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RULES

• Article 1

The  “XV  CONCURSO INTERNACIONAL DE GUITARRA ALIRIO DÍAZ” (“the Competition”) will be held in Carora, Lara (Venezuela), with alternate promotional and concert venues in Barquisimeto, Lara, from October 24 to 31, 2009. It is organized by the Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Alirio Díaz A.C. (“the Organizer”), with the backing of the Venezuelan Ministry of Culture, through the National Institute of the Performing and Musical Arts (IAEM). The Competition is in honor of maestro ALIRIO DÍAZ, prestigious figure in the world guitar movement and in Venezuela’s musical heritage.

• Article 2

The Competition is intended to promote and bring attention to musical pieces written or adapted to be performed on the guitar from the Venezuelan and world repertoires. Guitarists from any part of the world may participate in the competition,  regardless of race, sex, creed, social status, and/or nationality.

• Article 3

The Competition will have three (3) qualifying rounds, comprised of the following repertoire:

PRELIMINARY QUALIFYING ROUND:

a) Choice of one of the following Lute Suites...... J. S. Bach

1/ Suite No. 1 en E Minor
2/ Suite No. 2 en A Minor (original in C minor)
3/ Suite No. 3 en A Minor (original en G minor)
4/ Suite No. 4 en E Major

Note: Transcription to be chosen by the competitor.

b) One or more musically significant pieces by a Latin American composer ranging from 8  to 12 minutes in length.

c) Free choice piece ranging from 7 to 10 minutes in length.

SEMI-FINAL ROUND:

a) Sonata or Suite Venezolana ....................... Antonio  Lauro

b) Short free recital of approximately 30 minutes, including at least one piece by a Venezuelan composer.

FINAL ROUND:

a) A Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra chosen from:

• Concierto N° 1 by Antonio Lauro
• Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo
• Concierto del Sur by Manuel Ponce

First prize will be US $ 10,000,  or the equivalent in Venezuelan currency;  second prize will be US $ 5,000, or the equivalent in Venezuelan currency; third prize will be US $ 3,000, or the equivalent in Venezuelan currency.  In addition, the three categories will be awarded a medal and diploma.

In the event that one (1) prize is awarded to two (2) contestants, the prize money will be divided in two equal parts.

• Article 4

In order to participate in the Competition contestants must fill out an Entry form, which may be requested from the Organizer or found on the web page.

• Photocopy of a document certifying the contestant’s date and place of birth and nationality.
• Three (3) recent photographs, white background.
• Short biography (maximum one page)
• Photocopy of the certificates awarded by Institutes where musical studies were carried out,  specifying the results obtained and professors’ names. Include at least two letters of recommendation.
• Documents (handbills, posters, reviews) certifying the contestant’s recent musical activity – last three years.
• Complete list of the program pieces the contestant will perform, with the approximate length of each.
• Participants must provide, to the panel of judges, seven (7) photocopies of the score of each piece to be performed, at the time of their participation in the Competition.
• The registration deadline is October 09, 2009.

The Entry Form and/or materials should be sent to the following address:

• Article 5

The Competition’s panel of judges shall be comprised of seven (7) figures of recognized prestige on the Venezuelan and international guitar scene.

The panel of judges may stop a participant’s performance when  deemed appropriate.

Those judges who are close relatives or have served as instructors or professors for a contestant will not take part in the qualifying vote for the contestant.

The panel of judges may declare the Competition prizes vacant if it considers that the participants did not meet minimum creative and performance standards.

• Article 6

The order of participant performance will be established through a drawing to be held October 24, 2009. All contestants must attend the drawing. This responsibility may not be delegated to a third person.

• Article 7

Participants grant authorization for the pieces performed in the Competition to be recorded or broadcast via radio, television, Internet, or any other audiovisual means at the disposition of Web listeners, with no right to seek any type of additional remuneration.

• Article 8

The Award Ceremony will be held May 30, 2009. Winners will participate in the ceremony with no additional remuneration.

During the Preliminary Qualifying and Semi-final Rounds, transportation expenses to and from the Competition venue, as well as the costs of lodging and meals, will be paid by the participants.

Lodging expenses for contestants who qualify for the Final Round will be assumed by the Competition until the morning following their last performance. In the case of the winners, the Competition will pay for their lodging until the day after the final concert and Award Ceremony. Any delay in departure, due to itineraries or other reasons, will be the sole responsibility of the contestant.

At no time and under no circumstances will the Organizer or the Competition reimburse any companion expenses.

Participants who have not arrived at the Competition site by October 23, 2009, will be automatically eliminated.

• Article 9

The Organizer of the Competition will make the final decision on all cases not covered in these rules, and will oversee their successful resolution.

Participation in the Competition implies the express acceptance of all of the rules herein. The rules will be available until the Award Ceremony on the web page: www.aliriodiaz.org

Once the materials acceptance period has begun, the Institute of the Performing and Musical Arts may only modify the rules on duly reasoned grounds and through publication in the national press.

• Article 10

Personal data collected will be kept in the Organizer’s data base.

The Organizer uses security measures to optimally ensure the protection and confidentiality of such data.

• Article 11

Issues not covered by these rules shall be decided by the Directors of the IAEM and Asociación Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Alirio Díaz A.C.