Măcelaru garners praise for Pittsburgh Symphony debut

Cristian Măcelaru in action with the PSO and Augustin Hadelich (Photo credit: Mary Persin)

This past Friday, May 18th, Cristian Măcelaru made his debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony! The program featured Enescu Romanian Rhapsody No. 1, Copland Symphony No. 3 and Dvorak Violin Concerto with Augustin Hadelich.

Jeremy Reynolds of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praised: “The evening began with Georges Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 in A major, which Mr. Măcelaru, a Romanian himself, interpreted with just the right balance of charm and sophistication.”

On Copland’s Symphony No. 3, Reynolds says, “Mr. Măcelaru displayed an uncanny ear for highlighting details without losing track of the work’s larger trajectory. He conducted with controlled, fluid gestures throughout, maintaining a close rapport with the ensemble.”

Lastly, for the Dvorak Violin Concerto, “Mr. Hadelich and the orchestra kicked off the Dvorak’s opening bars with grit and drama, the music sounding as a sort of Czech Western with the violinist as hero set against a desolate accompaniment.”

Congratulations to our Maestro!