Más Información

• Presentation of candidatures
• Regulations
• 2009 Laureates

Thousands of pamphlets are distributed Worldwide.

Candidatures may also be presented via the Foundation’s web page.

The period for presenting candidatures for the 2010 Prince of Asturias Awards, which are now being held for the thirtieth time, is now open.

The Foundation will distribute the pamphlet containing the official announcement for candidatures and rules for the Awards. Candidacies may now also be presented via the web page of the Foundation (www.fpa.es).

As in previous years, the regulations are sent to research centres, academies, universities, the diplomatic corps and major figures world-wide. Thousands of pamphlets are mailed in Spain and distributed by special courier service elsewhere.

By Internet

Proposals can be sent to the Foundation's head office by mail or e-mail (info@fpa.es), or to Spanish Embassies or Consulates overseas.

Full information in Spanish and English on the institution, its history, activities, laureates and so forth can be accessed at this Foundation's own server (www.fpa.es). The official announcement for candidatures and the rules are also available there in French, German and Portuguese.

There are eight Prince of Asturias Awards: Communication and Humanities, the Arts, Letters, Social Sciences, Technical and Scientific Research, International Cooperation, Sports and Concord. They are intended, to quote the Foundations Statutes, “to reward the scientific, technical, cultural, social and humanistic work performed by individuals, groups, or institutions world-wide.”

The deadline for proposing candidates is March 19^th 2010. This date is extended till July 23^rd for the Concord and Sports Awards.

Each of the Prince of Asturias Awards has its own jury, made up of specialists in the area, with the exception of the Concord Award jury, which is made up of the Patrons of the Prince of Asturias Foundation.

Since the Prince of Asturias Awards were inaugurated in 1981 they have acquired considerable international prestige. The grand presentation ceremony is traditionally held in autumn at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias. It is presided over by H.R.H. the Prince of Asturias, accompanied by H.R.H. the Princess of Asturias and is attended by outstanding figures from national and international social and cultural circles.

Each of the eight Prince of Asturias Awards comprises a diploma, a Joan Miró sculpture representing and symbolising the Awards, an insignia bearing the Foundation’s coat of arms, and a cash prize of €50,000.

Previous Award winners

Writers such as Álvaro Mutis, Mario Vargas Llosa, Camilo José Cela, Günter Grass, Doris Lessing, Arthur Miller, Claudio Magris or Paul Auster; politicians such as Václav Havel, Jacques Delors, Adolfo Suárez, Mijail Gorbachov, Nelson Mandela, Isaac Rabin, H.M. King Hussein of Jordan, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Al Gore or Ingrid Betancourt; institutions such as the United Nation's High Commission for Refugees, Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Movement), Médicos Sin Fronteras (Doctors with no Borders) and Medicus Mundi, the Sephardic Community, the American Foundation for Aids Research (founded and led by Elizabeth Taylor), CNN, UNICEF or the organisations leading the fight against malaria in Africa; scientists such as Stephen Hawking, the Atapuerca Research Team, Guido Münch, Robert Gallo and Luc Montagnier, the human world's leading research teams in the field of the human genome, the fathers of Internet or Jane Goodall; historians such as John Elliott or Julio Caro Baroja, intellectuals such as Julián Marías, Indro Montanelli, George Steiner, Umberto Eco, Hans M. Enzensberger or Jürgen Habermas; artists such as Antoni Tàpies, Óscar Niemeyer, Joaquín Rodrigo, Vittorio Gassmann, Barbara Hendricks, Woody Allen and Miquel Barceló and sports personalities such as Sebastian Coe, Severiano Ballesteros, Sergei Bubka, the Brazilian Football Squad, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher or Rafael Nadal have been, to name but a few, some of the award winners since 1981.

The Choir was praised by the European Parliament for “their outstanding contribution to bolster European integration”.

The Prince of Asturias Foundation Choir, under the baton of maestro Paul Mann and alongside the Principality of Asturias Symphony Orchestra (OSPA), performed Handel’s Messiah in the traditional Christmas concert for the twenty-third consecutive year. The concerts were held at 8 p.m. at the Cathedral of Oviedo and at the Theatre of the Laboral in Gijón on 18^th and 20^th December respectively.

Voices from different countries of the European Union and New Zealand performed in the concert title “Europe hails Christmas: The Messiah”. The performance featured soprano Julia Sophie Wagner, mezzo Madeleine Shaw, tenor Nathan Vale and bass Martin Shell.

