- The competition has an Honor Committee made up of the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, the musician and composer Luis Cobos and the gallery owner and art collector Carmen Buqueras.
- The semi-finalists and finalists will perform alongside the Thyssen Quartet and the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra directed by maestro Salvador Vázquez
The City of Malaga International Piano Competition, which aims to place Malaga at the epicenter of classical piano music, is experiencing a vibrant start, with an extraordinary response from the young talents of the eighty-eight keys, as well as of renowned professionals to be part of the programming. This was stated by the director of the Contest, Pablo Amorós, in the presentation that took place in the Hall of Mirrors of the Malaga City Council., which aims to place Malaga at the epicenter of classical piano music, is experiencing a vibrant start, with an extraordinary response from the young talents of the eighty-eight keys, as well as of renowned professionals to be part of the programming. This was stated by the director of the Contest, Pablo Amorós, in the presentation that took place in the Hall of Mirrors of the Malaga City Council.
From the more than one hundred applications received, the competition has selected twenty-four of the best pianists from around the world under the age of 33: “They are something out of the ordinary; They have been awarded in such important competitions as the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Dublin Competition in Ireland, the Epinal Competition in France, the Ettore Pozzoli Competition in Italy, or the Geneva Competition in Switzerland. They come from the best musical institutions on the planet: Julliard School in New York, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, the University of Vienna, the Paris Conservatory, the Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University, the Royal College of Music de Londres to name just a few,” said the director of the event.
The first edition of the Ciudad de Málaga International Piano Competition will be held from June 7 to 15, bringing together fans, personalities, prestigious experts and visitors. The Competition has an Honor Committee chaired by the mayor of Malaga Francisco de la Torre, and which will be joined each year by relevant personalities. This year there will be Luis Cobos Pavón, musician, composer and president of AIE, and Carmen Buqueras, patron, gallery owner and art collector.
The Contest will experience the first two eliminatory tests and the semi-final in the Unicaja María Cristina Foundation Room, with free entry to the public. On June 8 and 9, the first qualifying test will take place in which the 24 participants will play a 25-minute repertoire that must include a Prelude and Fugue by J. S. Bach and an etude by Chopin, as well as freely chosen works until completing that time. .
Emilia Garrido, director of Cultural Activities at the Unicaja Foundation, highlighted that “it is a great opportunity to be part of such an ambitious project of exceptional artistic quality, in addition to being a privilege, it is another example of our commitment to culture and “with the Malaga public.”
In the second eliminatory test that will take place on June 10 and 11, and to which 12 contestants will participate, they will play a 50-minute recital in which they have chosen the repertoire to perform. And in which there are works by the great composers of history: Chopin, Schumann, Prokofieff, Beethoven, Liszt, among others.
The City of Malaga International Piano Competition will feature two new proposals in its programming, scheduling June 12 and 13 with the performance of the six semi-finalist pianists who, together with the Thyssen Quartet, will perform a piano quintet by Schumann, Dvorak or César Franck. And in the final, which will be on June 15, three participants will perform with the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra directed by maestro Salvador Vázquez in the Edgar Neville Auditorium of the Malaga Provincial Council.
Manuel López Mestanza, delegate of Culture of the Provincial Council of Malaga, has assured that “we are facing a first-class cultural event that will serve to promote the capital and the province, will be a focus of tourist attraction and is a platform for “young local musicians who will be able to connect with virtuoso musicians who will come from different corners of the world.”
The organization of the Ciudad de Málaga International Piano Competition has advanced the main lines of the competition in which the winner will receive 20,000 euros, a diploma, a trophy and the opportunity to perform in several notable concerts, thanks to the agreements that the competition has. with several festivals and auditoriums. The second prize includes 10,000 euros and an honorary diploma. The third prize is valued at 6,000 euros and an honorary diploma. In addition, there is a special prize for the best Spanish classified in the competition, which is sponsored by Royal Pianos and Shigeru Kawai, which has a financial prize of 1,500 euros. This award can be combined with other awards and recognizes outstanding musical excellence within the national scope.
The complete program of the Ciudad de Málaga International Piano Competition will include, in addition to the competition, concerts with world piano stars. The first edition of the Malaga City International Piano Competition is carried out thanks to the main sponsorship of the Malaga City Council, Unicaja Foundation, and the Malaga Provincial Council. Also thanks to the collaboration of Sierra Blanca Estates, Marítimo 26, University of Málaga, AIE (Society of Performing Artists of Spain), Madese, Arizón Abogados, Royal Pianos, Bodegas Campos, Flow81. And the support of the Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra, Córdoba City Council, Marbella City Council, Tenerife Auditorium, Lidiare, University of Málaga, Pharos Arts Foundation and Shigeru Kawai, Speaker Training and Bureau.
The presentation of the first edition of the City of Malaga International Piano Competition culminated with the competition director Pablo Amorós performing Allegro de Concert by Enrique Granados.
