The 71st International Habaneras and Polyphony Choral Competition of Torrevieja has been presented.

The Mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón, along with the Councilor for Culture, Antonio Quesada, presented this morning the 71st International Habaneras and Polyphony Choral Competition, which will be held from July 20 to 26 at the Municipal Theater. This is the most important cultural event in Torrevieja, and will bring together nearly 700 choir members.

A total of 17 groups will take to the stage at the Teatro to offer their best music and choral performances. Nine of these groups will enter the competitive phase, coming from countries in Europe, America, and Asia.

The presenter of this upcoming edition of the competition will be journalist Ana Belén Roy . She holds degrees in journalism, political science, and sociology. She has worked as a weather presenter for RTVE, director and presenter of the program "El Arca de Noé" on RNE's Radio 5 Todo Noticias, and presenter of the program "Crónicas" on TVE's Channel 2. She currently works as a presenter for the 24h News Service of RTVE.

Her experience in presenting events such as the National Antenas de Oro Awards from the Federation of Radio and Television Associations of Spain, the National Fashion Awards, the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, and the International Short Film Festival "Almería en corto," among others, is notable.

TORREVIEJA IS LIKE THIS , A MUST-SEE OF THE 71ST EDITION

As usual and in accordance with the rules of the Competition, the first work performed by each of the participating choirs will be the obligatory piece entitled "Torrevieja es así" (Torrevieja is like this) , by composer Mario Bustillo with lyrics by Mari Paz Andréu. Both of them left us just over a year ago, and the Habaneras Board of Trustees, together with the technical committee, decided in their memory that the obligatory piece should be by these two individuals linked to the Habaneras Competition and our city.

SCREEN ON THE VISTA ALEGRE PROMENADE

As in previous years, a screen will be installed on the Paseo Vista Alegre to allow free live viewing of all the competition's galas. Each gala will also be broadcast live via streaming, and local television channel TVT will be able to follow each one live.

It's worth noting that the Valencian regional television channel À Punt will also broadcast the competition's final choral gala live on Saturday, July 26, thanks to a collaboration agreement to be signed in the coming days between the Municipal Board of Trustees and the channel.

As has been the case for over 40 years, RTVE will broadcast a special summary of the competition on its national and international channels. We are awaiting confirmation of the date and time.

PROGRAMMING

FIRST EVENING (SUNDAY, JULY 20)

The Habanera Competition will be opened by the Torrevieja Musical Union, under the direction of Carlos Ramón and local singers Conchita Pérez and Alberto Ballesta, who will provide vocals for the rendition of the Anthem of Torrevieja and the Valencian Community. The evening will continue with a performance by singer Sole Jiménez.

Known for being part of the group Presuntos Implicados, where she developed a large part of her artistic career as a singer, songwriter and composer, Sole Jiménez will present a selection of her most popular songs and her latest solo works where she delves deeper into her performing side, approaching the most Latin rhythms such as Bolero, Son, Chacarera, Habanera, etc.

SECOND EVENING (MONDAY, JULY 21)

Monday will be a night with a local flavor, where local choirs will perform, starting with the MAESTRO RICARDO LAFUENTE CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA, the JOSÉ HÓDAR CHORAL MASS, the TORREVIEJA ORPHEON, the MANUEL BARBERÁ CHOIR, and the CASANOVAS CHOIR, and ending with the FRANCISCO VALLEJOS CHOIR.

THIRD EVENING (TUESDAY, JULY 22)

CHORAL GALA

We will be fortunate to enjoy a special evening, where the Symphony Choir of the Municipal Choral School , winner of the award for the best performance of a work by a living European composer at the Cork Choral Festival (Ireland) will present a selection of the best works from their repertoire. With this performance, the Habaneras Trust wishes to show its recognition to our school, which has won numerous awards both at home and abroad.

Furthermore, the Madrid Deep Voice Choir , celebrating its 30th anniversary, will be coming to Torrevieja to offer us its music outside of competition. One of the best choirs in our country, it has been associated with the Habaneras Competition since its inception, where it has won top awards.

