Romanian Cristian Măcelaru to conduct French National Orchestra during Olympic Games opening ceremony

Romanian Cristian Măcelaru, the artistic director of the "George Enescu" International Competition and Festival, will conduct the Orchestre National de France at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris.

"I never thought in my life that I would have this opportunity. It’s a very beautiful thing because it’s an event where we all seem to forget the things that separate us and remember the beauty of the things that bring us together," Cristian Măcelaru said, cited by News.ro.

Măcelaru made his opera debut in 2010 with the Houston Grand Opera in "Madama Butterfly" and conducted the American premiere of Colin Matthews' opera "Turning Point" with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra at the Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival.

He first captured international attention in 2012 when he appeared at the podium of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, replacing Pierre Boulez. In the same year, he received the "Solti Emerging Conductor Award" for young conductors, a prestigious distinction awarded only once in the foundation's history, followed in 2014 by the "Solti Conducting Award."

Since then, he has regularly conducted concerts of some of the best American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra.

The renowned Romanian conductor made his Carnegie Hall debut in February 2015 with a program featuring the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Anne-Sophie Mutter. In June 2015, he led the Cincinnati Opera in highly acclaimed performances of "Il Trovatore." In 2019, he returned to the Houston Grand Opera for a production of Kasper Holten's "Don Giovanni."

In Europe, Măcelaru has been highly sought after as a guest conductor by numerous renowned orchestras and festivals, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Berlin German Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Danish National Symphony Orchestra.

Set to be the first Olympic Games Opening Ceremony held outside a stadium, the July 26 celebration will transform the French capital into a stadium and theatre as the traditional parade of athletes takes place in boats along the Seine, passing the most iconic Parisian landmarks.

(Photo source: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra