'city of estepona' young performers competition 2026 (registration)
The City Council announces the eighth edition of the 'City of Estepona' Young Performers Competition for children under 14 years of age
The national competition will be held on May 23 (semifinals at Colegio San José) and the final on May 24 at the Mirador del Carmen Cultural Center. The competition is open to young instrumentalists playing piano, string instruments, wind instruments, harp, and guitar. The registration period will be open until April 18, 2026.
The mayor of Estepona, José María García Urbano, and the president of the 'Gradus ad Parnassum' Music Association, Olga Tarasova, today presented the 8th 'City of Estepona' Young Performers Competition. The competition aims to promote and encourage culture and the arts among young people, as well as help talented young musicians reach higher levels of achievement. The mayor emphasized the city's commitment to promoting culture in all its forms and supporting musical performers.
The national competition is open to young instrumentalists of piano, string instruments, wind instruments, harp, and guitar, up to 13 years of age. Those who turn 14 on May 24th, the last day of the competition, and who hold Spanish nationality or residency are excluded. The rules can be found on the website www.esteponamusical.es. The submission period will remain open until April 18, 2026.
The jury members will evaluate the recordings and select 10 semifinalists, who will then be considered contestants. The selection results will be announced at the end of April 2026. From these ten semifinalists, the jury will choose the 5 finalists on May 23rd (semifinals at Colegio San José, at 10:00 AM). These finalists will perform on Sunday, May 24th, at 10:30 AM in the Auditorium of the Conservatory of Music, located in the Mirador del Carmen Cultural Center. Admission is free until capacity is reached. During the final gala, the clarinetist Jesús Berrio Hernández, winner of the 7th edition of the competition, will perform.
The jury will be composed of leading figures in the music world with nationally and internationally renowned careers. The president will be Juan Mendoza, oboe, artistic director of the Reina Sofía School of Music. The members will be Fernando Arias, cello, professor at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid and the Reina Sofía School of Music; Eduardo Frías, piano, artistic director and manager of the Scherzo Foundation; Yulia Iglinova, concertmaster of the RTVE Symphony Orchestra; Cristina Lucio-Villegas, piano, conductor, artistic director of the Camerata Complutense; Augusto Techera, artistic production director of the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville; and Nadia Zhdanova, musicologist, cultural manager, and artistic agent with Sol Classic Management and Artists Management Company (Verona).
The following prizes will be awarded:
• 1st Prize: €1,000; 2nd Prize: €700; 3rd Prize: €500; and two Finalist Diplomas: each worth €200.
Special prizes for the First Prize winner:
· Special "GEWA" Prize. GEWA Strings will award the winner of the Contest with a case.
· Special Prize "Scherzo Foundation". A recital at the Hinves Pianos facilities in Madrid.
· Special Prize "Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra". A solo performance with the OFM in the 2027-2028 season.
· Special Prize "Málaga Philharmonic Society". Participation in a recital organized by the SFM during the 2026-2027 season.
· Special Award "The future begins here". Participation in one of the concerts of the "The future begins here" series in the 2027 edition, organized by Altair Producciones at the Joaquín Rosado Auditorium, Moncloa-Aravaca district of the Madrid City Council.
Special Awards:
• Special 'Summer Camp' Prize from the Estepona City Council and the Reina Sofía School of Music, for one of the semi-finalists. Participation in the 'Summer Camp' course organized by the School for two weeks in July 2027.
· Special Audience Award: €300
· San José School Special Prize for the youngest contestant.
Other special awards:
· Special Prize "Iberian Sinfonietta".
· Special "Camerata Complutense" Award.
· Special Prize “Barcelona International Young Artists Competition”.
Organized by the “Gradus ad Parnassum” Musical Association, chaired by Olga Tarasova (cellist and professor with the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra, OFM), who is also the artistic director of the competition. Sponsored by the Estepona City Council.
Collaborating are Radio Clásica, the Reina Sofía School of Music, GEWA Strings, HINVES Pianos, Fundación Scherzo, Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga (OFM), Sociedad Filarmónica de Málaga, “Sol Classic Management”, Orquesta 'Iberian Sinfonietta', 'Camerata Complutense' Alcalá de Henares, 'Barcelona International Young Artists Competition', 'Ciclo Jóvenes Talentos' and Altair Producciones, as well as Colegio San José de Estepona and El Campanario' Multi-Sport Club.
www.esteponamusical.com