Cristian Măcelaru

Distinguished by a rare fusion of interpretive rigor, emotional intelligence, and generosity of spirit, GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor Cristian Măcelaru is celebrated worldwide as an artistic leader and mentor. A driving force for music’s power to connect, inspire, and endure, he is deeply committed to strengthening cultural institutions, educating the next generation, and forging meaningful bonds within communities, while serving as an ambassador for the classical art form worldwide. Măcelaru is Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the George Enescu Festival and Competition, Music Director of the Orchestre National de France, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Interlochen Center for the Arts’ World Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. Combining artistic vision and deeply human intuitive leadership, he inspires the highest standards in performers, protégés, and artistic collaborators. In addition to his work with the 2026 George Enescu Competition, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and Interlochen Center for the Arts’ World Youth Symphony Orchestra, summer 2026 brought Măcelaru to the podiums of several major festivals, including the Aspen Music Festival, where he returned for a concert featuring Augustin Hadelich, the Grafenegg Festival, where he led the Philharmonia Orchestra with Rudolf Buchbinder in the opening concert, and the BBC Proms, leading the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Highlights of Măcelaru’s 2026/27 guest-conducting schedule include returns to Oslo Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona, WDR Sinfonieorchester, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and San Francisco Symphony. Măcelaru also embarks on a tour with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester across Italy and Spain. After an acclaimed inaugural season featuring multiple sold-out programs, Măcelaru continues his ambitious and distinctive programming in his second season as Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He opens the 2026/27 season with a three-day residency featuring Wynton Marsalis, Nicola Benedetti, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, performing Marsalis’ new Symphony No. 5 as well as a new adaptation of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, conceived and curated by Măcelaru. Throughout the season, Măcelaru collaborates with world-renowned artists including Lang Lang, Víkingur Ólafsson, Alisa Weilerstein, and Ray Chen. He leads the orchestra in the first U.S. performance of George Enescu's Symphony No. 3 in nearly 100 years, and conducts numerous premieres including the world premiere of Errollyn Wallen's Concerto for Orchestra, the U.S. premiere of Mark Simpson's Piano Concerto, and works by Jessie Montgomery, Steven Banks, and Eunike Tanzil, reflecting Măcelaru’s lasting commitment to programming overlooked masterworks and championing the work of contemporary composers. Across his myriad titled roles, Măcelaru has consistently elevated performance levels and audience engagement to new heights. Under his leadership, the 2025 George Enescu International Festival reached an unprecedented scale during its four-week concert schedule, highlighting world-class orchestras, multiple international premieres, and interpretations of classical music’s finest repertoire. In just 29 days, the Festival presented more than 100 concerts throughout Bucharest and in cities across Romania. More than 20 of the world’s leading orchestras performed in the Festival, reaffirming its status as a landmark event on the international cultural stage. In a signature effort of his artistic directorship, Măcelaru has created a new series of concerts for children as part of an initiative to enrich and modernize the Festival. Emphasizing contemporary compositions, these programs enhance listeners’ appreciation of the music while promoting social values of equality, empowerment, and diversity. He has also increased invitations for women conductors and implemented mental and physical well-being sessions for participants in Enescu’s biennial Competition, where he also serves as Artistic Director. Through historic collaborations with organizations including Special Olympics Romania, Măcelaru and the Festival are working to modernize Romania’s concert halls with accessibility features to accommodate all audiences. For the 2026 George Enescu International Competition led by Măcelaru, a record-breaking 645 applications were received from superior young musicians in 55 countries. As Music Director of the Orchestre National de France, Măcelaru has greatly strengthened the orchestra’s artistic profile by focusing on signature French repertoire and expanding its international presence. He led the ONF at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, before a global audience estimated at 1.5 billion people. The 2026/27 season marks Măcelaru's seventh and final season as the orchestra’s Music Director. The opening program traces the three chapters of his career through Enescu's Symphony No. 1 (his Romanian roots), Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1 with Nicolas Altstaedt (his French tenure), and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms (his new chapter in Cincinnati). Throughout the season, Măcelaru collaborates with world-renowned artists including Emanuel Ax, Julia Fischer, Simon Trpčeski, Sergey Khachatryan, and Karen Cargill. He concludes his tenure as Music Director by conducting the Concert de Paris at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in celebration of Bastille Day. At the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Măcelaru has advanced its mission as a leading incubator for new music, while helping to nurture the festival's collaborative spirit. Using his leadership role as a platform for engagement, he has brought artists, audience members, and festival executives into a shared creative process through open rehearsals and interaction with the composers in residence. Through the Cabrillo Emerging Black Composers Prize, Măcelaru and Cabrillo have partnered with the Emerging Black Composers Project, a ten-year commitment to spotlight early-career Black American composers