about Gabriel Bebeşelea’s

debut concert with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Frederik Hanssen Tagesspiegel

"Weber's Symphony No. 1 in C major - an ideal piece for Gabriel Bebeselea, who tonally loves it lush and juicy, and who also possesses the Kapellmeister quality to be able to inspire the musicians for 1b works. An inner glow emanates from the Konzerthausorchester on Friday, melody, middle voices and bass fundamentals develop acoustic depth, because each of the participants feels addressed by the maestro, regardless of whether they are currently playing a main or supporting role in this team play."

about Gabriel Bebeşelea’s

debut concert with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Chang Tou Liang Bachtrack

"The orchestra, conducted by rising young Romanian conductor Gabriel Bebeșelea, began the concert’s second half with the Asian premiere of George Enescu’s Pastorale-Fantaisie for small orchestra. First performed in 1899, this ten-minute long gem was “lost” until rediscovered by Bebeșelea, who gave its first modern reading in 2017. Opening with low strings in a drone, the bucolic and likely folk-inspired music unfolded beautifully in F major. Then came a short but tempestuous central section with a hint of a fugue taking place, filled with stock-in-trade orchestral stormy effects, rising to a climactic high before ending in quiet bliss. Sounds familiar?

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Then the penny dropped, as this was the young Romanian polymath’s tribute to the greatest symphonist of all, Ludwig van Beethoven, whose “Pastoral” Symphony was to follow. This stroke of programming nous was not initially apparent on paper, but totally succeeded in the concert hall. The performance of the symphony was just as good. Conducting from memory, Bebeșelea kept the narrative taut and the music breathing. The litheness and goodly pace resembled period instrument performances but without the wheeziness and thinness of textures."

about Gabriel Bebeşelea’s

debut concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Dominic Lowe Bachtrack

"Full marks to Gabriel Bebeşelea and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for originality in the programming of this concert, entitled rather grandly “A Voyage of Invention”. Using Mozart’s popular Symphony no. 41 in C major as the crowd-pleaser, they filled the rest of the space with interesting and comparatively rarely performed works: George Enescu’s Orchestral Suite no. 2 in C major, Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto no. 3 in B Minor and Ciprian Porumbescu’s Ballade for Violin and Orchestra. Bebeşelea, making his debut with the RPO, is currently Principal Conductor of the "Transylvania" State Philharmonic Orchestra and his facility with the music of his country is clear to see.

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The Enescu is a piece full of life and it is to be regretted that it does not receive more outings...Bebeşelea brought a warm bustle to the opening Overture and real colour to the gypsy-like Sarabande. The rather ponderous Menuet grave was given heft by the brass, underlain by rather glitzy strings. The great virtue of Bebeşelea’s interpretation was the care with which the folksy elements of the work were brought out and gently textured."

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about the  "Strigoii / Ghosts / Geister" CD

Dr. Ingobert Waltenberger Onlinemerker.com

“The Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, under the impressive musical direction of Gabriel Bebeşelea (since 2016/17 Chief Conductor of the "Transylvania" State Philharmonic Orchestra), thrilled from the first moment with an atmospherically dense orchestral performance that captivated the listener. Bebeşelea, who also attracted attention in Pesaro as the conductor of Rossini's "Il Viaggio à Reims" [...], gives "Strigoii" another calling card for his outstanding musical and dramatic talent.”

about Gabriel Bebeșelea's

concert with the Würth Philharmonic and Sarah Chang

Leonore Welzin Heilbronner Stimme

"A wonderful give and take between conductor, soloist and orchestra": the audience is full of praise during the break. From the selection of the pieces, to the performers, to the program, everything was right at the Würth Philharmonic's latest concert with star violinist Sarah Chang and up-and-coming conductor Gabriel Bebeșelea…The kick-off is done by Aldemaro Romero’s “Fuga con Pajarillo”, showpiece of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra, Gabriel Bebeșelea (1987) presents the powerful piece of rhythm, passion and melancholy, though with youthful verve, but more soulful tasting the soft tones than the much acclaimed Gustavo Dudamel (1981)."

about Gabriel Bebeșelea's

concert with the Ulster Orchestra

Leighton Jones  Bachtrack

"Describing the work as a “confession of the soul” by the composer, Sibelius’ Symphony no. 2 in D major is a full of extremes of emotion, which Bebeşelea clearly understood...Bebeşelea was consistently clear in his direction and the highly articulate playing featured prominent brass and woodwind lines. The second movement was perhaps one of the darkest renditions I’ve encountered. Although acknowledged as being based around Don Juan, the poetry of Walt Whitman came to mind, such as "On the Beach at Night Alone",  as what appeared was a moody and atmospheric nightscape. The range of expression here was remarkable as each phrase was shaped like raising and crashing waves, each one different and unpredictable. Whether or not it was Bebeşelea’s intention to create such a picture in the mind’s eye, it was musically captivating and emotionally driven with effective rubato.

The Ulster Orchestra’s playing was first rate and the players followed Bebeşelea’s every direction….What Bebeşelea has done is made me re-examine overly familiar repertoire and listen with fresh ears and renewed interest, which is no bad thing."