2009 Parkening International Guitar Competition Results

by Staff.

Christopher Parkening and Pepperdine University have announced the winner of the second triennial Parkening International Guitar Competition. Emanuele Buono, 21, of Italy won the prestigious competition through his performance of "Concerto No. 1 in D Major" by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at Pepperdine's Smothers Theatre during the final round on Saturday, May 30. He received the $30,000 Stotsenberg Prize and Gold Medal from benefactor Dorothy Stotsenberg of Malibu, California. "It feels like a dream. I can't believe it," said Buono. When asked about the pressure in the final round, he replied, "I was less tense after the performance because I felt I played very well."

The Parkening International Guitar Competition, which took place from May 28 through May 30, 2009, offers the largest prize purse of any classical guitar competition. The 15 competitors vied for cash awards that totaled $57,000, with second place taking $12,500, third taking $7,500, fourth and fifth taking $1,000 and $500 awarded to each of the remaining participants.

Top five competitors:

The Stotsenberg Prize Gold Medal was awarded to Emanuele Buono.
The Silver Medal was awarded to Ian Watt, 18, of Scotland.
The Bronze Medal was awarded to Juuso Nieminen, 29, of Finland.
The Fourth Prize was awarded to Rafael Aguirre Minarro, 24, of Spain.
The Fifth Prize was awarded to Silviu Ciulei, 23, of Romania.

Other competitors:

Yuri Aleshnikov, 24, of Russia; Michael Bautista, 30, of the United States; Carlo Corrieri, 20, of Italy; Colin Davin, 21, of the United States; Alexei Khorev, 30, of France; Laura Klemke, 28, of Germany; Marco Sartor, 30, of the United States; Andrew Stroud, 28, of the United States; Edward Trybek, 27, of the United States; and Aleksandr Tsiboulski, 29, of Australia.

All of the competitors performed on the first full day of the competition (May 28); five semi-finalists were then selected to proceed to the second day. The competitors performed required and free-choice repertoire and were judged on musicianship, tone, technique, and stage presence and three finalists (Buono, Watt and Nieminen) were selected for the finals (May 30) at which each performed a concerto with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra under the baton of celebrated conductor Alondra de la Parra. The winner was announced after a short deliberation by the judging panel: Nancy Allen, principal harpist with the New York Philharmonic; Manuel Barrueco, world-famous guitar virtuoso; Stephanie L. Challener, publisher of Musical America Worldwide; Thomas Frost, Grammy Award-winning record producer; and Costa Pilavachi, former president of EMI Classics.

Emanuele Buono was born in Turin, Italy, in 1987. In 2005 he graduated with full marks from the "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatory in Milan, where he is currently pursuing a music diploma. He also received a three-year diploma from the "Francisco Tarrega" Academy and has attended the International Master Classes of "Accademia Musicale Chigiana di Siena" every year since 2007. He was awarded first prize at the XXXIII International Guitar Competition in Gargnano, Italy. He was the first Italian winner of the Ruggero Chiesa International Competition in Camogli, Italy, also winning the award for best interpretation of a romantic piece as well as the audience choice award.

Related Links
Pepperdine University Parkening International Guitar Competition
Results from the 2006 Parkening International Guitar Competition

---