Greeting from Alfred Eickholt, Chairman of the EGTA-D Association

We are delighted to announce that, starting on May 30, 2024, we will once again be able to host our highly significant International Competition for young, top-tier guitar talents in Monheim am Rhein, and this time, it will be held in person. Despite the unique challenges we faced in recent times, we successfully continued this exceptional artistic project online, earning recognition from the entire professional world.

On this occasion, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the City of Monheim am Rhein, our steadfast partner for the fifth consecutive time, for their pivotal role in ensuring the competition's continued growth. We particularly want to thank Mr. Daniel Zimmermann, the Mayor of the city, the members of the cultural committee, and the invaluable collaborative institutions: the Monheimer Kulturwerke and the Monheim Music School.

Our special appreciation also goes out to Torsten Sven Lietz, who generously donated a high-quality master instrument from his workshop, as well as all those who support this competition through their sponsorships, scholarships, participation as jurors, organizational contributions, and active assistance.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants, their parents, and colleagues for their dedicated preparation and support in order to be able to take part in this challenging competition. We wish them success in all their endeavors. Furthermore, we hope that, alongside the competition, they will relish international interactions and exchanges in this city and its surrounding region, fostering friendship, mutual respect, and peace.

We eagerly anticipate the arrival of exceptionally talented young artists from across the globe who play our instrument. We are excited to witness the programs and performances they will showcase to both our jury and the audience.

Yours sincerely
Alfred Eickholt
Head of EGTA D e.V.

Greeting from Daniel Zimmermann, Mayor of Monheim am Rhein

For the fifth consecutive time, in collaboration with the European Guitar Teachers Association, the city is hosting the Andrés Segovia International Youth Competition for young guitar talents in Monheim am Rhein. I am highly pleased about this.

Cultural education for children and young people holds a significant place in our city, particularly in the field of music. All first-graders receive free music lessons, and over half of them continue these lessons from the second grade onwards, learning to play a musical instrument. Monheim am Rhein is perhaps the only city in Germany where every elementary school has its own school orchestra. Additionally, our secondary schools offer orchestra classes, wind instrument classes, and specialized musical classes. Alongside these diverse activities, the promotion of special talents through the city's music schoolremains a critical priority for us. To achieve this, the City Council has implemented a support program that has been operating successfully for almost a decade.

In 2015, when the European Guitar Teachers Association approached us about hosting the competition in Monheim am Rhein, we readily accepted without hesitation. Over the past four competitions, hundreds of young talents have been evaluated by a distinguished jury, both online and in Monheim am Rhein. The level of performance is exceptionally high, providing numerous young listeners in the region with a remarkable chance to be inspired and motivated by the world's finest young guitarists. I am especially delighted that participants from Monheim have already demonstrated their exceptional talent.

Yours sincerely
Daniel Zimmermann
Mayor of Monheim am Rhein

Greeting from Martin Maria Krüger, President of Deutscher Musikrat (German Music Council)

13 can also be a lucky number: after the years of the pandemic and two online competitions, the 13th International Competition for Young Guitarists is once again taking place live in Monheim am Rhein - and thus in a city that has long had a special relationship with music promotion. The Monheim model stands for pioneering music education, its music school building is an architectural emphasis on the cultivation of music in this municipality.

The fact that the Monheim City Council has decided across party lines to continue the Andrés Segovia International Competition for Young Guitarists in the long term deserves great recognition and many thanks.

It is fantastic that 65 young guitarists from 22 countries, including China, Thailand and the USA, will be making their way to Monheim am Rhein for the first resumption of the live competition and facing a hand-picked international jury. This is all possible due to Mayor Daniel Zimmermann, in cooperation with the management of the music school, Jörg Sommerfeld and Georg Thomanek, the Monheimer Kulturwerke under its director Martin Witkowski and his colleague Stefanie Henrichs, and the EGTA-D and its president Prof. Alfred Eickholt.

For the Deutscher Musikrat, as the umbrella organization for musical life in Germany and sponsor of the national competition " Jugend musiziert", it is particularly important that the International Competition for Young Guitarists gives our country's top young guitarists the opportunity to meet talented young musicians from all over the world, to align themselves with international standards and to receive valuable inspiration.

I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the organization and success of this competition and, on behalf of the music-loving people of our country, extend my warmest greetings to you, dear participating guitarists, and wish you every success. I wish you, dear audience, exciting and inspiring days!

Yours
Martin Maria Krüger
President of Deutscher Musikrat