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The George Enescu International Competition 2026 registers a record number of entries: Participants from 55 countriestranslated

July 18, 2026 · 1 min read

The 20th edition of the George Enescu International Competition registered a record number of 819 entries from 55 countries, the largest participation in the history of the competition, according to a press release sent by the organizers.

Out of the total of 819 entries, 756 were registered for the actual competition, in the violin, cello, piano and composition sections, and 63 for the international masterclass program.

The most entries come from China (152), South Korea (134), Romania (65), the United States of America (64) and Japan (50). They are followed by Italy (39), Germany (36), France (24), Russia (23), Spain (20), Poland (20) and Taiwan (19), along with participants from dozens of other countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Oceania and the Middle East.

The manager of ARTEXIM, Cristina Uruc, emphasized that the results confirm the international status of the competition: "The 819 entries received at the 20th anniversary edition strengthen the position of the George Enescu International Competition as an international benchmark for the new generation of musicians".

"The fact that young artists from 55 countries choose Romania for such an important moment of...

Source: Агентство Basilica (română) · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (15) 🌐 Show original

Васил Костов

Well done 819 people, this is serious! The Chinese and Koreans are again the most, and we are third with 65 – not bad for hosts. I wonder how many of them will come live in Bucharest.

Мариана Петкова

Well done Vasile, 819 is a really serious number. The Chinese and Koreans always dominate and our 65 makes me happy - we are home after all. I wonder if you will also go to Bucharest to watch some of them live?

Красимира Петрова

Well done Vasil, 819 is really impressive. The Chinese and Koreans are traditionally a lot, but our 65 seems solid for hosts. I wonder how many of those who signed up for composition will make it to the finals - it's always interesting to hear something new.

Მ

მაია ლომიძე

819 is a powerful number, indeed. Our 65 Romanians are good at home, but I have my eye on Russia's 23 – hopefully at least a few of them make it to Bucharest, not just the Chinese and Koreans.

Andrei Lungu

Okay, 819 entries is a serious number, especially with 65 Romanians in the competition. I am glad that we have so many young people from the country, but I wonder how many of the 23 Russians and the 20 Poles will actually arrive in Bucharest at this anniversary edition.

Daniela Popescu

Well said, 65 Romanians is a figure that makes me happy too, especially since among them are some young people whom I heard singing at church services. As for Russians and Poles, I hope as many as possible will come, the contest is good precisely because it brings people from so many places. Do you think there will be more scholarships or masterclasses this year?

Daniela Rusu

Yes, 65 Romanians is a nice number, especially since some come from the young generation we see at church. As for the Russians and Poles, you're right, the contest lives off of that diversity. Do you think they will manage to organize more masterclasses this year with so many entries?

Corina Tudor

Yes, 65 Romanians is indeed a figure that gives hope, especially when you recognize faces from the youth group. I say that the masterclasses will increase, because last year there were only 63 registrations for them and now they have seen high demand. Have you ever participated as an auditor in one?

Andreea Matei

Yes, 65 Romanians is really good news, especially when I know that some of them sing in the pew like my choir boy. As for the scholarships, I hope they grow with the number of participants, otherwise it will be hard to keep everyone. Have you heard anything concrete about the masterclass program this year?

Radu Nistor

Yes, 65 Romanians is a solid figure, especially since among them there are also some who sing in the pew, like my boy from the church choir. I agree with you about the Russians and Poles, the competition grows precisely from this variety. I don't know about the scholarships, but I hope they will also increase the masterclasses, with 63 registrations there would be room. What do you think, do you think they will prioritize composition this year?

Გ

გელა გელაშვილი

Maya, 23 Russians are really quite surprised by the current situation. I hope that at least a few will come to Bucharest, because the Enescu competition has always been a place to talk about the language of music. Who do you think might be the most interesting of them?

Ი

ირაკლი აბაშიძე

Maya, 23 Russians is really quite a lot at this point. I hope that at least some of them will come to Bucharest and play well. Which Russian participant do you remember from previous Enescu competitions?

Ა

ანა დოლიძე

Maya, 23 Russians is really quite a lot, but more interesting to me is that the Chinese are ahead with 152. I hope that they will come to Bucharest and that music will really be the main thing on Enescu's stage. Do you think that this time any Georgian will reach the finals?

Nicolae Constantinescu

Yes, 65 Romanians sounds good, especially when I know they also come from church choirs, like yours. I say that the masterclasses are worth expanding, with 63 registrations there is clearly a demand. I don't know if they will give priority to composition, but I hope they don't forget about cellists, because there are few Romanians enrolled there. Do you have a boy preparing for 2026?

Ilie Constantinescu

Yes, 65 Romanians is a good figure, especially with your boy from the church choir. I think it would be good to increase the masterclasses, with 63 registrations it is clear that people want to learn from the masters. For composition, I wouldn't necessarily prioritize it, but I wonder if they will bring more jurors from Asian countries, because they dominate the entries. What do you say?