CRISTIAN MANDEAL has recently been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Hallé, the first time the Hallé has ever bestowed this title in its 148 year history. Cristian has proved a favourite guest artist with Hallé audiences and has received considerable critical acclaim with us over recent seasons. 

Cristian Mandeal studied piano, composition and conducting at the Music High School in Brasov and the Music Academy in Bucharest. Later he studied with Herbert von Karajan in Berlin and with Sergiu Celibidache in Munich. Following experience as repetiteur at the Bucharest Romanian Opera, Cristian Mandeal became permanent conductor at Targu Mures and Cluj Philharmonics and since 1987 at Bucharest Philharmonic. Additionally, he was Artistic Director of the Symphony Orchestra in Haifa - Israel until Summer 2002, and Resident conductor of the "Haydn" Orchestra di Bolzano e Trento - Italy until Winter 2002. 

Cristian Mandeal has conducted in 4 continents, 31 countries and 24 capitals. As conductor of the 'George Enescu' Philharmonic he has carried out over 20 international tours. He has been a frequent guest with the Staatskapelle Dresden and Berlin, the Munchener Philharmoniker and Hessisches Rundfunk Orchester - Frankfurt, the Santa Cecilia - Rome and RAI Milan, the Catalunya National Orchestra  - Barcelona, as well as the Hallé Orchestra where he continues to be a frequent guest. Orchestras he has conducted include RSO and RIAS - Berlin, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Dresden Philharmonic, CBSO and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Nationale de Belgique, Israel Philharmonic - Tel Aviv, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestras in Tokyo, Helsinki, Monte Carlo, Sofia, Belgrade, Zagreb. He has conducted ballet (Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde) and opera (Verdi: Stiffelio) at the Vienna State Opera.

Cristian Mandeal has collaborated with many renowned soloists including:  Radu Lupu, Ivo Pogorelic, Krystian Zimmerman, Bruno Leonardo Gelber, Gerhard Oppitz, Yefin Bronfman, Alicia de Larrocha, Maxim Vengherov, Shlomo Minz, Julian Rachlin, Victor Tretiakov, Mstislav Rostropovic, Ileana Cotrubas.  He has conducted in many great concert halls such as Berlin Philharmonie, Gewandhaus - Leipzig, Wiener Staatsoper, Alte Oper - Frankfurt, Gasteig and Herkulessaal - Munich, Grosses Festspielhaus - Salzburg, Beethovenhalle - Bonn, Victoria Hall - Geneva, Tonhalle - Zurich, Symphony Hall - Birmingham, Bolshoi Theater - Moscow and Santory Hall - Tokyo.

Cristian Mandeal has participated in many international festivals including the "George Enescu" International Festival - Bucharest and the Festivals in Istanbul, Ankara, Athens, Thessalonika, Lisbon, Santander, San Sebastian, Brescia - Bergamo, Ravello, Belgrade, Ohrid,  "Hanover 2000" Festival, the Janacek Festival in Ostrava and Brno and the Bloomington Festival - USA.

At the Edinburgh Festival 2002 he conducted the BBC Scottish Orchestra in the British premiere of the opera "Oedipe" by George Enescu.

Cristian Mandeal has recorded for Electrecord, MBG Classics (Arte Nova) and Claves. An outstanding achievement in his discography are the integral cycles of the Bruckner symphonies and the Brahms symphonic and vocal/symphonic works, released in a 9 CD set on the occasion of the composer's death centenary in 1997 and particularly the complete symphonic works of George Enescu in a 7 CD set.

Cristian Mandeal has conducted the world premieres of over 50 symphonic and opera works. He has conducted repertoire from Vivaldi to contemporary music, with an emphasis on the music of the XIXth and first half of the XXth centuries.