COMPETITION PHASE

FOURTH EVENING (WEDNESDAY, JULY 23)

• VOSKRESINNIA (IVANO FRANKVISK – Ukraine)
• VOCI DEL MARE CHAMBER CHOIR (CARTAGENA – Colombia)
• GUANGZHOU TALENT CHOIR BEIJING (BEIJING – China)

FIFTH EVENING (THURSDAY, JULY 24)

• ZEBTYSQUA DARK VOICES (BOGOTÁ - Colombia)
• GIOIA DA CAMERA (COLOMBIA)
• AGADOS SINGERS (SEOUL – South Korea)

SIXTH EVENING (FRIDAY, JULY 25)

• CORAL ALEGRIA (MADRID – Spain)
• BALTA CHOIR (RIGA – Latvia)
• FRANCE ACADEMIC CHOIR PESEREN KRANJ (SLOVENIA)  

GRAND CHORAL GALA (SATURDAY, JULY 26)

At the closing gala, we will feature a first performance by the choirs selected by the jury. The jury will then announce the decision and award the prizes, concluding with the traditional shared singing of the required piece.

JURY MEMBERS

The jury that will be responsible for evaluating the performances of the participating choirs will be composed of:

• Bernadet Kühne

Bernadet Kühne was born in Molina de Segura (Murcia). She has been a member of the Kodály Choir since its founding and, for ten years, the director of the Amigos de la Música de Cieza choir and various children's and youth choirs. Since 1997, she has directed the "Xolo" Voces Blancas choir, with which she has won several national and international awards. She combines choral conducting with composition, having won first prize in the Sestao Totana and Amadeus composition competitions.

• David Colado

David Colado Coronas graduated from the Conservatorio Superior de Música del Principado de Asturias , specializing in trombone and tuba. He also completed the Postgraduate Expert Program in Analysis of Musical Performance, specializing in Orchestral Conducting, at the University of Oviedo . He is currently the principal conductor of the Oviedo Municipal Band and the Asturias Youth Symphonic Band .

• Julia Foruria

Graduate in Musical Language and Piano.

Director of the “Julia Foruria” Professional Grade Conservatory of Gernika-Lumo.

Founder of the Gaudeamus Korala Children's Choir in 1994, which later became a Youth Group.

Choir that has won more than 25 awards in national and international competitions.

In 2016, he received the Olympic Prize in Polyphony at the World Choir Games in Sochi.

As the group's leader, he has made five recordings and toured extensively throughout Europe and Asia. He has collaborated with leading soloists, orchestras, conductors, and ensembles.

In 2015 he received the special award for best conducting at the Torrevieja Habaneras and Polyphony Competition.

She currently teaches choral singing and music theory and is in demand as a judge in national competitions such as the International World Choir Games.

• Josep Vila

Since 1995 he has been artistic director of the Societat Coral Amics de la Unió , a prestigious institution where he directs VEUS – Cor Infantil Amics de la Unió and the Cor de Cambra de Granollers .

His influence transcends the borders of Catalonia, with international tours in Europe, China, the United States, Taiwan, and Japan. He is regularly invited as a conductor at choral singing workshops and festivals around the world, including events such as Europa Cantat and workshops at the Philharmonie de Luxembourg .

In addition to his choral work, Josep Vila i Jover has conducted prominent orchestras such as the Granollers Chamber Orchestra , the Terrassa 48 Orchestra and the Gran Teatre del Liceu Orchestra .

• Javier Corcuera

He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Singing and a Master's Degree in Choir Director from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Royal School of Music, earning the highest honors.

He is currently the Principal Conductor of the Choir of the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Artistic and Principal Director of the Spanish Philharmonic Orchestra.

He was Principal Conductor of the RTVE Choir between 2015 and 2018, with whom he performed numerous choral concerts and prepared symphonic repertoires. This gave him solid experience in all types of repertoire, from early music to more contemporary styles. He has undertaken two notable concert tours in Rome and Vatican City, and in June 2018, he assisted Maestro Mena in the recording of Falla's La Vida Breve with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the RTVE Choir.

Widely recognized for his skills in vocal technique and performance, as well as his outstanding professionalism, he is regularly in demand, in addition to his permanent positions, for choral preparation for groups from all over Spain or for participatory concerts.

He is also frequently requested to teach choral conducting classes.

In addition to the RTVE Choir and Orchestra, he has conducted the Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra, the Spanish National Choir, the Granada Baroque Orchestra, La Spagna, the Madrid Metropolitan Orchestra, the Youth Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid, the Spanish Chamber Orchestra, the Verum Symphony Orchestra, the Andalusian Youth Baroque Orchestra, and the Santa Cecilia Classical Orchestra, groups that have benefited from his precise and delicate direction, in perfectly nuanced performances.

