International Piano Competition "Premio Jaén"

Notes on the CD featuring the commissioned required works (1993-2002), published by the Provincial Council of Jaén in 2003


The inclusion of a required piece, renewed annually through a commission to a Spanish composer, speaks volumes about the spirit that animates a competition like the "Premio Jaén" piano contest. Its international stature, consolidated over a long and brilliant trajectory, has been further enriched in the past ten years by the support it offers to contemporary Spanish music through this initiative.
By definition, a new work is only truly "new" if its dissemination secures -or fails to secure- it a place in the repertoire. In this sense, we encounter the paradox that there are "new" works composed decades, if not hundreds of years ago, as well as recent works that have already become classics.
The unpredictability of the creation-dissemination-consolidation chain is a constant throughout all eras. However, in the current period, this is particularly pronounced due to the addition of the "complexity" link between the creation and dissemination of newly composed works.
To mitigate this challenge, certain initiatives have emerged. These include efforts by composers themselves, many of whom have recently sought to "soften" their language to make it more accessible to the average music enthusiast. Institutional initiatives have also played a role: the creation, twenty years ago, of the Center for the Dissemination of Contemporary Music in Spain -whose name is more a declaration of intent than the title of an administrative unit- is one such example. Another is the inclusion of a specially commissioned required work in a performance competition like the "Premio Jaén" piano contest, whose international reach ensures the rest.
Personally, I consider myself very fortunate to have received one of the competition's annual commissions (for the 2002 edition, for which I composed my "Homenaje a Isaac Albéniz"). As a result, this piece has enjoyed far greater success in a very short time than any of my previous works. It has been carefully prepared and performed by numerous contestants from around the world, all of them of an exceptionally high caliber. Some of these musicians have even chosen to include it in their repertoire.
What more could a composer ask for?