Maestro move: Cristian to Cincinnati
NewsThe Cincinnati Symphony has unveiled the Romanian Cristian Macelaru as its next music director, starting September 2025.
He succeeds the long-running Louis Langrée.
Macelaru, 44, is stepping down this season as music director of WDR Cologne. He is also music director of the Orchestre National de France and artistic director of the Georges Enescu Festival in his homeland.
Lucky Cincy!
This is fantastic news – right person, right place, right time.
For anyone interested, here is the orchestra’s description of its own search process and decision:
https://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/about/artistic-leadership/cristian-macelaru/
The photo currently appearing on that page is a strange choice, because the city center of Cincinnati is actually BEHIND the photographer, and the view is toward the other side of the Ohio River, in the state of Kentucky. (The bridge, one among a series over the river though not shown in this photo, was an early work of John Roebling, who would later design the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.)
This is Cincinnati Music Hall, home to the orchestra and also to Cincinnati Opera, Ballet, and May Festival:
https://akustiks.com/project/cincinnati-music-hall/
He has a talent for failing upwards, or at least somewhat-sideways
This seems like a good hire. Kudos to Cincinnati!
This will be the next great American partnership.
Good for him. Since he’s Romanian maybe he can put on some concert operas with La Ghoerghiu.
He is a good conductor ! He is not a rock star like Mäkelä who conducts 4 orchestras at the same time but Cincinati will be happy with him.
Maestro Macelaru is a brilliant young gentleman/musician, with an engaging style of conducting. Orchestras and audiences love his music-making and kind demeanor. Congratulations to Cincinnati and to their new music director.
He’s awful
yeah he’s awfully good.