Cristian Măcelaru

Distinguished by a rare fusion of interpretive rigor, emotional intelligence, and generosity of spirit, GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor Cristian Măcelaru is recognized for his artistic vision shaped by deeply human, intuitive leadership that sets him apart in the field. A driving force for music's power to connect, inspire, and endure, he is deeply committed to strengthening cultural institutions, educating the next generation, and forging meaningful bonds within communities, while serving as an ambassador for the classical art form worldwide. Măcelaru is Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Orchestre National de France, Artistic Director of the George Enescu Festival and Competition, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Interlochen Center for the Arts' World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Music Director and Conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and Distinguished Visiting Artist at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. He also serves as Artistic Partner of the WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, where he served as Chief Conductor from the 2019/2020 through 2024/25 seasons.

During Măcelaru's inaugural 2025/26 season as Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra – highlighted in The New York Times – audiences have responded with sold-out programs, including his November 4 concert with Yo-Yo Ma, simulcast to four additional locations across the city. Throughout the season, he collaborates with world-renowned artists, including Hélène Grimaud, Daniil Trifonov, and Tessa Lark, and leads major initiatives, including the U.S. premiere of Daníel Bjarnason's complete Trilogy for Orchestra and a multidisciplinary staging of Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird with larger-than-life puppetry, which he has conducted previously, highlighting his command of ambitious and inventive productions.

In 2025, Măcelaru led the George Enescu International Festival in its most expansive edition to date, and conducted the Orchestre National de France in landmark European and U.S. tours, culminating in a celebrated performance at Carnegie Hall. In March 2026, he embarks on a tour with Interlochen Center for the Arts, celebrating the upcoming centennial of Interlochen and the 250th anniversary of American independence. Concerts begin at the Center's home in Interlochen, Michigan, and continue through Detroit, Philadelphia and Boston. Students will perform a program featuring a new cello concerto by Wynton Marsalis, with Yo-Yo Ma as soloist. Măcelaru's guest engagements this season include debuts with the Münchner Philharmoniker and Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, as well as returns with Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Czech Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony.

Widely admired for his artistic vision and commitment to innovation, Măcelaru appears regularly with many of the world's leading orchestras. Highlights of Măcelaru's previous seasons include engagements with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rotterdam Philharmonic, London Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie, Staatskapelle Berlin, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In North America, Măcelaru has conducted the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and National Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor of opera, he has led notable productions including Don Giovanni at Houston Grand Opera and Madama Butterfly at Opera Națională București.

An accomplished recording artist, Măcelaru received a 2019 GRAMMY® Award for conducting the Decca Classics recording of Wynton Marsalis's Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and The Philadelphia Orchestra. His most recent albums include a February 2026 recording of works by the long-overlooked French composer Elsa Barraine, recorded by the Orchestre National de France on Warner Classics, and the September 2025 release of Ravel Paris 2025 with the ONF on Naïve Records, a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth. His 2024 recording of George Enescu's Symphonies Nos. 1-3 and Romanian Rhapsodies on Deutsche Grammophon won the Diapason d'Or of the Year and Choc Classica de l'Année.

A champion of commissioning and premiering the music of today, Măcelaru has commissioned premieres from over 52 composers across his titled positions in Paris, Cologne and Cabrillo. This illustrious group of composers includes Wynton Marsalis, Tan Dun, Gabriela Lena Frank, Jennifer Higdon, Jake Heggie, Nico Muhly, Sean Shepherd and Gabriella Smith.

Măcelaru was born in Timișoara, Romania, and comes from a musical family. As the youngest of ten children, all of whom received instrumental lessons at an early age, Măcelaru moved at age 17 to the United States to attend the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, where he served as concertmaster of the Arts Academy Orchestra. He pursued his higher education at the University of Miami in Florida and Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in Houston, where he studied conducting with Larry Rachleff. He then deepened his knowledge at Tanglewood Music Center and Aspen Music Festival in masterclasses with David Zinman, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Oliver Knussen and Stefan Asbury.

Măcelaru was the youngest concertmaster in the history of the Miami Symphony Orchestra and made his Carnegie Hall debut with that orchestra at the age of 19. He also played in the first violin section of the Houston Symphony for two seasons. His international career was launched in 2012 when he was asked to step in for Pierre Boulez with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. During that same year, he received the Solti Emerging Conductor Award, followed by the Solti Conducting Award in 2014.