A total of 14 guitarists from eleven different countries will be competing in this year’s Andres Segovia Classical Guitar Competition.

The world-renowned competition kicks off tomorrow, the 24th, in the La Herradura Centro Cívico and will conclude on the 28th.

This year’s event is dedicated to Joaquín Rodriogo (22/11/1901 – 06/07/1999) who composed the Concierto de Aranjuez 75 years ago – the first classical piece composed specifically for the classical guitar.

Competitors have to be under 35 years of age and be blindingly brilliant on the said instrument. And this year’s crop are: Sanel Redzic (Germany) Giulia Ballare (Italia), Josue Rodríguez Fonseca y Ali Arango (Cuba, Misael Barrza Díaz (Mexico), Filipe Andre Barbosa (Portugal), Taiki Matsumoto & Masatak Suganuma (Japan), Javier García Verdugo & Josue Arody García García (Spain), Jaka Klum (Slovenia), Luis Guevara Aguilar (Chile), Marko Topchii (Ukraine) and Chris Trueman (Great Britain).

So, what are the prizes? The top prize is 10,000 euros in prize money and a guitar valued at 5,200 euros – which is not to be sniffed at. Second Prize is 4,000 euros and Third Prize 2,000 euros. There is also an additional prize of 700 euros for the best interpretation of Improviación VI by Marco Biasi, who won the XXV Concurso de Composición Andrés Segovia in 2013.

Being held parallel to the guitar competition is the composition one (XXVII Concurso de Composición, Andrés Segovia), for which 31 compositions have been sent in for consideration. The winner will walk away with 2,000 euros.

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