The prestigious international classical music competition Goldene Note, one of the most important music competitions in Austria, was held in Spain for the first time in its history on February 22, thanks to the collaboration between the City Council of Valga and the Centro Superior de Música de Galicia (CSM Galicia).
Founded in 2017, the Goldene Note has established itself in recent years as one of the most followed competitions in Austria, with a notable impact in countries such as Germany. In its broadcasts, the contest reaches an audience of around 2 million viewers, an outstanding figure for a country with a population of 8 million.
Goldene Note’ premieres on the Peninsula
This was the first time that the Goldene Note was held in Spain. The mayor of Valga, José María Bello Maneiro, expressed his enthusiasm for the arrival of this high-level event in Santiago: “It is an honor for us to be able to host this prestigious event”.
The event has fulfilled its promise of enriching the Galician cultural scene, offering a day of high artistic level with the performances of five young talents, all of them under 18 years old, winners of the different editions of the competition. Amelie Jade Knapp (harpist), Mira Hanner (oboist) and Paul Herbst (pianist) competed in the last edition and Soley Blümel (pianist) and Raphaël Bleuse (violinist) were winners in previous editions.
These five outstanding musicians were accompanied by a symphony orchestra formed specifically for the occasion, composed mainly of Galician musicians, some of whom are members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Galicia. The gala was presented by Leona König, a well-known Austrian television star and founder of the International Music Association for Children with High Abilities.
The final gala of the contest, recorded on May 21, was attended by José María Bello Maneiro, mayor of Valga; Carmen Gómez Pardal, second deputy mayor; Simón Ibáñez, director of CSM Galicia and M.ª Jesús Rey Gens, manager of CSM Galicia. It was at that moment when it was announced that one of the prizes for the winners would be a scholarship for a year of training at CSM Galicia.
