Marino |
| 2024 |  Alexander Voltz | Daniele Di Virgilio |
Constantin "Dinu" Lipatti was a Romanian classical pianist and composer whose career was cut short by his death from effects related to Hodgkin's disease at age 33. He was elected posthumously to the Romanian Academy. He composed few works, all of which demonstrated a strong influence from Hungarian composer Béla Bartok.
George Enescu, known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, and teacher and is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history.
Josu de Solaun is a Spanish-American classical music pianist, composer and conductor. He is also a solo piano free improviser, playing solo improvised piano recitals, as well as a published poet and a published composer. He holds citizenships from both Spain and the United States. In 2019 he was given the title of Officer of Cultural Merit, a state decoration, by Klaus Iohannis, president of Romania. In both 2021 and 2023 he was awarded an International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) Award, once for chamber music and once for solo playing.
XV Jose Iturbi International Piano Competition took place in Valencia, from September 14 to the 30th, 2006. The competition is held every two years and is a member of the Geneva World Federation of International Music Competitions. Pianist Josu De Solaun Soto was given the First Grand Prize, becoming the first Spanish pianist to be awarded such distinction in the 25 years of the competition's existence. The prize included over $25,000, recital and orchestral engagements and a recording contract.
Radu Lupu was a Romanian pianist. He was widely recognized as one of the greatest pianists of his time.
Ştefan Gheorghiu was a Romanian musician, violinist and teacher, born in Galați, Romania.
Mariana Sîrbu, also credited as Sârbu, was a Romanian classical violinist and academic teacher, who made an international career performing and recording. She was focused on chamber music, founding the Academica String Quartet in 1968, joining the Trio di Milano in 1985, and founding the Quartetto Stradivari in 1994. She was concertmaster of I Musici from 1993 to 2003. She became professor of violin at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig in Leipzig in 2002, gave international master classes and was juror for competitions of violin and chamber music.
Eduard Kunz, is a Russian pianist. He reached the 2nd round in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011.
Valentin Gheorghiu was a Romanian classical pianist and composer. He is regarded as a leading Romanian pianist of the twentieth century, focused on both piano concertos of the Romantic period and chamber music. He won the prize for the best performance of Enescu's Violin Sonata No. 3 at the first George Enescu International Competition in 1958, with his brother Ștefan as the violinist. He made recordings with international orchestras and conductors.
The I European Union Piano Competition took place in Prague and Ostrava from June 24–29, 2009, as part of the cultural program accompanying the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It was jointly organized by the International Dvořák Society and European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA). The purpose of the competition was to deepen the cultural integration of the member states and to find the most promising young pianist of the European Union. The selection of the candidates was provided with the help of embassies, Ministries of Culture, EPTA organizations, and leading European music schools and institutions. Only candidates delegated from those authorities were accepted to participate, one candidate for each EU country. A total of 27 pianists were accepted to the Semi-final Round in Prague, which consisted of a 60-minute piano recital, performed at the Nostitz Palace. Four finalists where then chosen to perform with one of the leading Czech orchestras, the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, in a concert broadcast by both Czech Television and Czech Radio. Pianist Josu de Solaun Soto was given the First Prize and Audience Prize. The prize included a cash award and a string of recital and orchestral engagements.
Carmen Petra Basacopol was a Romanian composer, pianist, musicologist and academic teacher. She taught at the National University of Music Bucharest, between 1962 and 2003, and at the Rabat Conservatoire in Morocco in the 1970s. As a musicologist, she achieved a PhD from the Sorbonne University in Paris in 1976, with a dissertation about three Romanian composers who had influenced her, George Enescu, Mihail Jora and Paul Constantinescu, composers representing essential features of Romanian music.
The Ploiești Philharmonic Orchestra is a Romanian orchestra based in Ploiești, Prahova County. The orchestra's home is the Paul Constantinescu Philharmonic, located in centre of Ploiești.
XIII George Enescu International Piano Competition took place in Bucharest, Romania, from September 15 to 27, 2014. The competition is held every two years and is a member of the Geneva World Federation of International Music Competitions. There have been 13 editions since the founding of the competition in 1958, and previous winners include Radu Lupu, Elisabeth Leonskaja, and Dmitri Alexeev. Spanish pianist Josu De Solaun Soto was given the First Prize, becoming the first Spanish pianist to be awarded such distinction in the 56 years of the competition's existence. The prize included $20,000, and recital and orchestral engagements.
Nemanja Radulović, is a Serbian violinist.
The Suite No. 2 for piano, in D major, Op. 10, is the second piano suite by George Enescu, composed between 1901 and 1903 in Paris. It was published in 1904, and is dedicated to Louis Diémer.
The Enescu Prize is a prize in music composition founded by Romanian composer George Enescu, awarded from 1913 to 1946, and afterwards by the National University of Music Bucharest. Enescu is regarded by many as Romania's most important musician. Winners have included Mihail Andricu and Sergiu Natra.
Theodor Rogalski was a Romanian composer, conductor and pianist of Polish origin. He played an important role in the development of Romanian musical culture in the first half of the twentieth century.
Luiza Borac is a Romanian classical pianist.
Marie Radauer-Plank is an Austrian violinist.
