Competitions › George Enescu International Competition
George Enescu International Competition
Next edition
No future edition is announced on the official pages we could check.
Overview
The George Enescu International Competition is a biennial competition in Bucharest run by Artexim for piano, violin and cello with a composition section. The 20th edition (2026) ran from 23 August to 19 September 2026, with preselection by video and rounds per section.
- Organiser
- Artexim, under the High Patronage of the President of Romania; funded by the Romanian Government via the Ministry of Culture (per official site concurs.festivalenescu.ro)
- Instruments
- Piano, Violin, Cello, Composition
- Category
- Solo piano, Solo violin, Solo cello, Chamber & solo composition
- Age limits
- Cello 2026: applicants born after 1 August 1991; no exemptions.
Rules & repertoire
Registration & fee
deadline: 17 May 2026 (extended; piano, violin, cello). Composition and masterclass: 30 June 2026.
fee: Cello: EUR 120, non-refundable, bank transfer.
howToApply: Online registration via festivalenescu.ro registration pages.
Rounds & time limits
- Online preselection: 25 May to 17 June 2026 (results 19 June 2026)
- Round I: 29-31 August 2026 (cello)
- Round II: 2-3 September 2026
- Semi-final: 5 September 2026
- Final: 7 September 2026 (cello). Durations not stated.
Repertoire
The repertoire declared on the registration form is final; performances are from memory, except for works by Enescu and pieces specified in the regulations.
Jury & prizes
Jury
- Cello 2026 jury: one president and eight members; the page lists roles only, no names.
Prizes
- Cello 2026 (EUR, net): 1st 15,000; 2nd 10,000; 3rd 5,000 plus Enescu Piano Competition Trophy. Each instrumental section offers prizes totalling over EUR 35,000 (official 20th edition page). Composition: three prizes totalling EUR 22,000.
Past editions
- 2026 — Bucharest source
Other sections not confirmed. - 2024 — Bucharest source
Cello: 2nd Constantin Borodin; 3rd Constantin Sieperman; best foreign piano accompanist Claudio Berra. Violin: 2nd Stefan Aprodu; 3rd Gregoire Torossian; best foreign piano accompanist Aimo Pagin. Piano: 2nd George Todica; 3rd Chun Lam U.
Summarised from official sources, last checked 10 Nov 2026. Main source