Parkening International Guitar Competition Announces Judges for 2019 Competition

The judges for the fifth quadrennial Parkening International Guitar Competition, to be presented by Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, from Tuesday, May 28, to Saturday, June 1, 2019, have been announced.

Representing different areas of the classical music world, the five judges are Mia Bongiovanni, Assistant General Manager of Media and Presentations for the Metropolitan Opera; Charlotte Lee, President and Founder of Primo Artists; Pablo Sáinz Villegas, classical guitar virtuoso and winner of the 2006 Parkening International Guitar Competition; Steve Schoen, former Vice President of Sony Music Masterworks and Sony/BMG; and David Thomas, recording producer.

The competition, which debuted in 2006, offers the largest prize purse of any classical guitar competition in the world, with competitors vying for cash awards in excess of US$65,000. After three days of intense public performances, the winner of the Parkening International Guitar Competition receives a gold medal, the Jack Marshall Prize of US$30,000, and the most prestigious title in classical guitar.

The panel will judge 15 competitors, three of whom will advance to the final round to perform a concerto before a live audience with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra. The gold, silver, and bronze medalists will be announced at the conclusion of the final round.

"One of the things that makes the Parkening International Guitar Competition extraordinary is the quality of our judging panel. We are thrilled to bring these five prestigious individuals to Pepperdine to serve as our esteemed judges during the 2019 competition. We know their diverse backgrounds and unique skills will help ensure that the winner has both strong technical skill and beautiful artistic expression," said Rebecca Carson, Executive Director of the Parkening International Guitar Competition.

The Parkening Competition honors the distinguished career of the classical guitarist Christopher Parkening and his lifetime commitment to fostering musical excellence in young artists as demonstrated by his mentor, the great Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia. Parkening is celebrated as one of the world's preeminent virtuosos of the classical guitar and serves as Distinguished Professor of Music at Pepperdine University. A two-time Grammy nominee and a featured soloist in some of the finest orchestras in the country, his concerts and recordings have received the highest worldwide acclaim, captivating audiences around the world, from New York to Tokyo.

"The creation of this competition was one of my life-long dreams," says Parkening, who is the Artistic Director of the Competition. "It champions and rewards the traditions of musical excellence, and fulfills my vision for a world-class guitar competition equal to the great piano and violin competitions."

In addition to the Parkening International Guitar Competition, on Tuesday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 29, 2019, the Parkening Young Guitarist Competition will be held at Pepperdine. This two-day event will help to identify outstanding young guitarists and encourage them to continue their performance careers and studies.

The 2019 Parkening Competition is made possible by a generous grant from Howard and Roberta Ahmanson, as well as Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy.

Applications, more information about competition requirements and judging, and the competition schedule are available at: arts.pepperdine.edu/parkening.