Fourteen pianists will face the second test of the 61st Jaén International Piano Competition

The Infanta Leonor Theatre welcomes from tomorrow and until Monday this second phase in which the contestants will perform the obligatory work, Jaeneras, Ecos y Temple, by Jorge Sastre

A total of 14 pianists have been selected, among the 23 presented to the 61st Jaén International Piano Competition, to participate in the second eliminatory round of this prestigious piano contest organised by the Jaén City Council. From tomorrow Sunday, April 28, and until Monday, the Infanta Leonor Theatre in Jaén will host the celebration of this second phase of the contest, which the public can attend for free until full capacity is reached.

Specifically, the young interpreters who have been chosen by the jury of this 61st edition chaired by Albert Attenelle to take part in this second phase are Qian Yong, Sitong Meng, Lvjie Zhang, from China; Sang Ah Park, Kie Wouk Lim and Hyeonjun Jo, from South Korea; Carlos de la Blanca Elorza, from Spain; Nicolas Bourdoncle, from France; Genki Takai and Nanako Kurita, from Japan; Alexander Koryakin, Alexander Strakhov, and Arsenii Mun, from Russia and Sun-A Park, from the United States.

In this second eliminatory test, which will start at 10 o’clock, these 14 pianists will have to interpret a total of three works in a maximum time of 50 minutes. Among them is the mandatory work of this 61ª edition, that takes by title Jaeneras, ecos y temple and that has been composed by Jorge Sastre, professor of the Master in Music of the Polytechnic University of Valencia. This composition -which, together with the chamber music piece, is one of the only two works that the contestants can play with the score in front- has been inspired by one of the songs that are collected in the popular songbook of Jaén elaborated by Lola Torres and published by the Instituto de Estudios Gienenses (IEG) and that takes by title Pucherete, a little pout or pot.

Apart from the mandatory piece, the classified contestants will play two more works during their participation in this second phase of this piano competition. The first of them was selected from different sonatas by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert, while in the second they will have to perform works like Iberia or Navarra by Albéniz; Bética Fantasy or the Four Spanish Pieces, by Falla; and a work from Goyescas, by Granados.

The interpretation by the contestants of this pianistic repertoire will be crucial for the election of the winners of two of the prizes of this contest: the Contemporary Music Award, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, and the Rosa Sabater Award, sponsored by the City Council of Jaén. These two prizes, each endowed with 6,000 euros, are awarded to the pianists who stand out during the interpretation of the mandatory work and for that of Spanish music, respectively.

Among the interpreters that take part in this second eliminatory test, the jury will select those who will go to the third phase of the contest, which will take place on Wednesday, May 1, at the Infanta Leonor Theatre in Jaén, and which anyone can attend for free.

Chamber music will be the protagonist of this third phase – the last before the final on Friday, May 3 -, as the contestants will be accompanied by the prestigious Breton Quartet, with which they will rehearse during Tuesday, April 3.