One musical highlight each summer here in our part of Spain is the International Guitar Festival and Competition held in the nearby city of Velez-Malaga. Now in its nineteenth season, the week-long Festival features master classes, symposiums, and performances by contestants and instructors. The concerts are free and open to the public. The premiere presentation took place in the inner courtyard of the city's historic Palace of the Marques of Beniel, a building that now serves as a museum, art gallery, concert hall and offices for the government cultural council. The truly international first concert featured guitarists from Germany and Venezuela, with musical selections ranging from pieces by J.S. Bach through those of Giuliani, Albeniz and various South American composers.
The concerts are held in venues throughout the county area. We recentlyattended one in the Cafe Theater in our own village of Triana, Last night, (July 13) we saw an exceptional program at the Carmen Theater in Velez; music mostly by Spanish composers, with an excellent duo, piano and guitar, two brothers from Puente Genil in the Province of Cordoba.We look forward to the conclusion of the festival and the final concert and presentation of awards. I recommend this highly if any of you are ever traveling in Spain this time of year. Forget the summer heat, nothing starts until 9:30 or 10 PM when things have cooled off a bit. After the concert everything is still open for food, drinks, ice cream, what have you. In fact, at that time the Spaniish evening has just begun.
If you would like more information about musical events in Andalusia, including, of course, flamenco, you may contact me, Charles Sutton, through SCBF, or at flamenco{at}cruzio{dot}com
-- Charles Sutton
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