George Enescu International Competition

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 Russian pianists Elisabeth Leonskaja, in 1964, and Dmitri Alexeev, in 1970.[1]

The Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, Romania, serves as one of the main venues in the George Enescu International Piano Competition.

Overview

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]

Prize money

As of 2020 Cello, Violin and Piano prizes:[4]

  • First prize – €15.000
  • Second prize – €10.000
  • Third prize – €5.000

Composition prizes:

  • Prize for symphonic music section – €10.000
  • Chamber music section – €7.000
  • Prize for originality – €5.000;

Winners

Piano section
Top prize piano winners since the foundation of the competition in 1958
Year 1st 2nd 3rd
I: 1958 Ming-Qiang Li Michèle Boegner

Mikhail Voskresensky (tie)

 Dmitry Paperno
II: 1961 Not awarded Arie Vardi

Constantin Iliescu (tie)

 Hong Teng
III: 1964 Elisabeth Leonskaja André Gorog Gabriel Amiras
IV: 1967 Radu Lupu

Samvel Alumyan (tie)

 Dan Grigore Anatol Ugorski
V: 1970 Dmitri Alexeev Mack McCray Radu Toescu
VI: 1991 Daniel Goiți Viniciu Moroianu Luiza Borac
VII: 2001 Diana Ionescu Matei Varga Maria-Magdalena Pitu-Jokisch
VIII: 2003 Ilona Timchenko Not awarded Razvan Dragnea

Evgeny Starodubtsev (tie)

IX: 2005 Irina Zahharenkova Evgeny Izotov Aimo Pagin
X: 2007 Eduard Kunz Evgeny Cherepanov Christopher Falzone
XI: 2009 Amir Tebenikhin Violetta Kachikian Jongdo An
XII: 2011 Not awarded Jeung-Beum Sohn Mihai Ritivoiu

Ilya Poletaev (tie)

XIII: 2014 Josu de Solaun Soto[5][6][7] Ilya Rashkovsky Vassilis Varvaresos
XIV: 2016 Victoria Vassilenko Takuma Ishii Danor Quinteros
XV: 2018 Daria Parkhomenko Daumants Liepins Alexander Panfilov

Violin section

References
  1. "Enescu Competition extends application deadline to 1 May 2020". Rhinegold. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  2. Moldovan, Tania Aniela (2015). The Modern Romanian Violin School: An Analytical Introduction to Manual De Vioara by Ionel Geanta and George Manoliu (PhD). Florida State University. p. 17. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  3. "2020 George Enescu International Competition Online Announces 3 Winners in Composition and 8 Piano Semifinalists". George Enescu Festival. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  4. "Guide to the 2020 George Enescu International Competition". Bachtrack. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  5. "Sam Houston State Artist/Teacher Josu De Solaun Wins International Piano Competition". Fat Cat New Media. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  6. "Spanish pianist Josu de Solaun wins the 2014 Enescu Competition". Business Review. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  7. Cerban, Madalina (28 September 2014). "Pianistul spaniol Josu de Solaun a câştigat secţiunea Pian a Concursului Enescu 2014". Mediafax.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  8. "Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben". Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben (in German). 10 April 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  9. "Stefan Tarara wins George Enescu International Competition Violin category". The Strad. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
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