George Enescu International Piano Competition

The George Enescu International Piano Competition is a music competition for young pianists that takes place in Bucharest, Romania. It has helped launch the careers of many musicians, and among its list of first-prize winners are legendary pianists such as Radu Lupu, the winner in the 1967 edition. Other winners include Russian pianists Elisabeth Leonskaja, in 1964, and Dmitri Alexeev, in 1970.

The Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, Romania, serves as one of the main venues in the George Enescu International Piano Competition.

Overview

The competition started in 1958, as part of the George Enescu Festival, and celebrated its first five editions (1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, and 1970) in what was then the Socialist Republic of Romania. It was considered, by the countries of the Eastern Bloc, one of the most prestigious music competitions. Jury members included famous musicians such as Claudio Arrau, Nadia Boulanger, Arthur Rubinstein, Magda Tagliaferro, Guido Agosti, Florica Musicescu, Dmitri Bashkirov, Carlo Zecchi, and Lazar Berman. After the 1970 edition, there was a 21-year hiatus, after which the next competition was held in 1991, already in modern Romania. Only twice, in 1961 and in 2011, no first-prize was awarded.

The competition is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions in Geneva. There have been twelve editions of the competition since its inaugural session in 1958, the next edition being in 2014.

The competition and prize-giving ceremony has historically taken place in the Romanian Athenaeum, with the mayor always traditionally attending.

The competition has, since 1958, discovered dozens of outstanding musicians for all over the world. Past piano laureates (not-including the first-prize winners) include Mikhail Voskresensky, Pascal Rogé, and Cristina Ortiz.

The prize has always included a generous cash award and numerous performing opportunities as a recitalist, soloist, and in chamber music settings, including concert appearances in many prestigious venues and festivals all over the world.

Winners
Top prize winners since the foundation of the competition in 1958
Year 1st 2nd 3rd
I: 1958 Ming-Qiang Li Michèle Boegner

Mikhail Voskresensky (tie)

 Dmitry Paperno
II: 1961 Not awarded Arie Vardi

Constantin Iliescu (tie)

 Hong Teng
III: 1964 Elisabeth Leonskaja André Gorog Gabriel Amiras
IV: 1967 Radu Lupu

Samvel Alumyan (tie)

 Dan Grigore Anatol Ugorski
V: 1970 Dmitri Alexeev Mack McCray Radu Toescu
VI: 1991 Daniel Goiți Viniciu Moroianu Luiza Borac
VII: 2001 Diana Ionescu Matei Varga Maria-Magdalena Pitu-Jokisch
VIII: 2003 Ilona Timchenko Not awarded Razvan Dragnea

Evgeny Starodubtsev (tie)

IX: 2005 Irina Zahharenkova Evgeny Izotov Aimo Pagin
X: 2007 Eduard Kunz Evgeny Cherepanov Christopher Falzone
XI: 2009 Amir Tebenikhin Violetta Kachikian Jongdo An
XII: 2011 Not awarded Jeung-Beum Sohn Mihai Ritivoiu

Ilya Poletaev (tie)

XIII: 2014 Josu de Solaun Soto Ilya Rashkovsky Vassilis Varvaresos
XIV: 2016 Victoria Vassilenko Takuma Ishii Danor Quinteros
XV: 2018 Daria Parkhomenko Daumants Liepins Alexander Panfilov
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