Cristian Măcelaru (born 15 March 1980,

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

) is a Romanian conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the

WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne The WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne (German: WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln) is a German radio orchestra based in Cologne, where the orchestra performs at two main concert halls: the WDR Funkhaus Wallrafplatz and the Kölner Philharmonie. Histo ...

, music director of the

Orchestre National de France The Orchestre National de France (; ; abbr. ONF) is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since 1975), the ONF performs mainly in the Grand ...

, and music director-designate of the

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its primary concert venue is Music Hall. In addition to its symphony concerts, the orchestra gives pops concerts as the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The Cinc ...

Biography

Măcelaru is the youngest child from a family of 10 children. He studied violin in his youth. He continued his music studies in the United States at the

Interlochen Arts Academy Interlochen Center for the Arts ( '; also known as I.C.A. or Inty) is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit corporation which operates Visual arts education, arts education institutions and Music venue, performance venues. Established in 1928 b ...

. He graduated from the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

in 2003 with a B.M. degree. He was concertmaster of the Miami Symphony Orchestra, the youngest concertmaster in the orchestra's history. Măcelaru further continued his music studies at

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

, where he developed his interest in conducting. His mentors included Larry Rachleff. Additionally, while at Rice, he conducted the Houston Youth Orchestra, and was a violinist with the

Houston Symphony Orchestra The Houston Symphony is an American orchestra based in Houston, Texas. The orchestra is resident at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. History The first concert of what was to become the Houston Symphony took place on June 21, 1 ...

for two seasons. He also took master classes in conducting with such mentors as

David Zinman David Zinman (born July 9, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York) is a retired American conductor and violinist. Education After violin studies at Oberlin Conservatory, Zinman studied theory and composition at the University of Minnesota, earning his M.A. ...

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (born Rafael Frühbeck; 15 September 1933 – 11 June 2014) was a Spanish conductor and composer. Frühbeck was born in Burgos, Spain to a family of German ancestry. He first took up conducting while on military serv ...

Oliver Knussen Stuart Oliver Knussen (12 June 1952 – 8 July 2018) was a British composer of contemporary classical music and conductor. Among the most influential British composers of his generation, his relatively few compositions are "rooted in 20th-cen ...

and Stefan Asbury, at the

Tanglewood Music Festival The Tanglewood Music Festival is a music festival held every summer on the Tanglewood estate in Stockbridge and Lenox in the Berkshire Hills in western Massachusetts. The festival consists of a series of concerts, including symphonic music, c ...

and at the

Aspen Music Festival The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado. It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music students. Founded in 1949, th ...

. From the Solti Foundation, he received its Emerging Conductor Award in 2012, and the Solti Conducting Award in 2014. In 2011, Măcelaru became assistant conductor of The

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription concerts, n ...

. He was promoted to associate conductor of the orchestra in 2012, and held this post until 2014. He then served as conductor-in-residence with the orchestra from 2014 to 2017. In 2015, Măcelaru first guest-conducted the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in a

Cincinnati Opera Cincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second-oldest opera company in the United States (after the New York Metropolitan Opera). Beginning with its first season in 1920, Cincinnati Opera has produced opera ...

production of '' Il Trovatore'', and returned to the Cincinnati Symphony for his subscription concert debut with the orchestra in January 2016. He has been music director of the

Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music is an annual Festival dedicated to contemporary symphonic music by living composers. The music director since 2017 has been Cristian Măcelaru. According to Jesse Rosen, CEO of the League of American Orc ...

since 2017. In February 2017, Măcelaru first guest-conducted the

. He subsequently returned for three further guest appearances with the orchestra. In May 2018, the orchestra announced the appointment of Măcelaru as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019-2020 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. This appointment marks his first full-time orchestral post. In June 2020, the orchestra announced an extension of his contract through July 2025. In October 2023, the orchestra announced that Măcelaru is to stand down as its chief conductor at the close of the 2024-2025 season, and to take the title of Artistic Partner for the 2025-2026 season. In September 2018, Măcelaru first guest-conducted the

(ONF), and returned for a second guest-conducting appearance in the summer of 2019. On the basis of these appearances, in November 2019, the ONF announced the appointment of Măcelaru as its next music director, effective 1 September 2021, with an initial contract of 4 years. Following the resignation of Emmanuel Krivine as ONF music director in May 2020, Măcelaru became music director of the ONF on 1 September 2020, one year earlier than originally scheduled. In September 2022, the ONF announced an extension to Măcelaru's contract through 2027. Măcelaru is scheduled to conclude his tenure with the ONF at the close of the 2026-2027 season. In August 2023, Măcelaru led his first season as Artistic Director of the George Enescu Festival. In April 2024, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Măcelaru as its next music director, with him scheduled to hold the title of music director-designate in the 2024-2025 season, and subsequently scheduled to become music director in the 2025-2026 season, with an initial contract through the 2028-2029 season. Măcelaru and his wife Cheryl, a bassoonist, have 2 children. The family resides in Paris. Măcelaru became an American citizen in 2019.

Recordings

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...

, Complete symphonies, Orchestre National de France
3 CD Warner Classics 2021

References

External links

Official site

Askonas Holt agency biography

* ttps://artminds.ro/cristian-macelaru-dirijor-care-este-reteta-succesului-sau-mai-bine-zis-exista-o-reteta-succesului-munca/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Măcelaru, Cristian Romanian male conductors (music) 1980 births Living people Rice University alumni Musicians from Timișoara Romanian emigrants to the United States Naturalized citizens of the United States 21st-century Romanian conductors (music) 21st-century Romanian male musicians Romanian classical violinists Players of the Houston Symphony Music directors of the Orchestre National de France Chief conductors of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne