Pepperdine University Names Parkening International Guitar Competition Judges

MALIBU, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The judges for the second triennial Parkening International Guitar Competition, to be presented by Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, from Thursday, May 28, to Saturday, May 30, 2009, have been announced.

“We feel that, for a competition of this magnitude, it is important to assemble a distinguished panel of judges representing the highest levels of achievement in their respective fields”

Representing different areas of the classical music world, the five judges are 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. The judges’ detailed biographies are available at the official Parkening International Guitar Competition Web site.

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. The gold medalist wins the Stotsenberg Prize of US$30,000.

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 Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. The gold, silver, and bronze medalists will be announced at the conclusion of the final round.

The Parkening International Guitar Competition honors classical guitarist Christopher Parkening’s lifetime commitment to fostering musical excellence in young artists as demonstrated by his mentor, the great Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia. Parkening serves as Distinguished Professor of Music at Pepperdine.

"We feel that, for a competition of this magnitude, it is important to assemble a distinguished panel of judges representing the highest levels of achievement in their respective fields," said Parkening. "I know that they will be looking for a standard of excellence from the finalists which will have the winner well prepared for a successful career."

In addition to the Parkening International Guitar Competition, on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 26 and 27, 2009, 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.

Pablo Sáinz Villegas, the gold medalist of the 2006 Parkening International Guitar Competition, has emerged as one of the world's leading classical guitarists.

The 2009 Parkening International Guitar Competition is made possible by generous grants from Howard and Roberta Ahmanson and the Del Arroz Family.

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