Dream Passed On in Alessandria

Born in Naples in 2000, Galietto began learning the guitar with her father, Alberto. She won the EuroStrings Guitar Competition in Petrer, Spain, in 2021 and has performed extensively across Europe and the United States. Her studies have taken her to the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, where she has worked with Paolo Pegoraro and Łukasz Kuropaczewski.

While the audience awaited the results, the stage welcomed back Ausias Parejo, winner of the 2025 edition. His performance brought the international tour awarded by the competition to a close, revealing a thoughtful and refined musician. His return offered a fitting connection between successive generations of Pittaluga laureates.

The story behind Concierto de Aranjuez offered a poignant connection to the aspirations of the young finalists. Over dinner in San Sebastián in 1938, guitarist Regino Sáinz de la Maza urged Rodrigo to write a concerto for guitar and orchestra—a work he had long dreamed of performing. Rodrigo’s agreement gave that ambition a musical future. (An anecdote recalled by WFIMC Secretary General Florian Riem in his closing remarks.)

Beyond the final, the week’s programme included “Guitar Corners” in the historic centre and masterclasses with jury members Carlo Marchione and Berta Rojas, bringing performance and learning into the life of the city.

Founded by Michele Pittaluga in 1968 to celebrate Alessandria’s 800th anniversary, the competition gained the early support of Andrés Segovia as Honorary President and Alirio Díaz as jury chair. Almost six decades later, that legacy continues through the young musicians who come to Alessandria, the guitar capital of the world—and the musical journeys they begin here.

Award
First prize: Cristina Galietto
Second prize: Choi Kiwon and Sergei Perelekov 

Jury
Omar Cyrulnik, Artyom Dervoed, Berta Rojas, Michael Andriaccio, Carlo Marchione, Zhenqi Min, Micaela Pittaluga

Artists
Musici di Parma/ Gian Paolo Bandini (Conductor)

© WFIMC 2026/ HS