The Alhambra Guitars Foundation is officially presented in 2022 with the aim of disseminating and collaborating in the international prestige of the guitar and supporting all those initiatives and artists that help raise the level and dedicate their professional work to this instrument.
Sponsored by Guitarras Alhambra since its creation, it bears witness to all the activities that this important international guitar brand has been carrying out for several decades in favor of the guitar.
On this occasion, through the Foundation, we present an International Competition of the highest guitar level: Alhambra International Guitar Competition (CIGA), which is among the most relevant in the world and which will celebrate its 16th edition in this next edition.
The Foundation is aware of the important contribution it can make to new generations of young guitarists by organizing this prestigious Competition. For this reason, we are committed to maintaining the very high level achieved so far and we will add the necessary efforts to expand the dissemination and the impetus in favor of the participants and, especially, of the winners.
Working for greater recognition and support of their artistic careers will be one of our greatest commitments: concert tours, presentations, master classes... will be activities that we will promote to the winners of this International Guitar Award. The winners of this edition, along with other high-level guitarists who have already passed brilliantly through the Competition, will be part of that great "Alhambra Family" that we want to take care of it and expand it every day.
In recent editions, CIGA has had a great desire to support Spanish creation and contribute new works to the contemporary Spanish repertoire for guitar in order to promote all those spaces in which it is the essential element.
From this interest the Alhambra Collection of Contemporary Spanish Guitar Music was born. It is edited by Editorial Piles, and it was created several years ago in association with the International Guitar Competition, We want this Collection to be an international benchmark for musical quality, being added to our great names of the current guitar; those who, with their daily creative work, produce culture, dreams and illusions that make the universal and Spanish guitar, even bigger.
Until now, titles by the following composers have been presented: José Manuel López López, David del Puerto, Emilio Calandín, Juan de Dios García Aguilera and Lorenzo Palomo.
In this 16th Edition of the Contest, the piece Sea Breeze by the composer Tomás Marco, will be incorporated into the Collection serving to set out a new artistic challenge to those contestants who want to gain access to the Interpretation Award associated with aforementioned piece of work.
This year, 2024, marks the anniversaries of two indisputable artists in the history of recent and current guitar: Pepe Romero (80th anniversary of his birth) and Joaquín Rodrigo (25th anniversary of his death).
The CIGA also wants to serve to honor and disseminate the artistic legacy of this prestigious pairing and that is why in the obligatory works of the Contest we will find direct references from these artists: En Los trigales (Pepe Romero version) by Joaquín Rodrigo and Serenata Española by Joaquín Malats, a work that, according to what we know in the history of the Romero guitar family, was the first piece that Celedonio Romero (father of Pepe Romero) performed for who would be his future wife and mother of the entire famous saga. of guitarists, and the last one he played twelve days before his death.
The Extraordinary Concert that Pepe Romero will offer as the Closing of CIGA at the Awards Ceremony (Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofía, June 8), will undoubtedly be a historical milestone for the city of Valencia and for the entire world of guitar.
In this Edition we do not want to forget the creative contribution of women to the history of the guitar, incorporating into the Bases as a mandatory work the Estudio Colorido nº 15 by Mariangeles Sánchez Benimeli, a composer who this year also marks the 10th anniversary of her death.
We look forward to welcoming all the participants, we wish them much success and we have no doubt that they will feel like the real protagonists of the 16th Alhambra International Guitar Competition (CIGA).
José Luis Ruiz del Puerto
CIGA Artistic Director
XVI INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
ALHAMBRA GUITAR
From June 5 to 8, 2024, Valencia
RULES
1. The Competition will be held in Valencia from June 5th to 8th. All guitarists of any nationality may take part in it, up to a limit of 36 years of age as of May 11, 2024 at the latest. Those who have won First Prize in previous editions will not be able to participate.
2. The Jury is made up of prestigious personalities from the guitar world. The jury is empowered to interrupt the contestant’s performance.
