The International Guitar Makers Contest - Antonio Marín, which began in 2017, has consolidated its fame and this year features participation from luthiers from Germany, Mexico, England, Brazil, France, Turkey, China, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Italy, and Spain. A total of twenty-seven guitar makers are competing in the classical guitar (eighteen participants) and flamenco guitar (nine participants) categories.
The instruments undergo a rigorous analysis that includes a personal interview with the jury, composed of renowned international experts such as José Marín Plazuelo, Yuris Zeltins, David Collett, and María Esther Guzmán, among others. More than twenty parameters are evaluated, with special attention to sound, playability, quality of materials, tonal power, and aesthetic finishes.
The guitars that have successfully passed the previous stages will be played by two masters at the Auditorium of the Caja Rural Foundation on Saturday, August 1st (8 PM).
The final stage, taking place at the Caja Rural Foundation Auditorium on Saturday, August 1st, at 8:00 PM, will allow the public to participate in the event. The finalist guitars will be performed by masters Paco Serrano (flamenco) and María Esther Guzmán (classical). Entry is free until the venue is full.
Following the jury's deliberation and the award ceremony, the winning guitars will be played again. The contest not only rewards excellence in guitar making but also fosters connections among luthiers and solidifies Granada as a global benchmark in instrument manufacturing.
