Biography
Conductor
Cristian Măcelaru
Cristian Măcelaru is music director of the Cincinnati Symphony and Orchestre National de France, artistic director of the George Enescu Festival and Competition, artistic director and principal conductor of Interlochen’s World Youth Symphony Orchestra, and music director and conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. He also serves as a distinguished visiting artist at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and as artistic partner of the WDR Symphony in Cologne, where he previously served as chief conductor.
Măcelaru has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Dresden Staatskapelle, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and NDR Elbphilharmonie, among other orchestras. Across his titled roles, Măcelaru has consistently elevated artistic standards while expanding audience engagement. He led Orchestre National de France at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, before a global audience estimated at 1.5 billion people.
Măcelaru received a Grammy Award for his Decca Classics recording of Wynton Marsalis’s Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. His discography includes critically acclaimed recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Classics, Naïve Records, Linn Records, and other leading labels.
Born in Timișoara, Romania, Măcelaru moved to the United States at age 17 to attend Interlochen. He studied at the University of Miami and Rice University, and further refined his craft at the Tanglewood Music Center and Aspen Music Festival. He is a recipient of both the Solti Emerging Conductor Award and the Solti Conducting Award. He made his San Francisco Symphony debut in October 2018.
Măcelaru has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Dresden Staatskapelle, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and NDR Elbphilharmonie, among other orchestras. Across his titled roles, Măcelaru has consistently elevated artistic standards while expanding audience engagement. He led Orchestre National de France at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, before a global audience estimated at 1.5 billion people.
Măcelaru received a Grammy Award for his Decca Classics recording of Wynton Marsalis’s Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. His discography includes critically acclaimed recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, Warner Classics, Naïve Records, Linn Records, and other leading labels.
Born in Timișoara, Romania, Măcelaru moved to the United States at age 17 to attend Interlochen. He studied at the University of Miami and Rice University, and further refined his craft at the Tanglewood Music Center and Aspen Music Festival. He is a recipient of both the Solti Emerging Conductor Award and the Solti Conducting Award. He made his San Francisco Symphony debut in October 2018.
