On July 5, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra opens its series of 2026 concerts at Kresge Auditorium under the baton of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Cristian Măcelaru. Classical IPR will broadcast the WYSO concert live starting at 7 p.m. for pre-concert coverage, with the concert downbeat at 7:30 p.m.
This first concert features two works of contrasting styles: Jean Sibelius's grandiose Symphony no. 2 and a newly commissioned work by the contemporary composer, Sam Wu, titled "Continental Express."
In a Studio A interview with Classical IPR's Isabel Li, Măcelaru expressed his excitement for working with young musicians and diverse repertoire — and the real-world applications of playing in an orchestra.
Isabel Li: This is just the beginning of the students' journeys here at Interlochen Arts Camp 2026. Week 1 out of six weeks of practicing and performing. As you’ve done for many years now, you are conducting both the first concert coming up Sunday, July 5th, as well as Les Preludes, on August 9th. This year is special because it's just after America at 250, and the 99th year of Les Preludes, with the centennial just next year. It's a very special time for this music. How do you approach these concerts that take place on such significant milestones?
Cristian Măcelaru: Well, for me, the most important part of what Interlochen is, is the experience and the energy that the young musicians, the young students bring with them. And I was reminded once again today, meeting the students for the first time in rehearsal, why it is that we all the adults, I should say from Interlochen, make the effort that we do to ensure that there is an incredible continuity of energy and of knowledge that is passed down.
Because music is not the kind of profession that you learn something from reading a book or reading a manual.
Music needs to be taught in an oral form, from person to person. And this is the best way that you can pass down knowledge and understanding and appreciation for the art form. For me, every opportunity that I have to be on stage with these young musicians is such an important moment. It's probably the most important moment in my entire season, because I know the seeds that I will plant now in their minds and in their hearts will speak true for the rest of their lives.
The same way that I was a student one time here at Interlochen, close to thirty years ago, and someone planted a seed in me wanting to be a musician. And here I am doing it now. The anniversaries, of course, are important and beautiful, but it's meeting the students and taking their hand and putting it in the hand of the composer that they are performing with or the music that they are performing of that is the most important part of my journey.
IL: I would love to emphasize the program ahead of us. Sibelius and Sam Wu. These are two very different composers. Sibelius composed his second symphony in 1902, and Sam Wu's 'Continental Express' is a newly commissioned work.
I'm wondering, why did you decide to pair these two works together for the same concert?
CM: As the artistic director of WYSO, one of my goals and the focus that I had starting almost ten years back, was to introduce young musicians to diverse repertoire and diverse music. I think it's so important that they are exposed to a very wide range of repertoire from an early age, so that the idea of playing contemporary music or music that has been historically ignored for a reason or another now becomes a normality. Which is why on every program with WYSO, actually going back a few years now already, I try to program music that speaks of diversity and a wide range of styles. This way the students are exposed to everything.
Of course, the Sibelius is such a well-known loved piece. And it was incredible today to see when we arrive at the finale.
And everyone knows the incredible melody and the intensity that Sibelius builds to the finale. I could tell that all of a sudden the kids who, of course, had been listening to this piece for a long time already, they were so ecstatic to play it.
I think it's wonderful to capture that energy and that intensity and then translate it into a completely contemporary piece that no one has ever heard. It's my role as artistic director, but also as the conductor to make sure that It's both done with purpose and at the same time. As I said already, it becomes a normality that we engage with composers that are either one hundred years already, their music or two hundred years old, or composers from today that present a completely different kind of spectrum of the possibilities that exist in classical music.
"It's meeting the students and taking their hand and putting it in the hand of the composer that they are performing with or the music that they are performing of that is the most important part of my journey."Conductor Cristian Măcelaru
IL: And on that note, when you're rehearsing with these high school students and you're working with them on works of such different styles, in this case late romantic Sibelius and solidly contemporary Sam Wu, do you need to do anything to flip a switch in styles, either with your own frame of mind or how you're conducting the students?
CM: No, I would say the the things, the elements that make Sibelius's music great are the same elements that make Sam Wu's music great. And it all comes from understanding, knowledge, enthusiasm, passion for what you do.
And when you bring those same elements to everything you do, then it's actually the same language that we are speaking in. You know, music is neither young nor old because music has been around as long as the universe has been around, and we are just looking at different points of view of this incredible language that that is completely timeless. And I try to bring that approach to everything that I do. And what I talk to the students about the most is the enthusiasm they bring to what they do, because that will definitely change their approach and the things that they gain from the music they perform.
And also the audience's response would be significantly influenced by that. So it's the same issues, the same elements we're working on, even though these compositions are more than one hundred years apart.
