THE FUNDACIÓ CASTELL DE PERALADA PRESENTS THE SECOND EDITION OF THE CARMEN MATEU YOUNG ARTIST EUROPEAN AWARD

THE FUNDACIÓ CASTELL DE PERALADA PRESENTS THE SECOND EDITION OF THE CARMEN MATEU YOUNG ARTIST EUROPEAN AWARD

.- The Fundació Castell de Peralada today announced the second edition of the Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award Opera and Dance with a view to acknowledging and promoting the career of young opera composers. This is a prize created in 2019 to support the creation of emerging artists in the field of dance and opera while striving to preserve the memory and legacy of Carmen Mateu, the patron and alma mater of the Festival Internacional Castell de Peralada.

The Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award is a distinctive multidisciplinary prize awarded each year, alternating between the two chief categories of the festival: dance and opera. The first Festival dedicated to dance, in the speciality of classic or neoclassic ballerina or danseur awarded the prize to the ballerina Maria Khoreva, the first soloist of the Teatre Mariïnski ballet of  Saint Petersburg.

Next year’s edition will award the prize for opera, in the speciality of composition. Entries may be submitted starting today, 27 November, through to 28 February 2021. The winner of the second edition will be announced in spring 2021.

During the presentation, Isabel Suqué Mateu, the president of the Fundació Castell de Peralada, president of the Jury and daughter of Carmen Mateu stated «As heirs to the passion our mother felt for music, opera and dance, and with the approaching 35th edition of the Festival Castell de Peralada to be held next summer, we would like to lend continuity to her firm commitment to excellence with this second edition of the Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award, Opera and Dance.»

Oriol Aguilà, director of the Festival Castell de Peralada and vice-president of the Jury highlighted the spirit of a genuine project clearly dedicated to supporting emerging creators: «since its very beginning, the Festival has never ceased to  support artists who are starting out on their professional career, always committed to innovative productions and special commissions, as the hallmark of the Festival. We dedicated the first edition to dance and are now excited to be able to explore new creative pathways in opera, specifically in composition».

 

An open invitation to young composers of European nationality or who have built their career in one of the member states of the Council of Europe

With this presentation, the second edition of the Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award commences the process open to candidates who are a maximum of 36 years of age on the date their candidature is submitted, having built their career in opera composition, accrediting the premiere of one of their works and who are of European nationality or who reside in Europe. Europe defined as the member states of the Council of Europe.

 

From among the candidatures submitted until 28 February, a committee of experts appointed by the vide-president of the Jury will make an initial selection which will be referred to a Jury comprising the composer and National Music Award winner 2020, Raquel García-Tomás; Joan Matabosch, artistic director of the Teatro Real de Madrid; the musical  director of the  Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona, honorary director of the Orquesta Nacional de España and National Music Award winner 1999, Josep Pons; and the Mexican composer and soprano, winner of the music award of the city of Munich Landeshaupstadt München, Diana Syrse as members specifically appointed in this second edition for the evaluation and resulting deliberations in spring 2021.

The winner will receive 30,000 euros in respect of a commission to compose a pocket opera, a trophy created by the artist Santi Moix and produced by the renowned creative jewellers’ Bagués Masriera, together with the option of mentoring with the composer Alberto García Demestres  and Medal of Honour of the Festival Castell de Peralada, during the creative process of the work.

The opera, which must provide for a number of soloists of between 2 and 5 voices and an instrumental set of between 3 and 7 musicians, in accordance with the organisation of the Festival Castell de Peralada, will be presented at the 2023 edition of the Festival Castell de Peralada and subsequently during the programmes of the Gran Teatre del Liceu de Barcelona and the Teatro Real de Madrid, as co-producers of the work.

The economic element of the award will be distributed as follows: the initial 10,000 euros will be released during the prize giving ceremony; the next 10,000 euros, during the creation of the work commissioned by the Festival Castell de Peralada, at a time to be determined by the Festival and the remaining 10,000 euros at the premiere of this opera at the 37th edition of the Festival Castell de Peralada.

The official presentation of the 2nd edition of the Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award Opera & Dance took place today at the Palau de la Música Catalana. During this event, the  ballerina Maria Khoreva, the winner of the first edition, sent a message expressing her gratitude and commitment to receiving the award next spring at the Castell de Peralada from the president Isabel Suqué. She also sent a variation on the ballet Paquita for all those in attendance.

The Fundació Castell de Peralada has the cooperation of Opera Europa and the European Festivals Association (EFA) in disseminating the prize.

Full details at carmenmateuaward.com