- Clarinetists from the London Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, and Berlin’s Staatskapelle will gather from August 2 to 9 in Deza’s capital.
- The festival’s Academy surpasses one hundred registrations with over 400 hours of teaching, recording the highest number of students in its history.
- Students come from all over Spain, as well as countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Uruguay, Canada, and the United States.
Lalín, June 18, 2026 – The Galicia Clarinet Fest consolidates its international projection in its 7th edition, which will be held from August 2 to 9 in Lalín. This year, the festival not only reaffirms its position as a pedagogical benchmark in Europe but also increases its roster to 18 world-renowned instructors, placing Lalín at the global epicenter of the clarinet during the first week of August.
This edition of the Galicia Clarinet Fest registered the highest number of registrations in its history, with a total of 125 participants from diverse origins such as the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, and Uruguay, in addition to students from all over Spain.
The total number of classes and hours to be taught at the Academy will be approximately 400 hours, including individual classes, group classes for auxiliary instruments (bass and E-flat clarinet), and orchestral repertoire.
TEACHING
The excellence of the faculty teaching at the Galicia Clarinet Fest Academy is the hallmark of this edition. Among the Masters, with more than ten nationalities in the teaching team, who will lead the masterclasses and concerts, are prominent names leading today’s global scene, soloists from the most important classical orchestras, and professors at international conservatories, schools, and universities.
Accompanied by pianists with recognized international careers, this group of masters will place Galicia in the spotlight of the international musical community.
The artistic direction of the festival is led by Lalín native Xocas Meijide, professor of clarinet and bass clarinet at the University of Minho, bass clarinet soloist of the A Coruña Municipal Band, and Backun brand ambassador.
The most prominent participating faculty include:
José Franch-Ballester is considered one of the best classical soloists of his generation, awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant and professor at the University of British Columbia (Canada). Portuguese Sérgio Pires is principal clarinet of the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra and soloist at Musikkollegium Winterthur. Arno Peters is a soloist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam and a lecturer at the Conservatorium Van Amsterdam. Shirley Brill: Winner of the OPUS KLASSIK 2024 Award and professor at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg (Germany). Selin Gürol, with over 120 thousand followers on social media, is principal clarinetist of the Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra. Tibor Reman is a soloist with the Staatskapelle Berlin, one of Europe’s most historic and high-quality ensembles. . José Luis Estellés is an international pedagogical reference, professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln (Germany) and at Musikene. Juan Ferrer is principal clarinetist of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia and Professor at Forum Musikae in Madrid. Luis Cámara is a soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra. Emilio Alonso Espasandín is principal clarinet and E-flat clarinetist of the Orquesta Sinfónica de la RTVE and professor at the Centro Superior de Música Katarina Gurska in Madrid. David Griffiths is professor of clarinet at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne. Manuel Martínez is principal clarinetist of the Barcelona Municipal Band and a member of Barcelona Clarinet Players. Wolfgang Puntas is a professor at the Seville Municipal Band, ROSS, and Musikex. Gaetano Falzarano is a tenured professor of clarinet at the G. Martucci Conservatory in Salerno and artistic director of the SAMNIUM International Clarinet Competition. Michelle Anderson is a professor at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver (Canada) and founder of Clarinet Mentors. Deborah Andrus is a professor of clarinet at Lehigh University and Kutztown University (Pennsylvania). Completing this teaching team are pianists Alicia González Permuy and Damián Hernández, piano accompanists and international soloists.
IV International Galicia Clarinet Fest Competition
Within the framework of the Galicia Clarinet Fest, the IV International Galicia Clarinet Fest Competition will be held on August 8, an event aimed at promoting young talent, fostering interpretive excellence, and offering artistic opportunities to clarinetists of national and international projection.
Among the competition prizes, across three categories and for participants under 35, highlights include the opportunity to perform as soloists in 2027 with the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia at the VIII GCF edition or with the A Coruña Municipal Band, providing a direct bridge to the professional world. More than 10,000 euros in prizes, both cash and in-kind (including gifts or significant discounts on the purchase of clarinets, maintenance, sheet music, etc.), will be distributed among the different categories, in a festival where the generosity of sponsoring brands like Backun, Yamaha, Buffet-Crampon, Vima Instruments, Vandoren, etc., makes the IV edition very attractive for participating musicians.
The jury will be composed of invited faculty and recognized musical personalities associated with the festival.
The festival is supported by the Xunta de Galicia through the Galicia Tourism Agency, within the framework of the Xacobeo Concerts.
