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Opening of nominations for the 3rd Carmen Mateu Artist Award

30.000 euro for a new choreography commission

24/03/2022
Opening of nominations for the 3rd Carmen Mateu Artist Award
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Held by the Castell de Peralada Private Foundation, the competition for the third award is in the category of Dance, in the discipline of contemporary, classical or neo-classical choreography.

  • The winner of the third Award will be announced in the autumn of 2022 and will receive a prize that brings with it €30,000 as a fee for a new choreography commission and a trophy created by artist Santi Moix.
  • Nominations open today, Thursday 24 March, and can be submitted up to 11.59 pm (GMT) on 14 September 2022.
  • Carlos Acosta, Iratxe Ansa, Rafael Bonachela and Cathy Marston are members of the jury of International experts that on 21 November 2022 will announce its decision in favour of the candidate who has proposed the best choreography to be commissioned to create a work to be premiered at the Castell de Peralada Festival 2024.

Barcelona, 24 March 2022

The Castell de Peralada Foundation today announced the opening of nominations for the 3rd Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award, Opera and Dance to recognise the achievements and promote the careers of young choreographers. The prize, inaugurated in 2019 with the aim of supporting creation by emerging artists in the fields of dance and opera, is also intended to perpetuate the memory and preserve the legacy of Carmen Mateu, patron and original guiding spirit of the Castell de Peralada International Festival.

The Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award is a multidisciplinary prize of unique character which is awarded in alternate years in the two principal categories of the Festival, opera and dance. Nominations for the 3rd Award open today, 24 March and remain open until 14 September 2022. This year’s winner will be announced on 21 November 2022.

Isable Suqué Mateu, President of the Castell de Peralada Foundation, President of the Jury for the prizes and daughter of Carmen Mateu, drew attention to the strong reception that the first two competitions enjoyed in Europe, with high levels of participation, “my mother would be deeply happy to see the great level of excellence of the candidates nominated in the first two years. Talented young people were always one of her great weaknesses, and for us as the inheritors of her legacy, to give continuity to her cultural project through the Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award, Opera and Dance is a great satisfaction and a great responsibility.”

Oriol Aguilà, Director of the Castell de Peralada Festival and Vice President of the jury, focused on the spirit of a genuine project linked without question to the support of emerging creators and artists: “the aim of this prize is to promote the careers of young talent in the fields of opera and dance, especially artists at the beginning of their professional careers. This time, the prize is aimed at young choreographers working in classical, neo-classical and contemporary dance. The prize will recognise the excellence of their achievements, but will also consider projects for the future, the artistic significance of their work and their personal choreographic language.”

In its first year, awarded in the field of dance and for the specialism of classical or neo-classical ballet dancer, the prize was awarded to Maria Khoreva, first soloist of the ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre of Saint Petersburg. In the second year, the prize was for opera, specifically composition, and was won by Helena Cànovas.

Nominations have opened for young choreographers in classical, neo-classical and contemporary style, who have European nationality or who have pursued their careers in a member state of the Council of Europe as at the date of their nomination

The 3rd Carmen Mateu Young Artist European Award has today opened nominations for candidates who are no more than 35 years old at the date of their nomination, who have pursued their careers in dance and one of whose choreographies has been performed. Candidates must be of European nationality or resident in Europe; for these purposes, Europe means the member states of the Council of Europe at the time of the nomination.

On the basis of nominations submitted by 14 September a Committee of experts appointed by the Vice President of the Jury will make a preliminary selection which will be passed to a jury that will include choreographer, ballet dancer and Artistic Director of Acosta Dance and Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta; Iratxe Ansa, winner of the 2020 National Dance Prize, ballerina, choreographer and co-founder of Metamorphosis Dance; choreographer and Artistic Director of the Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela; and choreographer, Artistic Director and Clore Cultural Leadership Fellow and Director designate of Ballett Zurich, Cathy Marston, as members specifically nominated on the occasion of the second Award for the evaluation and deliberation to be held on 21 November 2022.

The winner will receive €30,000 as fee for a new choreography commission, a trophy created by artist Santi Moix and made by the prestigious creative jeweller Bagués Masriera, and an artistic residence for the creation of the choreographic piece with the Acosta Dance company.

The choreography, which can be in classical, neo-classical or contemporary style can be seen at the Castell de Peralada Festival 2024 and in subsequent years. The number of dancers and the length of the piece will be agreed with the Festival’s Artistic Director.

The money that goes with the prize will be received as follows: the first €10,000 will be given at the same time as the award of the prize; the next €10,000 in the course of the creation of the choreographic work at a time determined by the Festival, and the final €10,000 on the premiere of the dance piece as part of the 38th Castell de Peralada Festival.

The Castell de Peralada Foundation is working with Opera Europa and the European Festivals Association (EFA) to publicise the prize.

All information at carmenmateuaward.com

 

 

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