AWARDS

In this 71st edition the prizes are as follows:

Habaneras Modality:

• First Prize (Ricardo Lafuente), worth 12,000 euros and a trophy.

• Second Prize (Francisco Vallejos), worth 5,000 euros and a trophy.

• Third Prize (Francisco Grau), worth 2,500 euros and a trophy.

• Fourth Prize, with a prize of 1,000 euros and a trophy.

Polyphony Modality:

• First Prize (Juan Aparicio), worth 10,000 euros and a trophy.

• Second Prize (Cesar Cánovas) with 4,000 euros and a trophy.

• Third Prize, worth 2,000 euros and a trophy.

• Fourth Prize, with a prize of 1,000 euros and a trophy.

José Hódar Talavera Award for Best Direction, awarded with a trophy and the direction of the joint singing of the habanera obligatorio at the awards ceremony.

Audience Award, worth 2,000 euros and a trophy for the choir that receives the most votes from the Contest's season ticket holders. Voters will receive their voting card along with their season ticket and will rate their favorite choir once the competition round is over.

Alicante Provincial Council Award – 10,000 euros and a trophy for the choir that achieves the highest overall score in the habaneras and polyphony categories in the final phase of the Competition.

Gold Diploma, awarded to the 8 choirs with the best overall scores in both categories.

Ticket and season ticket sales

Tickets are now on sale through the website www.entradasatualcance.com and at the theater box office. Season tickets are available from today, July 1st, through July 16th.

The prices are:

• €50 general subscription
• 25 € pension subscription
• €15 general admission on July 20, 2025
• €7.50 for retirees on July 20, 2025
• €8 general admission from July 21 to 26, 2025
• €4 for senior citizens from July 21 to 26, 2025

Box office hours:

TUESDAY TO SATURDAY: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. / 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

• During the Habaneras Competition, the box office will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. / 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

PARALLEL ACTIVITIES

Just like last year, we will enjoy various parallel activities throughout the week of the Contest:

JULY 21, MONDAY (pedestrian streets). Children play with habaneras. Coordinated by Amparo Cos.

JULY 23, WEDNESDAY (pedestrian streets) 8:30 PM: The Conservatory in Habaneras.

JULY 24, THURSDAY (pedestrian streets) 8:30 p.m.: Singing recital by the deep voice group Alma Salinera .

JULY 24, THURSDAY (Parish of Our Lady of the Rosary, La Mata) 8:30 p.m.: Choral exhibition by the Voci del Mare Choir of Cartagena (Colombia).

JULY 25, FRIDAY (pedestrian streets) 8:30 p.m.: Concert by the “Cecilio Gallego” Plucked String Orchestra together with students from the Pulso y Púa municipal school.

July 25, Friday (Ambigu Municipal Theater): 12:00 p.m. Lecture by Armando Bernabéu, entitled Mari Paz Andréu. A life linked to the competition.

JULY 26, SATURDAY (Sacred Heart Parish) 9:00 PM: Choral exhibition by the Voskresinia Choir of Ivano Frankvisk (Ukraine).

JULY 26, SATURDAY (pedestrian streets): 8:30 PM. Dance for a Competition . By the MERY Dance Academy.

26 JULY, SATURDAY (Municipal Theatre) 11:00 a.m.: MORNING LECTURE by the directors of the choirs participating in the competition. 12:30 p.m. OFFICIAL MAYOR'S RECEPTION.

30th HABANERA NIGHT AT PLAYA DEL CURA

After 30 years, on Saturday, July 5th, at 10:30 pm, we'll once again celebrate the most authentic and popular gathering: Havana Night at Playa del Cura. A moment to listen to good music on the beach while enjoying a delicious meal. This time, we'll feature performances by:

· ALMA SALINERA LOW VOICES CHOIR. A local group made up of singers from different backgrounds who come together to sing the most traditional habaneras.

· GRUPO CAREY. A group that boldly presents different rhythms fused with traditional habaneras, collected in their latest work entitled " La Casa Rosa." This project, sponsored by the Habaneras Trust, has been touring numerous national and international venues and features the collaboration of the Francisco Vallejos Choir.