Romania’s Enescu Competition introduces play & conduct format for 2026 semifinals

18 August 2026 Semifinalists in the cello, violin, and piano sections of the 2026 George Enescu International Competition will perform as both soloists and orchestra leaders in a new “play & conduct” format. Introduced for the first time in the competition’s history, the conductor-free semifinals will take place at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest in September. The cello semifinal is scheduled for September 5, followed by the violin competition on September 11 and the piano event on September 17. Six contestants from each instrumental section will advance to this stage. Each semifinal will be divided into two parts. First, at 10 a.m., the contestants will perform works by Romanian composer George Enescu, with free public admission. Then, the play & conduct round will begin at 4 p.m. and