site.btaBulgarian Conductor Delyana Lazarova Opens 19th George Enescu International Competition

The 19th edition of George Enescu International Competition in Romania, a significant event in the global music calendar, began on August 31 with a concert conducted by Bulgarian conductor Delyana Lazarova at Bucharest's Athenaeum concert hall.

The opening programme featured a composition by Korean composer Shin Kim and Paul Constantinescu's triple concerto for piano, violin, and cello, performed by previous competition winners Maria Marica (violin), Alexandra Segal (piano), and Benjamin Kruithof (cello). The concert concluded with George Enescu's Romanian Poem composed when Enescu was 16 years old, which includes Romania's former royal anthem and incorporates folk motifs, giving the piece a narrative quality. "It was an honor to conduct this piece, which so deeply reflects Romania's cultural heritage," Lazarova said in an exclusive interview with BTA.

Lazarova noted the audience's enthusiastic response: "The crowd gave a standing ovation at the end of the concert. I took three bows. It was an incredibly exciting and emotional experience for everyone."

Following her appearance in Romania, Lazarova is scheduled to travel to Germany to work with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, a symphony orchestra based in Herford, for a tour across the country. "After that, I will join the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, and at the beginning of October, I will embark on a tour of South America with the Kammerorchester Basel," she added.

The George Enescu International Competition honours Romania's most renowned composer. The jury has selected 160 young musicians from a record 667 applicants representing 59 countries. The finalists will compete in Bucharest in four categories: violin, cello, piano, and composition.