The international piano competition will feature 80 participants.

Campillos/The municipal department of Culture of the City Hall of Campillos is finalizing the preparations for the celebration of the XVIII International Piano Competition in the municipality, a benchmark cultural event that has become, over the years, one of the most prominent competitions held in Spain and, in terms of musical level and performance, is on par with the major international competitions. Notably, Campillos has seen the participation of pianists who have been awarded in some of the world's most prestigious competitions such as Santander, Moscow, Warsaw, or Brussels, among many others.

This eighteenth edition will take place from December 5 to 9 and will feature 80 pianists from around the world. Specifically, 18 countries will be represented in Campillos: Spain, Japan, USA, Italy, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, Germany, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Portugal, and Finland.

The number of participation requests has far exceeded a hundred, and the artistic committee of the competition has selected 80 participants based solely on their pianistic level. This will ensure another year of excellent musical and performance levels in the competition.

The grand final will be held on December 9 at the Church of Santa María del Reposo. Once again, the three pianists with the highest ratings from the jury will perform a piano concerto accompanied by the Málaga Symphony Orchestra, conducted by José Luis López Antón, whose presence in Campillos over the years has contributed to the enhancement and consolidation of the competition. The first phase will take place on December 5, 6, and 7, while the semifinal will occur on December 8.

One of the major new features of this edition is the significant increase in the amount of the prizes, which will total 11,500 euros. The first prize will be endowed with 6,000 euros and several recitals in important venues and festivals in Spain. The second prize will receive 3,000 euros and the third will get 1,500 euros, plus a diploma in all three cases. There will also be an award for the best-ranked Spanish pianist, who will receive a prize of 500 euros and a diploma. Furthermore, as is tradition in this competition, at the end of the final, the Málaga Symphony Orchestra and the attending audience will award their special prizes to their favorite finalists, each endowed with 250 euros.

The jury will once again be composed of internationally renowned piano professionals such as Fabio Bidini (Italy), Alexander Kobrin (USA), Juan Lago (Spain), Niklas Pokki (Finland), Paco Moya (Spain), Graham Scott (United Kingdom), and Chun-Chieh Yen (Taiwan). The artistic direction of the competition continues to be held by Campillos pianist Juan Lago, who has been awarded in competitions such as Valsesia-Musica or A. Scriabin in Italy and Las Rozas or Ferrol in Spain. He has performed and given masterclasses in Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East.

In addition to the Campillos competition, he also directs the piano department of the Valencia International Performance Arts Summer Festival (VIPA) and is the artistic director of the Málaga International Piano Festival (FIPMA). He has been a jury member in competitions in Cantù, A. Scriabin (Grosseto, Italy), or James Mottram (Manchester). He is a piano professor at the José Iturbi Conservatory of Valencia and at the Higher School of Musical Arts in Madrid. His students have been awarded more than 100 times in national and international competitions.