The Iturbi Prize, organised by the Provincial Council of Valencia, will award a total of €89,000 in cash to the winners of the Valencia International Piano Competition, which will be held between 23 June and 2 July. The organisers will also finance concerts in Spain and abroad in 2022 with the participation of the winners of the first three prizes, and other special prizes will be awarded, financed by entities, institutions, sponsors and collaborators.
The prizes, in a year in which this biennial musical event celebrates its 40th anniversary, will see a 70% increase on the previous competition; the first prize will be worth €30,000 and include the recording of a CD by the prestigious record label IBS Classical; the second prize will be worth €20,000 and the third €10,000, along with a concert tour in Spain and abroad for the top three prize-winners.
The three finalists who do not reach the Grand Final will receive €5,000 each, one of which will be provided by Valencia City Council. In addition, €2,000 will be awarded for the following: the special prize for the best performer of Spanish music, by the Provincial Council of Valencia; the best performance of a Mozart sonata, by the Valencia Philharmonic Society; the best performance of a Beethoven concerto, by Kawai; and the best contestant chosen by the public, by Clemente Pianos.
The best performance of Imágenes, a work by Óscar Colomina commissioned for the anniversary of the Iturbi Prize, will receive €1,000 from Polimúsica. In addition, the Regional Department of Culture is offering €5,000 for a series of concerts throughout the Region of Valencia by the top three prize-winners.
A total of 178 pianists from 41 countries registered for the competition, making it the most popular edition to date. After evaluating their performances, the jury selected 22 pianists to represent 15 countries in the first round (23 to 24 June), with the best 16 qualifying for the second round (25 to 26 June), and the top 10 competing in the semi-finals (27 to 28 June). The first final will feature six pianists (29 to 30 June) and the Grand Final will feature three pianists (2 July), in which the contestants will perform two piano concertos with the Orquesta de València at the Teatro Principal, which will host all the qualifying rounds.
Collaboration between institutions and companies
Glòria Tello, the councillor responsible for the Iturbi Prize, Councillor for Culture at Valencia City Council and President of the Palau de la Música, highlighted “the financial effort made by the Valencia International Piano Competition in this special edition celebrating its 40th anniversary”. Tello thanked “institutions and companies for their collaboration in providing prizes, organising concerts and the various activities that will take place”.
The Iturbi Prize, under the artistic direction of Joaquín Achúcarro, is part of the World Federation of International Music Competitions, an association based in Geneva that brings together competitions from countries on all five continents, including the most prestigious international music competitions in the world. The Valencia International Piano Competition is also a member of the Alink-Argerich Foundation, which brings together most of the international piano competitions around the world.
