The third Gonzalo Soriano Piano Competition in Alicante

 

From 23rd April 26 April 2025, some 90 competitors took part in the third Gonzalo Soriano Piano Competition. The participants competed across five categories based on age, right from “prodigios”, who were very young indeed, up to the adult category D, in which the participants are basically already professional or semi-professional pianists seeking to enhance their careers. The Gonzalo Soriano Piano Competition is organized by Ars Alta Cultural (arsatlacultural.com) with the cooperation of Alicante’s Conservatorio Profesional de Música Guitarrista “José Tomás”.

The adult category was scheduled over the first two days of the competition and the final took place on the Friday evening. Three participants were selected to play half hour programs in the final, being Luis Cabello López from Spain, Yui Higashijima from Japan and Michał Selwesiuk from Poland.

The competition’s first prize went to Yui Higashijima. Second prize went Michał Selwesiuk and third prize to the 19-year-old Luis Cabello López from Spain. All three performances in the final were superb. Luis’s interpretation of the Second Sonata of Prokofiev was both exciting and witty. He stresses the angularity of the writing, but uses liberal legato where tenderness shows through the composer’s is almost metallic sheen. Bartok’s percussive Sonata completed his program. Now this is a very difficult work to interpret. It’s quieter sections can sometimes seem lacking in direction, but overall, Luis’s interpretation was exciting and satisfying.

Yui Higashijima’s program was a complete contrast to what had gone before. She offered JS Bach’s Toccata in D Minor, BWV 917, which she played with complete lyrical control. It’s amazing how Bach’s music suggests harmonic complexities by juxtaposing ideas rather than sounding chords. All this music’s elegance and sophistication came alive in her performance. She followed with Rachmaninov’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Opus 42. Unlike Rachmaninov’s Paganini Variations, this work has few memorable tunes, and fewer technical gymnastics and, of course, is for solo piano. But nevertheless it is still by Rachmaninov, and it is designed to be technically demanding. Yui played it in such a way that the technical demands were not obvious because the music flowed by virtue of the energy and accuracy of her performance.

Michał Selwesiuk also programmed Rachmaninov. He began with Moments Musicaux No1 from Opus 16 which, if anything, is Rachmaninov in a more reflective, understated style. He played the piece almost as if it were prelude to what followed, which was Chopin’s B-flat minor Sonata, Opus 35. This is a major work in the piano repertoire and Michał’s playing and interpretation of it with faultless.

Personally, I am not a judge of piano playing. The Gonzalo Soriano Piano Competition, however, had four judges who all have extensive experience and expertise in the role. Helena Sul from Sweden, Denise Lutgens from the Netherlands, Dorian Leljac and Danijel Gašparović from Croatia judged collectively that Yui Higashijima would be awarded first prize, Michał Selwesiuk second prize and Luis Cabello third prize. As a lover of music, I can testify that these three performances, covering such a different repertoire, were all thoroughly professional, and what is more, musically and artistically moving.

In the other categories, Mara Spitz was awarded absolute first prize in category C, Petar Vidošević in category B and Deedeh Rouhani in category A. All the prodigies who took part were awarded prizes.

Four days is a lot of piano music. But the hard work, dedication, and practice by these young players is a pure joy to witness. And if it were to happen again next week, I would want to attend every session, but this time in the audience! One can only hope that music lovers can have a chance to hear more of these gifted performers in the future.

Programa 7 diciembre 2024

 

The Gonzalo Soriano International Piano Competition in Alicante announces its winners

 

For the second time, Caroline and I have completed an edition of the Concurso Internacional de Piano de la Ciudad de Alicante Gonzalo Soriano con el Conservatorio Jose Tomas.  One hundred and eleven candidates from over thirty countries came to compete in four age categories and the final prizes were awarded last Saturday night.

Over four days, we directed candidates to play before the judges. We heard a particular Liszt Transcendental Study and Chopin Etudes many times. We heard the First Sonata of Prokofiev once and the Sixth twice. Someone – just one entrant – played a Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue, though those by Bach appeared regularly, but were never repeated. We heard music by Rautavaara, Carl Vine, Malipiero, Christian Helsing and a lot of Beethoven. The Rachmaninov was wall-to-wall. The Medtner stood out. Nobody played anything English, but of course there was a lot of Albeniz.

But the music aside - which it never should be - the most impressive aspect of the week was its performers. More than a hundred young people, some of them not so young, since the D category admitted participants up to 32 years old, played their best (some I am sure would not agree) in order to get a foot on at least one rung of a career ladder of unknown height. It’s a horrible business, but it is undeniably a business. People compete. People have to compete. Celebrity is currency and celebrity exists in a market where talent might not count, but probably does, and therefore recognition, and even work comes to no one unless that individual competes. To win seems like a confirmation of talent. To lose feels like its denial. But overall, luck place an important part, though luck is never quoted in the results.

Luck? When celebrity comes as a result of a video presence on the internet then luck might count. But when it comes to playing a piano, the only possible route to success goes via hours, days, months, and years of practice. And the most enduring memory of organizing a piano competition is to realize that the vast majority of these hundred plus competitors from six years old to thirty spend most of their lives practicing, the major challenge in a pianist’s life being always what the individual called "me" can achieve.

Shunta Marimoto, who won the senior category, seems to be someone who communicates with the world via the keyboard of a piano. Almost uncontrollably nervous before a performance, he seems to enter a different universe the moment his fingers touch the keys. Then there is magic. Always, it seems. A hundred or more of the people go through the same routine and the result is different. This, possibly, may be talent, or the manifestation of it. All the best arguments seem to be circular.

Ellisiv Tundberg, after a stunning performance of a sonata movement by Carl Vine in the semis, played Rautavaara and Franck in the final. Her playing of Cesar Franck’s Prelude, Choral and Fugue was the first time I have ever understood the music. Often it is played almost as a challenge, but in her hands its lyricism could shine through, but never as sentiment. Quite superb.

During the week, it was in category B that the biggest surprise came at the level, almost, of revelation. Luca Newman from the UK is a diminutive teenager. When he plays the piano, his age or stature do not matter. He has talent, application, dedication, and real artistry. What a privilege it is to be close to these young performers.

It is, however, hard work. I am just a paper and people pusher. I am just an organizer. But without this structure, the talent show would not find a stage, and would therefore not be on show. Thanks to Istvan Szekely for having thought it all up. Thanks also to Markus Schirmer, Tania Kozlova, Elena Levit, Luca Torrigiani, Uros Tadic, Gaia Caporiccio and Denise Lutgens for judging through the week. And nothing could happen without the wonderful staff from Conservatorio Jose Tomas. Being involved is, however, an exhausting privilege. I wish good luck to all who took part.

Detail at https://www.arsaltacultural.com/