CRISTIAN MANDEAL – General Manager and Principal Conductor, George Enescu Philharmonic of Bucharest - Download CV (PDF)
Cristian Mandeal has conducted on four continents, in 32 countries and 25 world capitals. His career began with the orchestras in Targu Mures, Cluj, and Bucharest, and he soon gained a well-earned reputation. In 1991, he was appointed Director General of the “George Enescu” Philharmonic, a position he still holds. During this time, he has organized tours of this first orchestra of Romania to over 20 countries, from Portugal to Japan, to South Corea and Singapore.
Cristian Mandeal is also the Artistic Director of the Euskadi Symphonic Orchestra in Spain. In addition, he became the Principal Guest Conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester (the famous orchestra of Sir John Barbirolli) in the Fall of 2005. Until the Summer of 2002, he was Artistic Director of the Haifa Symphony in Israel, and until the Winter of 2003, he was Director in Residence of the Haydn Orchestra in Bolzano e Trento, Italy. He was also Artistic Director of the International “George Enescu” Festival and Contest in 2001 and 2003.Born in 1946, Cristian Mandeal studied piano, composition, and conducting, in Brasov and Bucharest, attended master courses held by Herbert von Karajan in Berlin and Sergiu Celibidache in Munich. Until 1990, his international career was mainly restricted to Eastern Europe, but following the political changes in 1989, his appearances in Western European countries have become ever more frequent. Thus, the Maestro has worked with prestigious orchestras around the world, with famous soloists, and with youth orchestras. He has lead summer courses and has taught master courses. He has been invited to be part of juries of international conducting contests and has been awarded many prizes and distinctions.Cristian Mandeal’s vast repertoire also includes absolute first auditions of more than 50 symphonic pieces by Romanian and foreign composers. He has conducted ballet music, as well as the opera Stifelio by Verdi at the Vienna State Opera. He has recorded many LPs and CDs with opera, symphonic, and film music, including a complete version of Bruckner’s symphonies with the Transylvania Philharmonic Orchestra in Cluj for the Romanian label “Electrecord”. Under the patronage of Arte Nova, he has also recoded the complete symphonies and vocal-symphonic pieces by Brahms on nine CDs, as well as the complete symphonic works of George Enescu performed by the “George Enescu” Philharmonic. For the Claves record label, he has recorded six author CDs with works by Basque composers, performed by the Euskadi Symphony.Cristian Mandeal is an indefatigable promoter of George Enescu’s music and has conducted his works around the world. He has dedicated a special place in his career to the masterpiece Oedipe, which he has conducted at the Romanian National Opera in Bucharest, at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, at the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari (the Italian premiere), and in 2002 in a concert-opera version at the International Festival in Edinburgh, which constituted the premiere of Enescu’s masterpiece in the U.K.
The pianist, harpsichord player and organist Nicolae Licaret was born in Bucharest and started to study the piano at the age of 5 with Natalia Iacobescu. He was then a student at the Music High School No. 2 in Bucharest, class of professor Maria Buzelean, while studying at the same time at the “Matei Basarab” High School. During his formative years he also benefitted from the precious guidance of various famous teachers: Muza Ciomac, Cella Delavrancea and, at the Music Conservatory, Florica Muzicescu.His debut took place while still a student at the music school, on May 17, 1959, at the “Dalles” Hall during the Händel Festival. After graduating from the Bucharest Music Conservatory he attended numerous perfecting courses, among others in Weimar with Hans Pischner, harpsichord, and Guido Agosti, piano, as well as in Brugge with Isolde Ahlgrimm. He also consistently studied the organ with Iosif Gerstenengst, and distinguished himself during numerous tours to renown organ music centres in Europe (Rome, Madrid, Burgos, Barcelona, Perugia, Warsaw, Santiago de Compostela, etc.). In 1968, he became a member of the Bucharest Philharmonic, whose artistic director he has been since January 1, 1991. Next year, Romanian musical life will mark the 40th anniversary of the musician’s Nicolae Licaret career being linked to the first musical institution of the country.The sustained concert activity which Nicolae Licaret began in 1973, sees him working with the conductors Carlo Zecchi, Witold Lutoslawski, Jean Martinon, Roberto Benzi, Lawrence Foster, Igor Markevitch, Cristian Mandeal, Sergiu Comissiona, having as partners the musicians Henryk Szeryng, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Lola Bobescu, Mary Fujivara, Daniel Podlovski, Luigi Alva, Gheorghe Zamfir, Ileana Cotrubas, Atsuko Temma, Valentin Gheorghiu, Luz Leskovitz, Mariana Nicolesco, Vladimir Orlov. His presence in the world is also connected with international festivals in Berlin, Cordoba, Sorrento, Zagreb, Halifax, Los Angeles, Brugge, Havana, Ossiach-Villach, Adelaide, Sydney, Brasov, Bangkok, Bucharest (the “George Enescu” Festival), Ochrid, Madrid.As a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist, founding member of the “Concertino” Quintet, currently a member of the well-known ensemble “Pro Arte”, and as one of the few interpreters-soloists playing three keyboard instruments, he has always been enthusiastically appllauded by his public. The European, American and Australian press described him as a “great pianist and musician”, “ideal partner”, “a master of the harpsichord”, “brilliant pianist, with a dynamic discretion and culture of the sound”, “an exceptional artist of the baroque”, a “colourful organist”. For his unusual merits, maestro Nicolae Licaret was awarded the order “Cultural Merit” with the rank of Commander, and the “Star of Italian Solidarity” with the rank of Chevalier. He is Vice-President of the Foundation “Romanian Cultural Solidarity”, “ARS XXI”.He has also made recordings for the Romanian Broadcasting Corporation, as well for the companies “Electrecord”, “Philips”, BMG, AIX Records.