THE II INTERNATIONAL ORCHESTRA CONDUCTING COMPETITION “LLÍRIA CITY OF MUSIC” WILL BE HELD FROM JULY 17 TO 22
Llíria will once again host the most important orchestra conducting competition in the Spanish music scene. From July 17 to 22, the UNESCO Creative City of Music will organize the II International Orchestra Conducting Competition, “Llíria City of Music” -CIDO 2023-, open to the best promises of the baton at international level.
The aim of the competition organized by the Department of Culture is to discover and promote young conductors under 35 years of age, while positioning Llíria internationally as an outstanding center for musical training, with a bicentennial trajectory. The Competition is supported by AESDO, the Spanish Association of Orchestra Conductors.
The first edition, organized in 2021, was a total success, with 188 applicants from 35 countries, among which the Hungarian Levente Török, the final winner of the competition, stood out.
Cristóbal Soler, a renowned conductor with a brilliant career, is the artistic director and member of the jury of this second edition of CIDO. The jury will be composed of great conductors, with extensive experience and international prestige.
Important economic and recognition awards
From the City Council of Llíria and the collaborating entities, a great effort has been made to provide the CIDO with attractive prizes, both financially and in terms of professional recognition for the winners:
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First prize
5.000€ and a diploma awarded by the City Council of Llíria. In addition, the person awarded with the first prize may be invited to conduct the ten orchestras collaborating with the competition during the 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons.
Second prize
1,500 and a diploma awarded by the Spanish Association of Orchestra Conductors (AESDO).
Third prize
1,000 and diploma awarded by the Spanish Association of Orchestra Conductors (AESDO).
AESDO Special Prize
1.000€ awarded by the Spanish Association of Orchestra Conductors (AESDO).
Likewise, the AESDO member who obtains the best overall classification in the competition will be able to collaborate with the FSMCV Youth Symphony Orchestra, Harmonie Ensemble, ESMAR Orchestra, Youth Orchestra of Extremadura and Youth Orchestra of the Region of Murcia. The AESDO special prize is compatible with any of the previous awards.
Collaboration of the best orchestras
In this II International Competition “Llíria City of Music”, collaborate the Orquesta Sinfónica de Radio Televisión Española, Orquestra de València, Orquesta ADDA-Simfònica de Alicante, Orquesta Sinfónica de El Sistema de Venezuela, Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga, Orquesta Sinfónica de la Región de Murcia, Oviedo Filarmonía, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Orquesta de Extremadura and Orquesta Sinfónica de Andalucía.
These orchestras will be able to invite the winning conductor to conduct a concert within the program of the next two seasons 2025/26 and 2026/27.
Phases and repertoire
Among all the people registered, 25 candidates will be selected by means of a critical analysis of their videos, biographies, letters of recommendation, professional links, etc. These 25 candidates will compete, already in Llíria, throughout four phases, from July 17 to 22, where they will have to conduct the “Llíria City of Music” Orchestra, composed mainly by outstanding musicians from the city of Llíria.
The repertoire includes works by Schoenberg, Holst, Haydn, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. It is worth mentioning the presence of the Valencian composer Amparo Edo, whose work Monologue, in its version for chamber orchestra, will be the premiere in the final of the competition. With this, CIDO maintains its commitment to young composers and the premiere of newly created works.
Registration open until May 8
The competition rules are published at www.aesdo.com. The registration period opens today, Monday, April 24, and will close next Monday, May 8, inclusive.