IL: And because 'Continental Express' is so new, can you give us a preview of what to expect when listening to this piece?
CM: Yes. It's very much contemporary music of today that is influenced greatly by today's society. And in Sam's piece as well, it's full of very fast moving notes that are constantly changing, emerging, going forward. And it also speaks of movement and speaks of direction, just the way that the title also indicates.
It's a wonderful piece that is part of projects that we have with other organizations that work with young musicians to commission composers to write specifically for this age group. It's really important that the students are met so that they have developmentally appropriate compositions that they can perform. And it's an important step for them to be able to perform music that is not too difficult for them to appreciate and understand. It takes a special skill for a composer to know that, and we've been working for several years with other like minded institutions to always be able to provide something new and something fresh for the students to learn.
IL: What types of images do you have in your mind when you are conducting both of these works, the Sibelius and the Sam Wu?
CM: You know, it's really interesting, because while music does paint images in my mind, it's not so much images, but emotions.
An emotion and a sentiment that I have sometimes can be associated with the with an image. But most of the time it's just a pure raw emotion of feeling, you know, happiness of the most intense level, or mystery, or something that is sort of something that is tender, or something that is very intense and energetic.
Of course it's something that we share on stage and we inspire each other with the musicians. Today, I absolutely have to say, there is a fantastic moment in the finale where I was looking over to the double bass section and they play the same note repeatedly. But only at the absolute crucial moment, Sibelius asked them to change the note, which changes completely the harmony of what we're doing. So their note turns from a pedal tone that is just a sustained note, to a harmonic root that then influences the entire orchestra.
And I could tell from the way that they reacted that they got it.
They understood the importance of that one not that they had. And there was so much energy and smiles and happiness on their faces where, where this moment happened. It really brought tears to my eyes because there's nothing like watching students of this age and young musicians of this age be passionate about something. I think we live in an age where finding purpose and focus and passion for what we do in life is the most important element.
And to be able to give this kind of focus and directive and passion to something, whatever that is, but something in the arts, especially for a young person, it's literally the most important thing we can do in the society. And for me, the image of seeing the double bass section smile when they understood how crucial their one note was in this moment meant everything.
IL: How about the Sam Wu? I'm just kind of curious about what feelings that evokes in you.
CM: It is the early stages of the rehearsal because we're just at the beginning of the week. We are right now dealing with the technical elements of what the piece requires. And the technical elements speak of music that is very fast, music that is constantly moving and constantly evolving. So it's a little bit of a of a marathon run, I would say, but or more like a sprint so that we are trying to catch each other.
And of course, we are dealing very much in orchestra. It's so important that we understand how we listen to each other. The things we were talking about in rehearsal today had to do with, how do you listen so that you enable your partners in the orchestra to play their best, versus 'I'm just going to play myself the best.' That's not enough in an orchestra.
There's a different way of listening with purpose and intensity versus hearing something that just happens and goes by. I use the image very, very often about joining a train that is in constant motion. And when you jump on the train that is in motion, you have to find your speed and your stride before you actually enter the moving train. Which is a great metaphor actually for how you listen and how you relate to those around you.
Because even though you are counting rests at times, you have to also actively be in the energy that the ensemble is providing. And I also talked to the students about how this is such an important representation of the society at large and the society that we live in today, who need people to listen to each other with intensity and purpose so that we don't just hear noise around us, but rather pay attention very carefully. And then we can distinguish between voices that speak the truth and voices that are not able to speak the truth. And it's an important realization, especially this week.
I'm so happy that I'm here at this crucial moment in our country's history, because the elements that music and playing in an orchestra teach these young musicians about society, about democracy, about the world around us, are really important. The lessons that they can learn just by applying the concept of being part of an ensemble that listens to each other and encourages each other to do their best are really elements that can benefit the society at large.
IL: And you talked extensively about this, but what are you most excited about for this next six weeks?
CM: Well, to see the students grow and to see them find their voice and to see them have their lives impacted in a way that I know my life was impacted when I was a student. I remember so clearly every single moment that was defining for me in my life.
And I have so many, so many stories of students now that I've come back for, for so many years. And they come back to me, the students, and they tell me, you know, 'you told me to apply to this university or you told me to apply to that program. And I did, and it changed my life. And I just want to thank you.'
And his happens a lot. It's just incredible for me to think of the impact that one small word can have on a student's life. I take this very, very seriously and with great responsibility, but I love seeing them grow and I love seeing them become their own self in their own voice and discovering really who they are. This is really important.
And at the same time, they forge friendships that will last forever. I know that I still have many friends from my Interlochen days from thirty years ago, and it's a beautiful community that is being created and built, a community that has no borders of political or social realms. And it's a community that is based in shared values and beautiful moments that we create together.
