400 young musicians to participate in the George Enescu International Competition 2018

George Enescu International Competition which will take place between September 1-23 in Bucharest has set a new record number of young musicians who will participate at the competition.

The record means 400 young musicians, from 46 countries, on five continents, with a 26% increase of applications, compared to the 2016 edition. Also, Enescu Competition has a remarkable Romanian presence this year: elevated with 72 percent – a total number of 36 Romanian artists, applied particularly for the Piano Section. Compared to the last edition, China and UK doubled their representation in our competition, while the number of registered young musicians from Italy tripled. Overall, in the four sections of the competition there are: 126 contestants in the Piano Section, 121 in the Violin Section, 126 in the Cello Section and 27 in Composition. 212 contestants are from Europe and the Near East, 148 from Asia, 29 from North America, 9 from Australia and New Zealand, and 2 contestants are from South America. Statistically, the countries with the largest presence are South Korea – 70 contestants, Romania – 36, China – 33, Japan – 26, Russia – 22, Italy – 22 and USA – 20. In the Piano Section, the Romanian participation is the second largest after South Korea, represented by 28 contestants. France has the largest participation in Cello, again after South Korea, which has the highest number of contestants per section, aside from Composition. For the Violin Section, the second largest representation is form Japan.

“Building on George Enescu’s words, I would add that music is 30 percent excellence and professionalism, and 70 percent message. In today’s world, when the geopolitical context is so complex, classical music has the power to unite us by virtue of example. Various nationalities come together to play in an orchestra or in a choir – and this should suspend all conflicts and problems, because unless they do, it is impossible to play together. Music will never forsake you, it will never betray you, because music is harmony and peace. I think artists, musicians can bear this message of peace, of cohesion, and this is what we need to convey to young musicians. There is always hope, all we need is to invest in it”, declared the Artistic Director of the George Enescu International Competition and Festival, conductor Vladimir Jurowski, in a special Skype intervention from Berlin, during the press conference that marked the opening of the 2018 edition of the Enescu Competition..

“The George Enescu International Competition celebrates, at this time, 60 years of existence. We are very happy to see a record number of participants: there are 400 contestants that have applied for the four sections of the Competition and we are sure that not just the number of contestants is decisive in this edition, but also their quality – there are contestants who have been awarded important international prizes and they will participate in the Enescu Competition. We will open the edition with Gabriel Bebeșelea, conducting the vocal-symphonic piece that won last edition”, declared Mihai Constantinescu, executive director of the George Enescu Competition and Festival, during the press conference.

“What do we hear when we listen to music?”

The George Enescu Competition 2018 aimes to launch a dialogue with the young audience and the public at large. Counting on the essence of a musical competition – each artist’s different manner of performing, their personal mark in deciphering and delivering a score and the richness that the reception of classical music offers – this edition will bring a few music events and workshops to the public – both online and offline – that are meant to inspire and answer to the question: “What do we hear when we listen to music?” The projects will start in late May and will continue during the competition.

Starting with the 2014 edition, the George Enescu International Competition has been organised as a stand‑alone event that can be attended by the public. With a remarkable international reputation, the Enescu Competition is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions and Alink‑Argerich Foundation – Piano Competition Worldwide. The total value of the awards at this edition is EUR 115,000, complemented by masterclasses held by the members of the jury, as well as special awards.