2024 CERTAMEN LLOBET | Interpretation

Barcelona Internacional Guitar Contest Miquel Llobet

21st edition 2024 | November 7-10 | INTERPRETATION

PRESENTATION

At the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, music has undergone a dizzying technological transformation and has brought us new possible experiences, but it has also led us to a profound decline in our human capabilities. As the illustrious teacher Emili Pujol already predicted: Modern times tend to dehumanize life. It disconnects the soul and erases what is necessary for collective life, the exchange of affectionate effort.

The Llobet Contest, faithful to the praises of Pujol, we will continue to feed the soul through collective effort through the instrument of the guitar. This year we return with a new selection of great works of profound intensity and serenity. Arrangements by Miquel Llobet on the hypnotic Nocturn 9 no. 2 by Frédéric Chopin and Carles Trepat with the evocative Ojos verdes by Maestro Quiroga, will be the representatives of the first qualifying phase. In the second semi-final phase, the Danse Rythmique by the French guitarist and composer Ida Presti and Feuilles Mortes by the young Italian composer Edoardo Tritto, winner of the last fourth edition of the Llobet Composition Competition, will be performed. In the last phase, the finalists will perform a work of their choice with a string quartet of the young Japanese guitarist Masataka Suganuma with the first movement Allegro of his Sonatina for guitar and string quartet, or returning to the competition of the last edition, the Mexican Manuel María Ponce with his last unfinished work Quatour, but precise ending made by the master guitarist Alberto Ubach.

We hope that the competition proposal contributes to the participants to enter new concert horizons at a time and place that challenge human nature in the noble art of the Guitar.

RULES

1) Iberamerik Concert Associació, organizer of the Barcelona Internacional Guitar Contest Miquel Llobet, call for 21st edition that will take place in Barcelona, from 7th to 10th of November, 2023.

2) The contest is open to all guitarists, regardless of nationality, who are no older than 35 years of age at time of registration. First Prize winners from previous editions are not eligible to enter.

3) The Contest will develop in person at the Municipal Conservatory of Music of Barcelona.

4) The draw for the competition’s first round performance order will be held at the Municipal Conservatory of Music of Barcelona on the Thursday 7th of November at 10:00 a.m. All competitors must attend, those not in attendance will forfeit their right to participate.

5) All cash prizes are subject to their corresponding taxes which will be withheld according to the current legislation.

6) The Organising Committee of the Certamen Llobet will not be responsible for programming dates and cancellation for any of the concerts offered as part of a prize.

7) The travel, accommodation and living costs incurred during the competition will be covered by the participant.

8) All rights to any recordings of the participants made by Certamen Llobet during the competition will be held by the Organising Committee.

9) By registering for the competition the participant agrees to all the rules of the Certamen Llobet competition. In the case of a discrepancy or disagreement, the Spanish edition of these rules will be used. The decision of the Jury is final.

10) Anything not specified in these rules is not the responsibility of the Organising Committee.

REGISTRATION

11) Registration for the competition should be made through the website.
Registration deadline: Sunday, October 20th, 2024. There will be a maximum of 20 participants.
The following documents will be required:
a) Biography and artist photo
b) Copy of passport or identity card
c) Proof of bank transfer

12) The registration fee is 60 Euros, to be made by bank transfer (indicating participant’s full name) to the following account:
CAIXABANK IBAN: ES71 2100 5516 8121 0016 5290 SWIFT: CAIXESBB
or by PAYPAL: certamenllobet@gmail.com

13) By registering for the competition, participants will receive free entry and preferential attendance to other activities and concerts put on as part of the Certamen Llobet.

