Santander International Piano Competition Paloma O'Shea Winners Concert

This competition, founded in the year 1972 by Paloma O’Shea, in the beautiful city of Santander, Spain, is actually considered one of the most prestigious and demanding piano competitions.

In Mrs. O’Shea’s own words “The purpose of the competition is the same as it was the first day: to help young pianists from around the world by offering them opportunities in a crucial moment of their lives, when they have concluded their formation and are ready to take their first professional steps in a world that is so thrilling, but so demanding as that of music”.

For more than two decades, Santo Domingo has enjoyed the presence of the winners in concerts with orchestra and recitals.

Year 1982 – Recital

  • Mark Raubenheimer First Grand Prize

Year 1984 – Recital

  • Hugh Tinney First Grand Prize

Winners Galas:

October 5, 1989

  • David Allen Wehr First Prize

May 8, 1991

  • Serghei Yerochin Second Prize

April 5, 1995

  • Eldar Nebolsin First Santander Prize, Gold Medal and Prize to the Best Interpretation of Mozart’s Concerto

November 15, 1995

  • Enrico Pompili Santander Honor Prize, Silver Medal and Prize to the Best Interpretation of Contemporary Music

September 8, 1999

  • Yung Wook Yoo Santander Grand Prize and Gold Medal
  • Jonn Hwa Park Second Prize and Silver Medal – Public’s Prize
  • Plamena Mangova Third Prize and Bronze Medal

October 1, 2003

  • Boris Giltburg Second Prize, Silver Medal and Public’s Prize
  • Ning An Third Prize and Bronze Medal
  • Soyeon Lee Third Prize and Bronze Medal

October 5, 2007

  • Alberto Nosé First Prize, Gold Medal and Public’s Prize
  • Herbert Schuch Second Prize and Silver Medal

Other winners presented:

  • Claudio Martinez Mehner Finalist Prize, Special Prize to the best qualified Spanish competitor and Scholarship-prize in memory of Soledad Diaz de Bustamante y Quijano
  • Xu Zhong Second Prize
  • Miguel Ituarte Zarraga Finalist Prize

Galería