Cristian Măcelaru is one of the highest-raking conductors of the moment, internationally, and nationally, he was compared to Sergiu Celibidache. Therefore, it's hardly surprising that the tickets were sold out for both of the concerts by Cristian Măcelaru at the Large Hall of the Romanian Athenaeum, at the beginning of this month.

Thursday, 3rd of November, the Romanian conductor has been awarded the Excellence Prize of the Romanian Union of Critics, Editorial and Musical Producers, accolade offered by Luminița Arvunescu, the President of the Union, at the initiative of Radio România Muzical, represented by Cristina Comandașu, the manager of our station:

"It is a prize we offer for worldwide performance and for the encouraging of Romanian music around the world. We wish by that to also to celebrate 10 years since maestro Măcelaru had his first concert in Romania, his native land, in November 2012. For laudation I asked my colleague Cristina Comandașu, the general manager of Radio România Muzical, to join."- Luminița Arvunescu

"There are, indeed, 10 years since you've stepped for the first time on the stage of the Radio Hall. It was the 9th of November 2012. I listened to you back then at the radio and I said to myself: There is a conductor who simply knows to transform an orchestra! And that feels beyond the microphone on the radio. The only thing I want is to quote from Lawrence Foster, from an interview back in 2019, when he was saying: I hope a concert hall will be made in Bucharest for Enescu festival. It is too late for me to do something. You need a young and charismatic conductor who can do it. Maybe that one will be Cristian Măcelaru, as his career grows. Yes, maybe he will succeed to do this. Most likely, he will take over Celibidache's place." -Cristina Comandașu

There were Cristina Comandașu, manager of Radio România Muzical and, a little bit earlier, Luminița Arvunescu, the president of the Romanian Union of Critics, Editorial and Musical Producers, talking on the scene of the Romanian Athenaeum, at the awarding of the Excellence Prize offered to Cristian Măcelaru, the one who conducted the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra on Thursday, 3rd of November.

Under the guidance of the musician, the audience listened to Cantata Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage by Ludwig van Beethoven, a short vocal-symphonic work, that brought on stage the Philharmonic Choir of Bucharest, trained by Iosif Ion Prunner. Being a promising work for the musicians, it was well received by the audience, as well as the second work of the night: Concert No. 21 for piano and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The success was obviously due to the presence of the young soloist, Colin Putz. Even if he is only 15, the stage presence of the musician made some voices exclaim "I wouldn't have said he is more than 9 years old". Beyond that consideration, the interpretation was excellent for an artist at the beginning of his career. The musicality and his natural phrasing were obvious for the audience too:

"I am so touched... incredible! He has such an extraordinary maturity, such skills and such a sensibility! It was a delight. 15 years... very, very special!"

"It is always a great surprise that maestro Cristian Măcelaru conducts in Bucharest. Probably he would be equally competent if he conducted only George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, but even more so as he has a confirmation from the National Orchestra of France, the hall was overcrowded."

"The kid is the same age as mine and I wish the same skills for him. Now, he is our pride, Măcelaru is from Timișoara and we came here to point that we have such a conductor from our place. A part of the people I came with are former high school colleagues of Măcelaru, and it, somehow, beyond the local patriotism, if we can say that, is charming!"

This is hiw people talked about the soloist of the night- Colin Putz- only 15 years old, who grew under the guidance of Cristian Măcelaru alongside the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. And since we were talking earlier about phrasing and musicality, we are talking also about the last work of the night: Symphony 1 op. 55 in A-flat major by Edward Elgar, a wide work, an opportunity for all the musicians on the stage to shine. Therefore, if there are 10 years since the first concert conducted by Cristian Măcelaru in Romania- which took place on 9 of November 2012, at the Romanian Radio Hall- I suppose that the best wish would be an honest "Happy Birthday!", to both the conductor and those who know to acknowledge the authentic values.