ROUNDS

14) The competition will be held in three rounds:
1st ROUND (Classification): Thursday, November 7th at 10:00 a.m., for all participants. Competitors are required to perform the following set works:

– Nocturn 9 n. 2, Frédéric Chopin (arr. Miquel Llobet) 175th Anniversary of death
– Ojos verdes, Manuel López-Quiroga (Arr. Carles Trepat – Ed. Quiroga) 125th Anniversary of birth

(+ info Composers and Works)

2nd ROUND (Semi-final): Friday, November 8th at 10:00 a.m., for all participants who classify. Competitors are required to perform the following set works:

– Danse Rythmique, Ida Presti (Birth centenary)
– Feuilles Mortes, Edoardo Tritto (Winning work of the 2023 Llobet Composition Contest)

(+ info Composers and Works)

3rd ROUND (Final and Prize Giving Ceremony): Sunday, November 10th at 7:00 p.m., three finalists will be selected. The work in this round will be performed with string quartet. Participants are to choose from one of the following works:

– Sonatina for guitar and string quartet (1st mov. Allegro), Masataka Suganuma
– Quatour, Manuel María Ponce (Rev. José Alberto Ubach)

(+ info Composers and Works)

PRIZES

15) The following prizes will be awarded:
1st PRIZE: 5.000 Euros, Medal and Honorary Diploma
Recording of an audiovisual produced by IRS Produccions and promotion through social networks.
Concerts in Spain:
Garrigues Guitar Festival Memorial Emili Pujol
Festival de Guitarra Girona-Costa Brava
International concerts:
Festival Internacional de Guitarra “Maria Luisa Anido” Morón, Argentina
Facultad de Artes de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata
Facultad de Artes de la Universidad de Chile
2nd PRIZE: 3.000 Euros, Medal and Honorary Diploma
3rd PRIZE: 1.500 Euros, Medal and Honorary Diploma
And special Prizes:
Llobet PRIZE, awarded for the best interpretation of the set work by Miguel Llobet: Honorary Diploma and concert at Art Llobet
CAT PRIZE, for the best classifying Catalan player: Honorary Diploma and concert at Garrigues Guitar Festival Memorial Emili Pujol
Audience PRIZE: Honorary Diploma and concert at Travicult 2024

16) These prizes may increase. Any changes will be identified on the website until the end of the registration period.

CLASSIFICATION

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)

Nocturno 9 n. 2

(arr. Miquel Llobet)
175th Anniversary of death

Manuel López-Quiroga (1899-1988)

Ojos verdes

(Arr. Carles Trepat – Ed. Quiroga)
125th Anniversary of birth

SEMIFINAL

Ida Presti (1924-1967)

Danse Rythmique

Birth centenary

Edoardo Tritto (2000)

Feuilles Mortes

Winning work of the 2023 Llobet Composition Contest

FINAL

Masataka Suganuma (1996)

Sonatina for guitar and string quartet (1st mov. Allegro)

Manuel María Ponce (1882-1948)

Quatour (rev. José Alberto Ubach)

FRANCESC GUARNÉ (SPAIN)

Born in Barcelona, he began his musical studies with his father and trained at the Conservatori del Liceu and other prestigious institutions. He studied violin and viola with teachers such as Juan Llinares and Slavomir Arszynski, and took advanced courses with Enrique Santiago and Ervin Schiffer. He holds a master’s degree in occupational risk prevention, focusing on musicians. He has been part of various orchestral and chamber groups and has dedicated much of his career to teaching violin and viola at the Barcelona Municipal Conservatory of Music.

MARÍA CAMAHORT (SPAIN)

Maria Camahort is a guitarist specialized in chamber music and interdisciplinary projects. She has performed in concert halls in cities such as London, Paris, and Mexico City, and trained at ESMUC and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has won several awards as both a performer and composer, including the María de Pablos Composition Competition. Her discography includes albums like Iberian Colours (2015) and Danzas, Canciones y Nanas (2018). She currently resides in Barcelona, where she works as a performer, arranger, educator, and composer in various artistic fields.

ANDERS CLEMENS (NORWAY)

Anders Clemens, a Norwegian guitarist born in 1976, has built an outstanding international career after studying in the Netherlands and Spain. Winner of major awards such as the “Andrés Segovia” Competition, he has performed at festivals and with orchestras across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He also teaches at the Conservatory of Aragon and has released several acclaimed albums under the NordicSound label.

