The XXI International Chamber Music Competition in Arnuero reaps a new success, in a week of meeting with chamber music.
The International Chamber Music Competition in Arnuero held its XXI edition, which has been growing every year, both in the aspect of commissions to contemporary composers and in the quality of the chamber groups taking part, which show an extremely high level of performance and have important CVs, making CIMCA a platform to help them integrate into the concert circuits.
For 3 years now, the Organisation has been maintaining a mixed formula for selecting groups: an online preselection via videos submitted by the participants, and an in-person celebration of qualifying auditions with the selected groups; of these, four move on to the grand final.
As the main novelty of 2024, we can highlight the holding of the event one week before the CIMCA 2024 Opening Concert at the Casa de Mareas, an incredible setting where music and nature are fused to create an absolutely unique event, which we pair with the tasting of Isla Winery’s sparkling wine and the cheeses from Quesería Artesanal Siete Villas.
This year the Competition included the participation of 12 groups, 8 of which moved on to the qualifying auditions, and from those, the finalists were Dúo Dadga, Ebenum Dúo, Trío Moment and Doré Quartet.
The event began on Friday 28 June with the CIMCA 2024 Opening Concert, featuring a very attractive programme that included the premiere of the composition commissioned by CIMCA to Israel López Estelche, which, under the title “Jardín de Mar” (Garden of the Sea), was inspired by the saltmarsh itself where it was premiered. As the competition director, Antonio Margallo, explained, the aim is always, whenever possible, to combine experience in composition with youth in the performance of the young contestants.
This is one of the facets most implemented in recent years by the Competition Organisation, with the intention of promoting the composition of current works as well as their performance. In line with this, in the 2021 edition a Ricardo Hontañón Prize was created for the best performance of a work published after 1945.
After the qualifying auditions, on Sunday 7 July the finalist groups met to compete for the prizes, in a live performance of the works previously selected by the Jury. A memorable day in terms of the quality of the ensembles on stage, which over two hours let the audience experience one of the best chamber music sessions, while they could also enjoy the landscape of the Marisma Joyel and the local wildlife.
The result following the Jury’s deliberations was as follows:
FIRST PRIZE for the Dúo Dagda for piano and clarinet, endowed with €1,500, a diploma and a paid concert in the cycle “Creating Futures” of the Centro Botín in Santander.
SECOND PRIZE, was awarded to the Trío Moments for piano, violin and cello, endowed with €1,000, a diploma and a paid concert within the Marcos Históricos cycle of the International Santander Festival.
RICARDO HONTAÑÓN PRIZE for the most outstanding performance of a work published after 1945 went to the Trío Aro, endowed with €500 and a diploma.
Jesús de Monasterio Prize for the most outstanding violinist, endowed with a Diploma and Concert, sponsored by the Real Sociedad Menéndez Pelayo; on this occasion it went to Maria del Mar Jurado.
BEST CANTABRIAN GROUP PRIZE to the Trío Aria, with a concert in the music cycle of the Jesús