The semifinalists of the 61st Jaén International Piano Competition prepare the chamber music test with the Breton Quartet

The Infanta Leonor Theatre hosts this event, the last before the final, tomorrow Wednesday, May 1, starting at 11.00

The six pianists who are taking part this Wednesday, May 1, in the semifinal of the 61st Jaén International Piano Competition organised by the City Council are rehearsing Tuesday for this round with the prestigious Breton Quartet, with which they will perform during the morning . The Infanta Leonor Theatre of Jaén will host from 11.00 this third phase, the last before the final of the contest next Friday, May 3.

The Breton Quartet will be in charge of accompanying the six contestants who have qualified for this phase during the interpretation of the chamber music work that they will have to play in this semifinal. In this stage, they will perform works for a quintet with piano by César Franck, Brahms, Shostakovich or Granados, or, the Quintet number 2 in A major op. 81 of Dvorak. For this, the musicians that make up this quartet -John Stockes (cello); Anne Marie North (first violin); Antonio Cárdenas (second violin) and Alberto Clé (viola) – are rehearsing with the semifinalists, throughout the day, in which they have held a meeting with the media to address their presence in this event. In this regard, the deputy for Culture and Sports, Juan Ángel Pérez, recalled that it is the second year in which the contest includes the participation of this quartet, whose incorporation to this contest “is part of the actions that were launched last year, in which the 60th edition was held, in order to strengthen this event as one of the most important cultural events in the world” and “which meant establishing that contestants had to overcome a chamber music test”, he pointed.

The deputy has also underlined the “vast experience” and the “extraordinary professionalism” of the Breton Quartet, which is considered one of the most prestigious both nationally and internationally. It was in 2003 when this quartet was born with the aim of promoting quartets of Spanish composers, from the origins of this musical genre to the present. In this way, they have spread in a special way the work of composers such as Ernesto and Rodolfo Halffter, Jesús Guridi, Tomás Bretón, Joaquín Turina, José Luis Greco and Tomás Marco, among many others.

Scenarios such as the Teatros del Canal, the Residencia de Estudiantes, the Ancient Music Festival of Aranjuez or the Reina Sofía Auditorium, among many others, have hosted concerts given by this quartet that has been present at many music festivals, such as the one in Granada, the one from Santander or the Contemporary Music Festival of Compostela, as well as other international competitions such as the Ballade, in France.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 1, the audience will be able to attend, free of charge until full capacity, the semifinal of this 61st edition, in which the Breton Quartet will accompany Hyeonjun Jo, from South Korea and Carlos de la Blanca Elorza, from Spain; while in the afternoon, from 16.30, it will be the turn of Nicolas Bourdoncle, from France; Sun-A Park, from United States; Lvjie Zhang, from China and Alexander Koryakin, from Russia.