Competition's History

Ideal of Culture

The history of the Competition is the search for an ideal of culture. Beyond the mere competitive aspects, it has tried to be the archetype of competitions and, at present, when 30 years have elapsed since its inception, it still is open to an innovating process driven by its president and founder, Paloma O’Shea who, after her marriage, moved to Santander where she contacted Manuel Valcárcel, director of the conservatory of that city. With his collaboration, the first competition took place in 1972. Valcárcel was the director of the Competition until his sudden death in 1980. He was the first of a long list of names linked to the Competition from whom Paloma O’Shea sought counsel and advice.

Among them were Federico Sopeña, André Marescotti, Federico Mompou, Xavier Montsalvatge, Joaquín Soriano, José Francisco Alonso, Alicia de Larrocha, Enrique Franco and Vicente Cacho - all of them linked to the Competition in different ways: either as members of the juries, holding posts of responsibility within its structure or from those institutions within the framework of the Competition, such as the Albéniz Foundation -.

Santander, protagonist

As it is true to any intellectual project, the Competition has sought communication as a key element. And the city of Santander became its main scenario, witness and counterpoint of the Competition, its trials, participants and concerts.

The public of Santander has always been present in all the venues of the contest: Plaza Porticada, Chamber of Commerce, Gran Casino del Sardinero, the Universities of Cantabria and Menéndez Pelayo and, lastly, the present hall, the Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria, designed by the architect Francisco Sáenz de Oiza.

Sponsorship

The prestige of the above institutions is parallel to that of the Competition in the soundness and rigour of the project. Governmental institutions and private enterprises, together with a considerable number of individuals created, since the very beginning, a supporting network which brought about innovative ways of sponsorship never seen before in our country.

The patronage of Spain’s Royal Family, with Her Majesty the Queen as the Honorary President of the Reina Sofía School of Music and HRH La Infanta Doña Margarita holding the Honorary Presidency of the Competition and of the Albéniz Foundation, has been an invaluable encouragement to this cultural project.

Towards Professionalism

The end of the decade of the 70’s and the beginning of the 80’s mark the definitive professionalization and growth of the Competition.

After the first edition, national in scope (1972) whose winner was Josep Colom, Paloma O’Shea awaits until the 1974 to launch the Competition, now with an international scope. Since then and until 1978 it was held annually. Thereafter, in 1976, it is accepted by the World Federation of International Music Competitions of Geneva, an institution who safeguards the rigour of this type of events.

After 1978 the Competition is held every two years, and afterwards is held triennially. This sequence was altered in 1992 to join in the cultural celebrations of the V Centenary of the Discovery of America.

The competition adopts these changes bearing in mind the trends in the world of music and for longer periods between Competitions, to allow the artistic renewal and evolution of the candidates.

Enriching Repertoir

Parallel to the system of summoning, the Competition faces the progressive enrichment of repertoires to reach the highest possible degree: total freedom.

What at the time was mandatory, today is only a suggestion reflected in the rules permitting, at the same time, a glimpse to the musical personality of the contestants from the repertoires selected. A more specific repertoire, however, is still required for the chamber music and orchestra stages.

The final with orchestra goes as far back as 1977 and has been a constant, maintained edition after edition, bearing in mind the top-class orchestras invited to collaborate. Orchestras such as the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic Nacional de España, Sinfónica de Radiotelevisión Española, Sinfónica de Madrid, and chamber orchestas such as the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Wiener Kammerorchester, Gulbenkian Orchestra Sinfonia Varsovia, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, and Northern Sinfonia. All of them have delighted audiences with unforgettable evenings.

Competition Rigour

The intellectual and artistic dimension of the members of the Jury, presided by relevant personalities such as Federico Sopeña, Alicia de Larrocha and Antoni Ros Marbà have given Santander a deserved reputation of rigour.

The list of winners is a guarantee of a weighed and equitable decision. We can find both first and second prize winners in those years when the first prize was declared void, as it happened with Barry Douglas - a subsequent winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition.

And along with Douglas, an ample relation of musicians whose common denominator is the artistic careers developed after the Competition, which organizes concerts around the world for its winners - probably is the most sought after bonus for the contestants.

Other international venues

The Santander Competition has presented Josep Colom, Huseyin Sermet, Ramzi Yassa, Hugh Tinney, David Alllen Wehr, Serguei Yerochin, Eldar Neblosin, Yung Wook Yoo, Boris Giltburg, Alberto Nosé y Herbert Schuch, in international venues, and has felt great sorrow after the sudden death in a plane crash of Marc Raubenheimer, the extraordinarily sensitive pianist which occurred at the end of a concert tour which was part of the 1982 first prize.

Constant Innovations

The relation of winners encourages young pianists the world over to participate in the Competition but, unfortunately, not all of them may be admitted. Since 1990 an audio-video preselection has been taking place in different cities in Europe and in America as a method to select the 20 pianists who will participate in Santander. Begining in 2008 Edition, the Preselection Jury travels to said cities to attend the trials.

The above has not been the only innovaton. In the XIII edition, in 1998, partial prizes were eliminated in order to achieve a more attractive reward for the three main prizes - the first prize being amongst the top in the world.

It the First Prize and Gold Medal are awarded unanimously the Competition with also grant the winner the Santander Greate Prize distinction.