The prestigious Spanish Competition announces the winners of its 64th Competition

 

The young pianist Jinhyung Park from Seoul has won the first prize at the 64th Jaén International Piano Competition, organised by the Jaén Provincial Council, thanks to his interpretation of Prokofiev's concerto for piano and orchestra number 3 in C major Op. 26 yesterday at a packed Infanta Leonor Theater. The performance of this interpreter was, according to the jury, chaired by the Barcelona pianist Albert Attenelle, the best of those performed by the three young musicians who played in the final, in which they have been accompanied by the Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted this year by Carlos Checa.

The vice president of the Provincial Council, Francisca Medina, was in charge of handing in the first prize to the winner of this contest, endowed with 20,000 euros contributed by the provincial Administration, in addition to a Gold Medal and diploma, the recording and edition of an album with the prestigious label Naxos and a five-concert tour. This pianist has also won the prize dedicated to chamber music and endowed with 8,000 euros given by the International University of La Rioja.

In this way, this young interpreter born in 1996 adds these important distinctions to his curriculum, which until now included other international recognitions, such as the first prize in the Prague Spring (2016), the second prize in Panama (2016 ) or the Chopin award in Cleveland (2016), among other international awards.

Jinhyung Park, First Prize

Ryusei Horiuchi, Second Prize

Ivan Basic, Third Prize

Ivan Basic, Third Prize

Prizes:
First Prize: Jinhyung Park
Second Prize: Ryusei Horiuchi
Third Prize: Ivan Basic

Jury:
Albert Attenelle (Chair), Ernesto Rocío Blanco, Susumu Aoyagi, Pilar Bilbao, Hortense Cartier-bresson, Angel Sanzo, Maria Zisi, Marta Zabaleta


Artists:
Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlos Checa (Conductor)

The second most valued concert by the jury was the one offered by pianist Ryusei Horiuchi, who interpreted Schumann's concerto for piano and orchestra in the main Op. 54, a performance for which he was awarded the second prize in this contest, endowed with 12,000 euros contributed by the UNED of Jaén. The third prize, valued at 8,000 euros and sponsored by the Unicaja Jaén Foundation, went to pianist Ivan Basic, who played the same Schumann concerto as Horiuchi. In addition, this musician has also won the Audience Award, which is awarded by the people who attended the final, for which he has received a bronze sculpture alluding to a piano delivered by the Association of Friends of the Piano Competition.

The name of the additional awards was also known in the ceremony, with the participation of the mayor of Jaén, Julio Millán, the deputy for Culture and Sports, Ángel Vera the director of the UNED in Jaén, María Luisa Grande, the president of the Unicaja Jaén Foundation, Carmen Espín, the deputy dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the University of La Rioja (UNIR), Víctor Padilla, and the president of the Association of Friends of the Jaén Piano Competition, Juan José Mudarra.

In this way, the Rosa Sabater prize, which is awarded to the best interpreter of Spanish music and endowed with 6,000 euros paid by the Jaén City Council, and a concert organised and sponsored by the Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Country, has been awarded to Saya Ota. For its part, the Contemporary Music Award, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, awarded to the best interpreter of the work commissioned for the contest –which this year has been Pulsos, composed by Juan José Solano from Madrid– was given to the Vitaly Starikov. This recognition has an economic endowment of 6,000 euros, in addition to the recording for the Naxos label of this edition.

The granting of these awards has put the cap on the 64th edition of this piano competition, organised by the Provincial Council, which has been held in the capital of Jaén from April 13 to 22.

©Disputacion de Jaén 2023