Samuel Niederhauser Wins the Enescu Competition
Swiss cellist Samuel Niederhauser won first prize, two special prizes, and concert engagements at the Enescu Competition in Bucharest.
The final round of the 2026 George Enescu International Competition in the cello category took place on September 7 at the Athenaeum in Bucharest. The 28-year-old Swiss cellist Samuel Niederhauser was awarded first prize, worth 15,000 euros, following his performance of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1. He also won 2,000 euros for the best interpretation of the commissioned work ’Waves of Gravel« by Malika Kishino, as well as the audience prize of 1,000 euros.
As part of his prize package, Niederhauser will have the opportunity to give a concert at the Teatro Fraschini di Pavia in Italy in February 2027; in addition, he will perform in other concerts and solo recitals in Romania and receive professional guidance and counseling. Niederhauser studied with Thomas Demenga at the Basel University of Music and with Thomas Grossenbacher at the Zurich University of the Arts. He is the principal cellist of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.
Arto Noras served as chair of this year’s jury; other members included Claudio Bohórquez, Marin Cazacu, Enrico Dindo, Elena Dubinets, Frans Helmerson, Dan Prelipcean, Valentin Răduțiu, and Inbal Segev. Held in Bucharest since 1958 in memory of the Romanian violinist George Enescu, the competition features the categories of piano, violin, and cello. This year, 645 young musicians from 55 countries registered to participate.