and their music. Măcelaru devotes significant time to mentoring young musicians in his capacity as an educator, continuing the great legacy of the Cabrillo Conductors / Composers Workshop that brings together the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra and leading faculty with early-career conductors and composers for a professional training program focused on the creation and performance of new music. Măcelaru led the Interlochen Center for the Arts’ Academy Orchestra on a one-of-a-kind tour in March 2026, celebrating the upcoming centennial of Interlochen, taking place in 2028, and the 250th anniversary of American independence. Under his baton, students performed the world premiere of Wynton Marsalis’ Cello Concerto with Yo-Yo Ma as soloist, beginning at the Center’s home in Interlochen, Michigan, and continuing through Detroit, Philadelphia, and Boston. As Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Măcelaru works with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra each summer and visits Interlochen Arts Academy throughout the season, mentoring and inspiring the next generation of classical musicians. A champion of commissioning and premiering the music of today, Măcelaru has commissioned premieres from over 52 composers across his titled positions in Paris, Cincinnati, Cologne, and Cabrillo. This illustrious group of composers includes Wynton Marsalis, Tan Dun, Gabriela Lena Frank, Jennifer Higdon, Jake Heggie, Nico Muhly, Sean Shepherd, and Gabriella Smith. Widely admired for his artistic vision and commitment to innovation, Măcelaru appears regularly with many of the world’s leading orchestras. Highlights of Măcelaru’s previous seasons include engagements with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Berlin, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Czech Philharmonic, and Philharmonia Orchestra. In North America, Măcelaru has conducted the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor of opera, he has led notable productions including Don Giovanni at Houston Grand Opera and Madama Butterfly at Opera Națională București. An accomplished recording artist, Măcelaru received a 2019 GRAMMY® Award for conducting the Decca Classics world premiere recording of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Upcoming releases include Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Orchestre National de France on Naïve Records, and Bartók's The Miraculous Mandarin and Concerto for Orchestra with the WDR Sinfonieorchester on Linn Records. His most recent albums include a February 2026 recording of works by the long-overlooked French composer Elsa Barraine, recorded by the Orchestre National de France on Warner Classics, which received the prestigious Diapason d'Or award, and the September 2025 release of Ravel Paris 2025 with the ONF on Naïve Records, a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth. His 2024 recording of George Enescu’s Symphonies Nos. 1–3 and Romanian Rhapsodies on Deutsche Grammophon won the Diapason d’Or of the Year and Choc Classica de l’Année. His discography also includes the complete symphonies of Saint-Saëns on Warner Classics with the Orchestre National de France, as well as recordings featuring works by Bartók, Dvořák, and Rachmaninoff on Linn Records with the WDR Sinfonieorchester. Măcelaru’s Linn Records album, Brahms: Piano Concertos with Simon Trpčeski and the WDR Sinfonieorchester, was featured in Classic FM’s November 2023 “Album of the Week” as well as BBC Music Magazine’s January 2024 “Concerto Choice.” Măcelaru is deeply committed to education, accessibility, and audience connection. During his tenure as Chief Conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester from the 2019/20 season through 2024/25, he created the ensemble’s Kurz undKlassik program, in which he shares personal insight into each of the major compositions chosen for performance. This video series has built a significant following, a testament to Măcelaru’s continued impact in bringing audiences closer to the music. With the Orchestre National de France, he created a new series of concerts,L’œuvre augmentée, conceived to deepen patrons’ appreciation of the music by offering insights into the themes and backgrounds of the works presented. Măcelaru’s work with young musicians spans conducting masterclasses, composer workshops, and mentorship programs across Europe and North America, emphasizing long-standing commitments with his alma maters in Romania and the United States, including Interlochen Arts Academy. Through his leadership at major festivals and institutions, he has advanced initiatives supporting diversity, equity, and well-being. Măcelaru also holds annual conducting masterclasses in Timișoara, Romania, with the Romanian Chamber Orchestra, and each year calls for scores from young Romanian composers. More than 40 compositions thus far have been written through this initiative. Măcelaru was born in Timișoara, Romania, and comes from a musical family. As the youngest of ten children, all of whom received instrumental lessons at an early age, Măcelaru moved at age 17 to the United States to attend the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, where he served as concertmaster of the Arts Academy Orchestra. He pursued his higher education at the University of Miami in Florida and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in Houston, where he studied conducting with Larry Rachleff. He then deepened his knowledge at Tanglewood Music Center and Aspen Music Festival in masterclasses with David Zinman, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Oliver Knussen, and Stefan Asbury. Măcelaru was the youngest concertmaster in the history of the Miami Symphony Orchestra and made his Carnegie Hall debut with that orchestra at the age of 19. He also played in the first violin section of the Houston Symphony for two seasons. His international career was launched in 2012 when he was asked to step in for Pierre Boulez with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. During that same year, he received the Solti Emerging Conductor Award, followed by the Solti Conducting Award in 2014. In 2026, the Andrew Carnegie Foundation honored Măcelaru as one of its Great Immigrants, Great Americans.