Concert Schedule – Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition

Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition

The Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition was a prestigious piano competition held in Santander, founded by Paloma O’Shea. It was open to highly talented young pianists with the aim of raising their profile and assisting them in their artistic careers.

History

Founded in 1972 as a National Competition, it was elevated to international status in its second edition. Organized by the Albéniz Foundation since 1990, it had the Infanta Margarita as Honorary President and received sponsorship from various private companies and public institutions, such as the Santander City Council and the Government of Cantabria.

The competition organizes a world tour for its winners, including debuts in venues such as the National Music Auditorium or Wigmore Hall, in addition to awarding cash prizes. It was mainly held at the Cantabria Festival Palace.

After 20 editions, the 2022 edition brought the Competition to a close, which included an emotional speech by its founder in which she stated: “Thousands of young pianists have moved towards a creative musical life simply by registering for the Competition. Of these, 643 have come to Santander and 148 have received awards that have boosted their careers.”

Guest artists

During the final stages of the competition, participants performed alongside guest artists, chamber groups and renowned orchestras. Among the guest orchestras were the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Spain, the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, the Northern Sinfonia, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Spanish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra. The Takacs Quartet, the Ysaÿe Quartet, the Casals Quartet and conductors such as Philippe Entremont, Sergiu Comissiona, Jesús López Cobos and Miguel Ángel Gómez-Martínez also collaborated.

Jury

The competition jury included prestigious musicians such as Josep Colom, Gary Graffman, Federico Mompou, Vlado Perlemuter, Joaquín Achúcarro, Aldo Ciccolini, Nikita Magaloff, Paul Badura-Skoda and Hiroko Nakamura.

The list of winners of the Competition can be found at the following link.