3. The pieces must be performed by heart, except the commissioned work that appears in the Final Session: Brisa Marina by Tomás Marco, which may be played with the score. The works cannot be repeated in the different tests.
4. Performances may be recorded or spread through any technical support, including social networks and Alhambra’s websites. Contestants authorize this data processing and renounce to any right related to this subject.
5. The Competition will consist of three rounds: Eliminatory round (on line), Semifinal and Final.
- Eliminatory round: A video will be sent online before May 11, 2024, the results will be published on May 20, 2024.
- The Semifinal and Final will be held at the José Iturbi Municipal Conservatory in Valencia on June 6 and 7 respectively.
The Closing Ceremony and Awards Ceremony will be held on June 8 at the Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofía (Av. del Professor López Piñero (Historian of Medicine),
1) The schedule will be determined at that moment.
* Rooms and schedules may vary depending on the good management of the CIGA.
6. On June 5, the contestants must be present at the José Iturbi Municipal Conservatory (Avenida Baleares 36) at 6:30 p.m., where the Opening Ceremony and public drawing will be held to determine the order of appearance of the contestants which will be kept during the whole competition.
The contestant must be duly accredited, presenting the national identity document or passport.
Attendance at this Event is mandatory and if the contestant does not attend at the time estimated by the organization, the contestant will be excluded.
7. FIRST ROUND (Eliminatory): It will be carried out ONLINE. The Contestant, when filling out the registration document through the web form (www.fundacionalhambraguitarras.org), must attach the download link.
This video will be original and unpublished, recorded exclusively for the 16th Edition of CIGA and will have to meet the following requirements:
- There may be no cuts or interruptions.
- The guitarist will introduce himself at the beginning of the video saying his name, day of recording, the reason for recording [Alhambra Guitar Competition 2024] and the piece/s he/she will perform
- Videos which have had sound editing or manipulation will not be accepted.
The works to be performed in this test will be: Serenata Española by Joaquín Malats (1872-1912) and a Estudio to be chosen from the collection of Doce Estudios by Heitor Villalobos (1887-1959).
The deadline for submission is on May 11, 2024 at 23:59 G.M.T.
Hotel accommodation will be given by Manufacturas Alhambra S.L. to all those guitarists who pass the first round, in a Hotel close to the Competition, from June 5 and departure on June 9.
8. SECOND ROUND (Semifinal): It will be held on June 6, in the morning and afternoon, in the Roca Room of the José Iturbi Municipal Conservatory of Valencia. The contestants who have passed the previous round will perform, according to the order established in the draw, the required work: Estudio Colorido No. 15 by Mariangeles Sánchez Benimeli (1943-2014) edited by Editorial Alpuerto and free works of various styles.
The whole duration of this round must not exceed 30 minutes. They must deliver to the Organization three copies of each of the free works they want to perform.
9. THIRD ROUND (Final): After the second round, the jury will select and announce the finalists who will perform in the Final round in established order on June 7 starting at 6:00 p.m. in the Roca Room of the Conservatory Municipal José Iturbi of Valencia.
In this round, the contestants will perform the obligatory work: En los trigales by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999), a version with cadenza by Pepe Romero published in Ediciones Joaquín Rodrigo in the Por los campos de España Collection, and free works of various styles.
If the contestant wants to compete for the Alhambra Prize for New Spanish Musical Creation, they must perform in this Final test the work commissioned for this edition: Brisa Marina by the composer Tomás Marco (1942).
Work available through the Foundation's website: www.fundacionalhambraguitarras.org and also by requesting it at the following email address of the Piles publishing house:
mariajopartitures@gmail.com
The whole duration of this round must not exceed 35 minutes.
The contestants who advance to this Final must deliver to the Organization three copies of each of the free works that they want to perform.
The jury minutes will be read after the jury's deliberation and the awards ceremony will take place the following day, at the Closing Ceremony
10. CLOSING CEREMONY AND AWARDS DELIVERY. It will take place on Saturday, June 8 at the Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia.
