Emanuele Buono from Turin, Italy, wins the first place prize of $30,000 at the Parkening International Guitar Competition.
By Melonie Magruder / Special to The Malibu Times
Pepperdine University’s Smothers Theatre was packed to capacity Saturday night for the finals of the second incarnation of the Parkening International Guitar Competition. The contest, pitting some of the best classical guitarists in the world in head-to-head rivalry, had boiled down to three young artists out of 15 finalists from 10 different countries.
Backed by an excellent Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra under the baton of a vibrant Alondra de la Parra, the three competitors brought youthful passion and astounding finger work to their play.
First up was 18-year-old Ian Watt from England who looked positively astonished to find himself in the finals of what is arguably the most prestigious guitar competition in the world. His rendition of one of the required pieces for the competition, JoaquÃn Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez,” was a spirited orchestral collaboration and was met with shouts of audience approval. His follow-up encore, “Träumerei,” by Robert Schumann, displayed a dexterity that would rival the best teenage text messenger.
The second contestant, 21-year-old Emanuele Buono from Turin, Italy, played with the otherworldly air of a cloistered monk while caressing the neck of his Milanese Luthier guitar as he would a lover. Asked why he selected Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Concerto No.1 in D Major as his final presentation, he replied through a translator, “I feel close to this piece because it was written by another Italian artist.”
Last in the line-up was Finnish artist Juuso Nieminen, age 29. He also selected Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” to play, shaking the tension from his hands before he plunged into the lightening-fast fingering of this classic piece.
Though originally composed for classical guitar and orchestra, the distinctly Spanish rhythms of “Concierto de Aranjuez” have been co-opted by a range of musicians, notably trumpeter Miles Davis on his album “Sketches of Spain” and pianist Chick Corea on his “Rendezvous in New York.”
The quiet adagio of the second movement allows a guitarist to coax regret and a sort of heroic heartbreak from the instrument. It has been speculated that this movement was inspired by the 1937 bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. But the allegro gentile third movement demands passionate and intense musicianship with a climactic arpeggio that plumbs every centimeter of sound from the strings.
After the performance, the competitors assembled on stage to be congratulated by competition founder, Christopher Parkening.
“These musicians are the finest classical guitarists of their generation,” Parkening said. “We will be watching their careers for years to come.”
Nieminen received the Bronze Medal, Watt the Silver and Buono hid his face in his hands when he realized he won first place and its $30,000 prize. He had to stoop nearly in half to receive the medal ribbon around his neck from Gold Medal Sponsor Dorothy Stotsenberg. Fourth prize was awarded to Rafael Aguirre Miñarro and the fifth prize was awarded to Silviu Ciulei.
At a reception following the awards ceremony, Watt was beaming. “I am just delighted,” he said. “This has been a fantastic experience.”
Nieminen had the air of a man who had just indulged a badly needed cigarette. “I am so happy to have competed,” he said. “This is the highest level of competition there is for a classical guitarist.”
At the reception, Buono, his guitar case strapped to his back, immediately borrowed a cell phone to call his parents in Italy. “I am beyond myself,” Buono said. “I felt less tense after my performance because I knew I played very well. Now, I can go on holiday.”
The next Parkening Inter-national Guitar Competition will take place in 2012.