FIRST PRIZE | LLOBET AWARD

SOHTA NAKABAYASHI (JAPAN)

He was born in the Tokyo Prefecture and began studying guitar at the age of three with Professor Takayuki Azuma. Later, he met guitarist Manuel Babiloni during one of his tours in Japan, who became his reference teacher. He completed his Bachelor’s in Guitar at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid, studying with Miguel Trápaga, and received the Extraordinary End-of-Degree Award. He has won more than twenty international prizes and is currently pursuing a Master’s in solo performance at Katarina Guska with Pedro Mateo.

SECOND PRIZE | AUDIENCE AWARD

DARIO GONZÁLEZ (CUBA/SPAIN)

Born in Havana in 2006, he began his musical studies at the Alejandro García Caturla Elementary Music Conservatory under the guidance of Professor Alejandro Coira Díaz. He completed his Middle Professional Level studies at the National School of Music with Professor Ricardo González Navarro, graduating with a Gold Diploma. As a soloist, he has been awarded in various national and international competitions. Since 2018, he has been part of the “Nova Corda” Guitar Ensemble, directed by Alejandro Coira Díaz.

THIRD PRIZE

VERA DANILINA (RUSSIA)

Born in Penza, Russia, in 1999, Vera Danilina is a prominent classical guitarist. She began studying at the age of 5 with Olga Odrina and continued her training with Vladimir Mityakov, graduating in 2024. Her brilliant technique and flawless presentation have earned her recognition. In 2023, she released her debut album with the Contrastes Records label and began studying at the Paris Regional Conservatory with Jérémy Jouve. In 2024, she became a Savarez artist and participated in a short film for Altamira.

2024 HONORARY AWARD “A LIFETIME FOR THE GUITAR”

CARLES TREPAT (SPAIN)

A faithful continuer of the Catalan school of classical guitar and tireless defender of the values of excellence and quality in the noble art of guitar performance. Catalan classical guitarist born in Lleida. He began his guitar studies at the age of thirteen with Jordi Montagut and in 1976 attended the last course taught by Emili Pujol in Cervera, who in turn was a student of Francesc Tàrrega. He also studied with José Tomás, Alberto Ponce at the École Normale de Musique in Paris, Eduardo Sainz de la Maza, and Rafael Andia.

JAPAN IS CROWNED AGAIN IN THE LLOBET COMPETITION AFTER 28 YEARS

Japanese guitarist Sohta Nakabayashi wins the top award at the 21st edition of the competition. In 2006, his compatriot Ryuji Kunimatsu was crowned the winner.
Carles Trepat distinguished with honors on the podium of illustrious guitarists such as Julian Bream, Alirio Díaz, Alberto Ponce, among others.

Barcelona | November 11, 2024 | 12:30 p.m.
Photos: Izan Rubio Soria @izanrubioguitar

We once again experienced a magical night, typical of the Llobet Competition finals. Barcelona once again dressed up as a guitarist, as tradition dictates, with a varied programme spread throughout the city, which ended last night with the final of the competition at its official headquarters, the Municipal Conservatory of Music of Barcelona.

But before getting to the summary of the final, it is worth pointing out the excellent musical quality that this year’s Competition has enjoyed in all its phases of the competition, making the event an event where the highest expressions of classical guitar have been exhibited with participants from Argentina, Cuba, Italy, Japan, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Chile and Spain. The rigorous preparation and execution of the selected works lived up to expectations. We remember that the qualifying phases were composed of works of profound intensity and serenity, such as the arrangements of Miquel Llobet on the hypnotic Nocturne 9 No. 2 by Frédéric Chopin, commemorating the 175th anniversary of his death, and of Carles Trepat with the evocative Ojos verdes by Maestro Quiroga, celebrating the 125th anniversary of his birth; were those of the first qualifying phase. In the second semi-final phase, the Danse Rythmique by the French guitarist and composer Ida Presti, on her centenary, and Feuilles Mortes by the young Italian composer Edoardo Tritto, winner of the fifth edition of the Llobet Composition Competition, were performed.
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