The winner of the first prize will perform some pieces as the Final Closing of the Competition.
Attendance at the Awards Ceremony is mandatory for all Finalist Contestants.
NON-attendance means the loss of the prize.
The required dress code for this Ceremony is formal.
11. Applications and registrations must be made through the registration form found on the website:
www.fundacionalhambraguitarras.org
For any technical query or availability of works included in the Contest:
directional@fundacionalhambraguitarras.org
12. The registration period will end on May 11, 2024 at 23:59 G.T.M. 13.
AWARDS *
- First Prize, Alhambra International Guitar Prize:
- 14.000 euros cash prize
- CD recording. The winner of the First Prize agrees to record the work commissioned for this Edition of the Contest: Brisa Marina by Tomás Marco and to record the CD with an Alhambra Exclusive Concert Series Guitar, chosen by him and provided by the organization. The winner transfers the phonographic rights necessary for the recording edition of the CD recording that includes said prize. The recording of the CD will be made within the next 6 months from the end of the contest.
- One concert sponsored by Manufacturas Alhambra with a total fee of 1.000 euros.
- Exclusive agreement of artistic diffusion sponsored by Manufacturas Alhambra.
- Second prize:
- 4.000 euros cash prize
- Scholarship to attend the Alicante 2025 Guitar Master's Degree as an active student (valued at 6.000 euros). If the contestant is unable to do so in this edition, he or she will lose the benefits of the Scholarship.
- Third award:
- 2.000 euros cash prize
- Alhambra Award for New Spanish Musical Creation:
- 2.500 euros cash prize. To qualify for this Prize, the contestant must include in their repertoire at the Final of the Contest, the interpretation of the commissioned work: Brisa Marina by Tomás Marco. The Jury will evaluate the interpretation of this work to award the Prize.
- Audience Award:
- 1.000 euros cash prize.
- Finalist:
- Accreditation diploma.
The concerts of the winners may be recorded and broadcast through any technical or audiovisual means, both on social networks and Alhambra websites, with the winner assigning any rights derived from this concept. By accepting these rules, the contestant accepts that the concerts of the winners and finalists may be recorded and broadcast by any technical or audiovisual means, both on social networks and websites of the Alhambra Guitarras Foundation and Alhambra Guitarras, with the winner and the participants of this contest any right derived from this concept.
* The Prizes will be subject to Spanish tax laws, deriving from them the withholdings that are legally established in the Personal Income Tax. The winners undertake to present all documentation necessary to apply this legislation and, also, to be able to make payment of the prizes to their beneficiaries. Prizes will be paid during the first month after the contest jury's decision by bank transfer. It is essential to send the bank details and all the necessary documentation via e-mail to:
address@fundacionalhambraguitarras.org
14. The prizes may be shared, except for the Alhambra Prize for New Spanish Musical Creation. The Jury may decide not to award any of them.
15. The times of the different rounds may vary at the discretion of the jury.
16. The jury's decision will be final. By registering, the contestants accept the rules.
17. The Organization does not accept liability for any harm caused or suffered by contestants to the celebration of the Competition.
18. Mandatory registration fee of 60 euros to be paid and attach proof of payment when filling out the registration form on the website: www.fundacionalhambraguitarras.org
Account number:
IBAN: ES56 0081 5122 1000 0131 4233
SWIFT/BIC: BSABESBBXXX
Banco Sabadell Avda. Oscar Esplá
37 E-03007 Alicante (España)
Commissioned work for the Final:
If the contestant wants to compete for the Premio Alhambra a la Nueva Creación Musical Española, he must perform in this Final test the work commissioned for this edition: Brisa marina by the composer Tomás Marco (1942).
Request the score to the following email: mariajopartitures@gmail.com indicating your name, surname and ID or passport number. They will send it to you completely free of charge.
More information: direccion@fundacionalhambraguitarras.org
Tomás Marco (España)
Martha Masters (EEUU)
María Esther Guzmán (España)
Vicente Coves (España) y
Andrea Vettoretti (Italia)