The "Michele Pittaluga" International Classical Guitar Competition is an annual music competition for young classical guitarists

Classical guitarists

-Baroque :*Antoine Carré*Francesco Corbetta *Giovanni Battista Granata*Francisco Guerau*Girolamo Montesardo*Alonso Mudarra *Santiago de Murcia *Gaspar Sanz...

 held in Alessandria

Alessandria

-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. It was founded in 1968 and has earned an international reputation, entering membership of the World Federation of International Music Competitions

World Federation of International Music Competitions

The World Federation of International Music Competitions is an organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that maintains a network of the internationally recognized organisations that aim to discover the most promising young talents in classical music through public competition...

 in 1981.

Founder

The competition was started in 1968 by Dr Michele Pittaluga (b. Jan 1915 - d. June 1995) as the "City of Alessandria Prize", to mark the 800th anniversary of the city. It gained early support from Andrés Segovia

Andrés Segovia

Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquis of Salobreña , known as Andrés Segovia, was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Jaén, Andalucia, Spain...

 and Alirio Diaz

Alirio Diaz

Alirio Díaz is a Venezuelan classical guitarist.The eighth of eleven children, Díaz was born in Caserio La Candelaria, a small village near Carora in western Venezuela. From childhood he showed a great interest in music. At age 16 he ran away from home to Carora, where he sought better schooling...

.

Winners

Past prizewinners include:

• Irina Kulikova
  Irina Kulikova (classical guitarist)
  -Biography:Irina Kulikova was born in Chelyabinsk, the capital of South-Ural, Russia. Under the guidance of her mother – cellist Vinera Kulikova – she started developing her musicianship from the earliest age. At twelve, she was already travelling around Russia and abroad for gala-concerts and...
  
  , 2008
• Flavio Sala
  Flavio Sala
  -Biography:After studying under the guidance of Pasqualino Garzia and obtaining his degree in classical guitar with an honorable mention in 2002, he studied with Oscar Ghiglia at the ' Academy Chigiana of Siena and at the ' Accademia Musicale in Florence....
  
  , 2003
• Marcin Dylla
  Marcin Dylla
  Marcin Dylla is a Polish classical guitarist. He was born on June 6, 1976 in Chorzów. Between 1995 - 2000 he studied at the State Academy of Music in Katowice with Wanda Palacz. He continued his education abroad in the Musical Academy in Basel, Switzerland with Ocar Ghiglia, at the Musical Academy...
  
  , 2001
• Goran Krivokapić
  Goran Krivokapic
  Goran Krivokapić is a Montenegrin classical guitarist.-Biography:Krivokapić started his music education at the age of eight through Mićo Poznanović at the Music School of Herceg-Novi...
  
  , 2000
• Filomena Moretti
  Filomena Moretti
  The Italian guitarist Filomena Moretti, born in Sassari in 1973, graduated from the Sassari Conservatoire and was awarded the first prize. She continued her studies with Ruggero Chiesa and won several international competitions: 1985-1987 Premier Prix and « Mention Spéciale » at the Competition...
  
  , 1995
• Kazuhito Yamashita
  Kazuhito Yamashita
  is a Japanese classical guitarist. His technique and expression are considered somewhat controversial.-Musical career:Yamashita began to study the guitar at the age of eight with his father, Toru Yamashita. In 1972, aged eleven, he won the Kyushu Guitar Competition. Four years later, he was awarded...
  
  , 1977

See also

• List of classical music competitions
• International classical guitar competitions
  International classical guitar competitions
  Although competitions are not the only way to establish oneself as a talented musician, they can serve various beneficial purposes. Namely, they allow young artists to promote themselves and gain exposure. Furthermore, they increase public awareness of the arts and the Classical Guitar itself...