Llíria City of Music International Orchestra Conducting Competition

200 years discovering and training young talents

Llíria will celebrate its more than two centuries of musical training with the “Llíria City of Music International Orchestra Conducting Competition”. It will be held the week of July 12 to 17, 2021, and it will be the first major music competition open to participants from all over the world that the city of the Edetan people welcomes as a member of the UNESCO Network of Creative Cities of Music, with the collaboration of several cities of this network.

The aim of the Competition is to discover and promote young conductors from all over the world under 35 years of age, while positioning Llíria internationally as a leading centre in musical training. Through cooperation with different Creative Cities, it is intended to promote collaboration and the exchange of knowledge between different countries, mainly in the field of musical training. Thus, the fourth of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda is fostered: Quality Education. The Competition is supported by the Spanish Association of Orchestra Conductors.

This Competition will have a vocation for international cooperation through music, by having as a solidarity partner the Association ‘Musicians Without Borders’, which has recently completed 25 years building bridges and defending Human Rights through Music.

 World-class jury

The jury will comprise great batons of recognized trajectory and international prestige, such as Manuel Galduf, conductor of the Orquesta de Valencia (1983-1997); John Carewe, Conductor and Professor at the Royal Academy London; Virginia Martínez, conductor of the Orquesta de Múrcia; Francisco Coll, composer; Carlos Razuelo, professor at the Universities of Florida and Louisiana; José Maria Moreno, conductor of the Orquesta de Málaga and Andrés Salado, conductor of the Orquesta de Extremadura. The conductor Cristóbal Soler is appointed artistic director of the first edition of the “Lliria City of Music International Orchestra Conducting Competition”. He assumes the work of secretary of the jury, with voice but without vote. The composition of the jury is still open and will be completed in the coming weeks.

 Important economic and recognition awards

In its first edition, the Llíria City Council and collaborating entities have made a great effort to provide the Competition with attractive prizes, both economically and professionally, for the winners.

FIRST PRIZE
€ 5,000 and accrediting diploma awarded by the Llíria City Council.
Likewise, the person awarded the first prize may be invited to conduct the collaborating orchestras of the competition throughout the two seasons following that of the announcement of each edition.

 SECOND PRIZE 
€ 1,500 and accrediting diploma awarded by the Spanish Association of Orchestra Conductors (AESDO).

THIRD PRIZE
€ 1,000 and accrediting diploma awarded by the Spanish Association of Orchestra Conductors (AESDO).

SPECIAL AWARD AESDO
€ 1,000 awarded by the Spanish Association of Orchestra Conductors (AESDO).

Likewise, the AESDO member who obtains the best overall classification of the contest may collaborate with the orchestras established in each call for entries throughout the two seasons following those of each edition.

The AESDO award is compatible with any of the above prizes

 SPECIAL POPULAR PRIZE
An award (yet to be determined) will also be awarded to the audience’s favourite director, chosen by popular vote. 

Phases and repertoire
The Competition will consist of four phases. The 25 candidates selected in the first phase must lead the ‘Ensemble Llíria City of Music’. As the young conductors pass tests, they will have to conduct a piece for a string orchestra, a piece accompanying a soloist, a contemporary piece, and a symphonic repertoire. The final phase, scheduled for July 16 and 17, will consist of an individually qualified rehearsal and concert.

The repertoire includes pieces by Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Beethoven. As a great incentive, the Competition will commission a premiere work: Cantos, by Francisco Coll, for string orchestra.

Collaboration of the best Orchestras
Among the orchestras that have already confirmed their collaboration in the I Llíria City of Music International Competition are Spanish National Orchestra, RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Valencia, Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra, the Málaga Phillarmonic, Granada City Orchestra, Region of Murcia Symphony Orchestra, Oviedo Filarmonía, Extremadura Symphony Orchestra and Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra.

Within the AESDO Special Award will collaborate the FSMCV Youth Symphony Orchestra, Harmonie Ensemble, ESMAR Orchestra, Extremadura Youth Orchestra and Region of Murcia Youth Orchestra collaborate

Wide international outreach
The competition can be followed via streaming from all over the planet in its final stages and will have the largest public presence allowed by health regulations when the contest is held. Significant Creative Cities of the UNESCO Network, with extensive and prestigious orchestral trajectories, such as Metz, Bologna, Liverpool and Hannover, will broadcast the contest through their social networks in France, Italy, England and Germany.

Registration open until May 10
The contest rules are published at https://lliriacityofmusic.es/en/lliria-city-of-music-international-orchestra-conducting-competition/ as well as at www.aesdo.com. The registration period opened on April 27 and closes on May 10, both inclusive.