Cristian Măcelaru

About Cristian

Cristian Măcelaru is a GRAMMY® Award-winning conductor widely admired for a rare fusion of interpretive rigor, emotional intelligence, and generosity of spirit. Throughout his career, Măcelaru has demonstrated a profound commitment to strengthening cultural institutions, educating the next generation of artists, and forging meaningful bonds between music and community, while serving as an ambassador for the classical art form worldwide.

Măcelaru is Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and 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, and Music Director and Conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. He also serves as Distinguished Visiting Artist at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and as Artistic Partner of the WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, where he previously served as Chief Conductor.

Highly sought after as a guest conductor, Măcelaru appears regularly with many of the world’s leading orchestras. In Europe, his collaborations have included the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Dresden Staatskapelle, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Wiener Symphoniker, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and NDR Elbphilharmonie. In North America, he has conducted the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and National Symphony Orchestra, among many others. His operatic work includes acclaimed productions at major houses, including Houston Grand Opera and Opera Națională București.

Across his titled roles, Măcelaru has consistently elevated artistic standards while expanding audience engagement. His leadership is marked by ambitious programming, large-scale collaborations, and a commitment to innovation that bridges tradition with the music of today. A passionate champion of contemporary music, he has commissioned and premiered works by more than 50 composers, including Wynton Marsalis, Tan Dun, Gabriela Lena Frank, Jennifer Higdon, Jake Heggie, Nico Muhly, Sean Shepherd, and Gabriella Smith.

An accomplished recording artist, 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, featuring repertoire ranging from Enescu, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns to Bartók, Brahms, Dvořák, and Rachmaninoff. These recordings have received numerous international honors, including Diapason d’Or and Choc Classica distinctions.

Education, accessibility, and audience connection are central to Măcelaru’s artistic mission. His work with young musicians spans conducting masterclasses, composer workshops, and mentorship programs across Europe and North America, emphasizing long-standing commitments with his alma maters in Romania and the United States, including Interlochen Arts Academy and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Through his leadership at major festivals and institutions, he has also advanced initiatives supporting diversity, equity, and well-being.

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. His conducting career gained early prominence when he stepped in for Pierre Boulez with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is a recipient of both the Solti Emerging Conductor Award and the Solti Conducting Award.