Swiss cellist Samuel Niederhauser wins George Enescu Competition section in Romania
The 28-year-old musician left the Romanian Athenaeum with the top prize, the audience award, and a distinction for his performance of the competition’s commissioned work.
Irina Marica · Journalist
· 2 min read
Swiss cellist Samuel Niederhauser won first prize in the cello section of the 2026 George Enescu International Competition following the final held at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest on September 7. Joshua Kováč of the United States placed second, while South Korea’s Sanghyeok Park finished third.
Niederhauser also received the audience award and the prize for the best performance of Malika Kishino’s commissioned work Waves of Gravel.
The three finalists performed with the Romanian Radio National Orchestra under conductor Case Scaglione. Samuel Niederhauser played Dmitri Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 107, while Kováč and Park performed Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104.
The results were decided by an international jury chaired by Arto Noras and comprising Frans Helmerson, Elena Dubinets, Marin Cazacu, Enrico Dindo, Inbal Segev, Claudio Bohórquez, Dan Prelipcean, and Valentin Răduțiu.
Joshua Kováč also received the EUR 3,000 Serafim Antropov-Manu Prize for the best performance of George Enescu’s Cello Sonata No. 2 in C major, Op. 26. Samuel Niederhauser’s award for Waves of Gravel was worth EUR 2,000, while the audience prize carried EUR 1,000.
South Korean cellist Seojin Jung received the EUR 1,500 Playing for Tomorrow award, offered by BRD – Groupe Société Générale.
The competition awards EUR 15,000 for first place in each instrumental section, EUR 10,000 for second, and EUR 5,000 for third. Winners also receive performance and career-development opportunities, with Niederhauser scheduled to give a concert at Teatro Fraschini in Pavia, Italy, on February 14, 2027.
Born in 1998, Samuel Niederhauser was among the laureates of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2022 and won third prize at the Paulo International Cello Competition in Helsinki in 2023. He plays a Carlo Giuseppe Testore cello dating from 1690, provided on loan.
The George Enescu International Competition continues in Bucharest with its violin and piano sections until September 19. Its 2026 edition attracted a record 819 registrations from 58 countries, including 756 competition entries and 63 masterclass participants.
