(P) High Class Music: Over 19 extraordinary recitals and concerts this autumn at the Enescu Competition 2016

The 2016 edition of the George Enescu International Competition takes place between September 3 and 25 and it brings to the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum some of the most promising young artists of the moment, as well as established musicians, laureates of the Competition, who are now important international figures, who will give a series of extraordinary recitals. The George Enescu International Competition (3-25 September) is organized this year with a new concept, which will bring to the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, along competing young artists, acclaimed figures of the world music and winners of previous editions, who have made an international career, as well as winners of the 2014 competition, both for the three instruments and for composition. The Romanian Athenaeum will thus host 19 concerts and recital s, among which: a gala concert, that will open the Competition, on September 3, 2016, which will be performed by: Anna Țifu (violin), winner of the Enescu Competition 2007, Valentin Răduțiu (cello), winner of the Enescu Competition 2011 and Mihai Ritivoiu (piano), winner of the Enescu Competition 2011, along with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Horia Andreescu. The program of the evening will include: the Triple Concerto for piano, violin and cello in C major, Op. 56 by Beethoven, the premiere of the composition “Tektonum” by Sebastian Androne, who won the First Prize of the Composition Section of the “George Enescu” Competition 2014 edition, as well as Respighi’s Symphonic Poem “Pini di Roma”. Three extraordinary recitals given by acclaimed musicians, members of the juries of each section of instruments will also enchant the public: David Geringas (cello) – with Ian Fountain at the piano, on September 7, Florin Croitoru (violin) – with Verona Maier at the piano, on September 16, and Peter Donohoe (piano), on September 22. The winners of the previous edition of the Enescu Competition will give three extraordinary recitals as well: Ștefan Tarara (violin), withLora Evelin Vakova-Tarara, Eun-Sun Hong (cello), with Thomas Hoppe (piano), as well as Josu de Solaun (piano). 174 young artists from all over the world competing This year, the specialized jury of the Enescu Competition has selected 174 young artists to enter the competition. The young artists have been selected from a total number of 317 applications for the Competition, 40% more than at the 2014 edition. They will compete for their dream of becoming great musicians of the world on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum. The selected young artists come from countries such as Germany, South Korea, Italy, Spain, France, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Argentina, Czech Republic, China, Thailand, USA, Canada, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan. 12 young artists come from Romania. The specialized jury of the 2016 edition of the Enescu Competition consists of musicians and top international professors, among which we mention the violinists Pierre Amoyal and Silvia Marcovici, the cellists Natalia Gutman, David Geringas and Arto Noras and the pianists Peter Donohoe, Dana Borșan and Andrei Pisarev. The stages of the competition are open to the public at large, being organized thus: stage I (organized at the National University of Music Bucharest); stage II, stage III – semifinal for each of the three competition categories and the three finals, the concert with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra will take place on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum. A novelty of this edition is the fact that, from stage II onwards, competitors will perform at the Athenaeum. The conductors of the three finals are: Alex Bloch (cello), Christoph Poppen (violin), John Axelrod (piano).