About the festival

We are a young festival born in 2019 in the town of Xixona (Alicante), supported by both public and private entities and guided by renowned professionals from the world of music. Held during the last week of July, the festival brings together top-class musicians and trumpet players, along with a large number of students from all over Spain and abroad.

The festival is structured into three main parts. Students and maestros share their time between trumpet lessons, a competition, and free evening concerts in a stunning setting. In addition, FIT Xixona has taken a pioneering step by offering students a physiotherapy masterclass — delivered by one of Spain’s top physiotherapists, Fernando Nicolau Colomina — to help improve and correct posture while playing the trumpet.

Trumpet Course

The faculty selected for this course is undeniably prestigious, both nationally and internationally. The festival features internationally acclaimed soloists and talents who have received recognition on stage, in competitions, and by the critics. Moreover, they all stand out for their pedagogical work and ability to attract students interested in their musical guidance.

What makes this course even more appealing for students is the presence of a professional pianist and accompanist, with experience in higher music education specialising in trumpet. Having a repertory coach involved throughout the lessons (and not only during performances, as is usually the case) is a feature found only in the most prestigious courses. This is an exceptional advantage that is rarely seen in Spanish courses and represents a major boost to the pedagogical quality we aim to offer. Students will work on pieces in a comprehensive way, gaining a full understanding of the repertoire — rather than focusing solely on the soloist’s part.

Trumpet Competitions

This is one of the festival’s most ambitious long-term initiatives, aiming to create a new generation of trumpet players who will carry the name of Xixona around the world. This is already happening: several winners of the competitions held at FIT Xixona have earned important positions in top orchestras such as the National Orchestra of Spain, Gewandhaus Leipzig, or the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Halle, and have also entered prestigious music schools like the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid.

For this reason, the organisation is strongly committed to promoting both competitions — the “Ciudad de Requena Foundation” Competition and the José María Ortí Soriano International Trumpet Competition — as a way to support the careers of young trumpet talents.

Concerts

The concert series is the backbone of FIT Xixona. The festival offers audiences a line-up of performers who have played in some of the most prestigious national and international venues, and whose artistic careers are still on the rise.

This series of concerts, held every evening in one of the most extraordinary concert locations in the province of Alicante — Barranc de la Font — has been met with an enthusiastic public response. The main reason for this success is clear: the exceptional musical quality of the performers. It is one of the key pillars of the festival, where the trumpet is the undisputed star.

objectives

The objectives of the “Ciutat de Xixona” International Trumpet Festival are as follows:

Course Objectives within the Festival:

To offer advanced-level music students a new approach to performance, based on the artistic experience of the teaching staff.
To practise and analyse the main technical aspects of instrumental performance.
To provide students with new study techniques aimed at strengthening their artistic and professional development.
To develop a comprehensive understanding of the score through interpretation alongside piano accompaniment.
To encourage analytical study by focusing on the key elements involved in performance, as a means of achieving greater autonomy.
To explore different interpretative approaches through one’s own repertoire as well as that of fellow students.
To deepen the aesthetic understanding of the repertoire as an essential foundation for coherent interpretation.
To foster a respectful, constructive working environment and a spirit of camaraderie among participants.

Concert Objectives of the Festival:

To offer a concert series of high artistic quality as a means of enriching the cultural life of the surrounding region.
To encourage close interaction between performers and audiences, both during and after the performances.
To promote the dissemination of new repertoire within the local geographical area.
To achieve strong audience engagement through wide promotion of the concert series.

Competition Objectives of the Festival:

To provide young trumpet talents with the opportunity to grow professionally.
To encourage Valencian trumpet players to develop their skills at one of the top universities in Europe, under the guidance of two great trumpet masters — José María Ortí Soriano and Manuel Blanco — along with other internationally renowned teachers.
To promote healthy competition among participants.