Classical guitarist, Gabriel Bianco, becomes the 2012 winner of the Andrés Segovia, international, classical guitar competition, held in the Civic Centre of La Herradura. This young musician is the second Frenchman to win this prestigious competition, after Bertrand Pietu won it five years ago.

Gabriel began playing the guitar when he was five years old, which is not surprising, coming as he does from a family of musicians. By the time that he was nine he was attending a Conservatory Region of Paris, studying under Ramón de Herrera. By 16 he was admitted into the Conservatory of Paris, itself, under Olivier Chassain, where he obtained unanimous recognition from the jury when he won first prize in 2008. Presently, he is a teacher at the Maurice Ravel Conservatory.

Obtaining the top position at the XXVIII Certamen Internacional de Guitarra Clásica “Andrés
Segovia,” he walks away not only with the internationally recognized prestige it carries, but also a cash prize of 9,000 euros and a very valuable, handcrafted guitar made by Luis Santiago Hernández, who is the son and disciple of Paco Santiago Marín. To top it all off, he has also earned a slot at the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada, 2013.

Second Prize, worth 4,000 euros and another valuable guitar, was won by Mircea Gogoncea (Bucarest, Romania 1991) and the Third Prize, worth 2,000 euros, went to Anton Baranov (Saint Petersburg, Russia 1984).

Srdjan Bulat (Split, Croacia 1986) walked away with the special Leo Brouwer Prize worth 700 euros and Andrea González Caballero (Éibar, Spain 1992) won the Juventudes Musicales prize for the most promising young guitarist competitor.

It is admirable for both Almuñécar and La Herradura that between them they host two of the most prestigious music festivals: Jazz en la Costa and the Certamen Internacional de Guitarra Clásica “Andrés Segovia,” – Enhorabuena!

(News: Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)