Marlon Titre is the winner of the 38th Pittaluga competition

He comes from the Dutch Antilles, is 23 years old and lives in the Hague, where he studied guitar and composition, graduating in 2004. Marlon Titre is the winner of the thirty-eighth edition of the “Pittaluga” .
The numbers: 64 registered participants, 43 in the qualifying rounds, 9 got through to the semi-finals, and 3 to the final: Andras Csaki, Hungary, 24 years old, Marlon Titre, Holland, 23 years old, Anabel Montesinos, Spain, 21 years old.
The nine semifinalists were Laura Klemke from Germany, Marlon Titre from Holland, Sebastian Montes from Chile, Vojin Kocic from Serbia, Jan Skryhan from Belarus, Christian Fergo from Denmark, Andras Csaki from Hungary, Anabel Montesinos from Spain and Jan Depreter from Belgium.
The most important Italian guitar event for 2005 concluded on Friday 30 September in a packed Teatro Comunale, in Alessandria: the 38th “Michele Pittaluga” international classical guitar competition, City of Alessandria award.
This year’s grand final included “Concerto in Re op.99” by Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco and “Fantasia para un Gentilhombre” by Joaquin Rodrigo, both for guitar and orchestra. The Philharmonic Orchestra of the “A.Vivaldi” Conservatorium, the new orchestral formation made up of professors and students from the conservatorium, for the first time invited to accompany the finalists, performed the task assigned to it with honour, and its conductor, Paolo Ferrara once again established himself as the strength of the spectacular grand final of the Competition.
The European premier of “Concierto Festivo” by Ernesto Cordero opened the show (the sneak preview took place last Monday at the Conservatorium, editor’s note) and was played by Eduardo Fernandez (both composer and performer were members of the jury) to the great appreciation of audience and critics alike. Following that were performances by Andras Csaki (Castenuovo-Tedesco), Marlon Titre (Rodrigo), Anabel Montesinos (Castelnuovo Tedesco).
While the jury met to make their final decision and draw up the results, past winners of the competition present in the Theatre took the stage: the French Chiche, the Spanish Sanchez Bernier, the Italians Micheli, Del Sal, Sala, Saggese, the Cuban Tamayo, the Montenegrin Krivokapic. And there was no lack of emotion as each of them talked about how their lives had changed after the victory in Alessandria, attributing the real turning point in their professional career to the Competition.
They all confirmed the effectiveness of the Competition formula with a cash prize and a long series of concerts for all three finalists and they also dwelt on the friendships formed and consolidated with Alessandria and the Friends of the Pittaluga.
After the presentation of the members of the jury, presided over by the Canadian Eli Kassner (Ernesto Cordero from Puerto Rico, Eduardo Fernandez from Uruguay, Omar Cyrulnik from Argentina, Ichiro Suzuki from Japan, Danielle Ribouillault from France, Micaela Pittaluga and Oscar Ghiglia from Italy), the three finalists were called up for the prize-giving with the following results: Titre received 8500 euro, Csaki 4500, and Montesinos 2500 together with the Blardone award of 2000 euro for the youngest finalist.
The Belgian Jan De Preter won the Rotary award and the German Laura Klemke the Soroptimist award; the young Serb (15 years old) Vojin Kocic received the Isabella Boveri Pittaluga scholarship to participate in the summer courses held by the Chigiana Academy in Siena.
At the end of the evening, the programme for 2006 was presented (already published and available to those present) and it was confirmed that the now upcoming edition of the fortieth edition will be full of lots of interesting news. So “arrivederci” until next year, from 25 to 29 September…..

The Competition benefits from the Patronage of the President of the Republic and the Ministry for Education, University and Research (MIUR). It has been a member of WFIMC (World federation of international Music Competitions) since 1981. Official sponsors of the Competition include the Ministry for Culture and the Ministry for Education, University and Research, the Piedmont Region, the Province and City Council of Alessandria, the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio of Alessandria, and in more recent years Compagnia di San Paolo, the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio of Turin, and local organisations, associations and companies.