The Liviu Comes Competition, with its first edition in 2009, was launched within the Composition Department of ANMGD (Academy of Music, Theatre, and Fine Arts) by composer and professor Adrian Pop. The idea behind this competition was to create a bridge between music high school students and young students (whether enrolled in the Composition specialization or not) through the theme it has promoted over the years: the repertoire with an educational character. The symbolic patron of this competition was chosen to be composer Liviu Comes (1918-2004), who masterfully cultivated this repertoire.
Each edition has focused on one or more instruments, either in solo form or accompanied by piano, thus covering less represented areas of repertoire—such as works for brass, bassoon, oboe, or percussion.
Over its ten editions, the Liviu Comes Composition Competition has stimulated the creativity of dozens of young composers, students of ANMGD, as well as those from sister institutions—The National University of Music in Bucharest, “George Enescu” University of Arts in Iași, West University of Timișoara, University of Oradea, Emanuel University of Oradea. The jury has included master composers of the Cluj school: Prof. Dr. Acad. Cornel Țăranu, Prof. Dr. Hans Peter Türk, Prof. Dr. Adrian Pop, Prof. Dr. Cristian Misievici, as well as newer generation faculty members—Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cristian Bence-Muk and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Șerban Marcu.
Among the laureates are young composers who have taken further important steps in their professional careers, being performed publicly and awarded in other similar competitions: Alexandru-Ștefan Murariu, Aurelian Băcan, Sebastian Țună, and others.
