The Off Competition
Besides its main events, the Maria Canals Competition runs a wide-ranging calendar of informative, educational, and social activities known as the “Off Competition”, which are held throughout the year, but reach their peak during these days.
One of the best known is the “Maria Canals porta cua” initiative, by which pianos are stationed in public spaces both in Barcelona and other cities. According to Jordi Vivancos, last year a total of 150 grand pianos were made available to anyone who wished to play.
During the competition, a grand piano will be stationed at the lobby of the Diagonal metro station and another one at the Foyer of the Palau de la Música. Pianos will also be placed at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Palau Robert, El Born Cultural Centre, Illa Diagonal and 7 Portes restaurant, among others. In line with the Maria Canals´ commitment to integration, a grand piano will be brought to the Can Brians 2 penitentiary centre on March 11th for a day of activities with the inmates.
On March 8th, the traditional “Marathon at Plaça Reial” was held with a series of performances featuring professionals, amateurs, and music students. The date coincided with Women's Day, so this theme was present throughout the event.
The “I can play” project, where everyone is invited to record a short video of themselves playing the piano and explain why they enjoy it, and the “It’s my turn” social program, which offers two years of music studies to children from vulnerable households, are other initiatives promoted by a competition with “rigor, effort, and hard work” as its core values, as well as bringing music practice closer to society.
