The SGAE Foundation has announced that Catalan composer Benet Casablancas will be the recipient of the 20th Tomás Luis de Victoria Ibero-American Music Award. The ceremony will take place on May 26 at a tribute concert in Madrid, where Casablancas will receive the award, endowed with 20,000 euros, from the hands of the president of SGAE, Antonio Onetti.
The digital score and the legacy of a contemporary composer 🎼
Casablancas, known for his orchestral and chamber music, has integrated digital tools into the notation and dissemination of his compositions. His catalog, available on digital score platforms, allows more agile access for performers and musicologists. This technological approach, combined with techniques of serialism and microtonality, places his work at a meeting point between classical tradition and current music editing resources.
An award with 20,000 reasons not to leave the guitar in the closet 🎸
The award, which includes a generous purse of 20,000 euros, will surely help Casablancas buy a couple of new strings or, perhaps, pay for the heating in his studio. Meanwhile, Ibero-American musicians will continue to hope that the Tomás Luis de Victoria does not become the award that only sounds once a year, like the typical Christmas carol. May the money not distract from the true art, but it doesn't hurt either.