The Messiah, masterpiece of symphonic-choral music, has become the most renowned piece of Georg Friedrich Haendel´s (1685-1759) oratorios. This oratorio for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, choir of four voices and orchestra was written between the 22^nd August and 14^th September in 1741, with libretto by Charles Jennes following the biblical text. The first public concert of The Messiah was held on the 10th April 1742, four days before its opening at Dublin´s William Neal Music Hall. The piece is divided into three parts that form the liturgical year, through the different stages in the life and death of Christ.

Paul Mann (England) is the conductor of the Odense Symphony Orchestra (Denmark), where he has been acclaimed both by the audience and the music critics. He carried out his musical studies at Chetam’s School of Music and the University of York and began his musical career performing as a pianist and chamber musician.

After obtaining first prize at the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, he went on to become assistant conductor for the London Symphony Orchestra and later of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conducting more than eighty concerts and covering the Orchestra’s wide repertoire. Paul Mann made his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1999. Some of his projects with this Orchestra include The Duke Ellington Centenary Concert at the Barbican and working alongside the legendary rock band Deep Purple at the Royal Albert Hall.

Mann is considered one of the best conductors of his generation, partially for his wide repertoire and versatility. He has worked with Orchestras from Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States and has conducted the Philharmonic Orchestras of Bergen, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Saint Petersburg, Verona, Copenhagen and Birmingham, among others. He frequently travels to the United States, where he is usually invited to conduct the New York City Ballet. He has also been guest conductor for the Orchestras of Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon Symphony Orchestra. After his first visit to Australia in 2002, he was invited in several occasions to collaborate with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonic.

Principality of Asturias Symphony Orchestra (OSPA). The Orchestra made its official debut under the baton of Amalio López in January 1940. It has performed in more than a hundred concerts since then and participated in the Oviedo Opera Season. Its first recordings targeted Asturian music with a recording alongside Maestro Valdés entirely dedicated to the music by Julián Orbón and The Celtic night. The orchestra has also made a CD called Vivir para cantarlo (a play on words, "to live to tell the tale" transforms into "to live to sing about it" with a single letter change in Spanish) which was recorded live with Victor Manuel. It has recorded Beethoven´s and Mendelssohn´s violin concerts with Elmar Oliveira for Artek as well.

Prince of Asturias Foundation Choir. Founded in 1983 and conducted by José Esteban G. Miranda, the Choir has become one of Europe´s major amateur ensembles and has reached considerable international prestige.  Jesús López Cobos, 1981 Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for the Arts, is the Choir’s honorary conductor alongside Krzysztof Penderecki, who was also presented with this Award in 2001. In December 2007, the Choir was praised by the European Parliament for “their extraordinary service on behalf of the European Union”.

The Choir has successfully toured Europe, offering outstanding concerts in Russia alongside the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the Virtuosos de Moscú. Its performance at London´s Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1993 with the English Chamber Orchestra, figures prominently amongst its successes. In 2001, the Choir visited the USA for the first time, being described as "magnificent" by the Washington Post´s music critic. In December 2002, the Foundation represented Spain at the Vatican for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and the choir gave three performances in Rome. In October 2003, it gave two historic performances at Saint Patrick´s Cathedral and at New York´s Lincoln Centre for Columbus Day. It was also invited to perform at the wedding ceremony of T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias, singing in the Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha, where the Princess of Asturias offered her wedding garland to the Virgin Mary.

In October 2005 it performed Verdi´s Requiem alongside the Orfeón Donostiarra, 1984 Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for the Arts, and the Principality of Asturias Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Jesús López Cobos. In March 2006, the Choir opened the Sao Paolo State Symphony Orchestra´s season in Brazil at the Estación Júlio Prestes, one of South America´s principal concert halls, under the conductorship of John Neschling, with the Sao Paolo State Symphony Orchestra and Choir. In April 2007, at a concert titled "Penderecki conducts Penderecki", the Foundation´s Choir placed itself in the hands of this conductor to perform his most recent work, Symphony No. 8 Lieder der Vergänglichkeit. In June 2007, the Choir traveled to Greece to take part, as guest ensemble, in the 16th International Music Festival of Nafplion. In October 2008, the Choir performed the Symphony Nº 2 in C minor "Resurrection", by G. Mahler alongside the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, best exponent of the National Network of Youth and Children Orchestras of Venezuela, (2008 Prince of Asturias Award Laureates for the Arts) under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. Last 25^th November, the Choir traveled to Belgium to offer a performance at the European Parliament during Jean Monnet's opening speech and at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels.

Further information

• Biography

The appointment of Teresa Sanjurjo to succeed Graciano García as Director of the Foundation was approved today by the Prince of Asturias Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

Teresa Sanjurjo González has been appointed Director of the Prince of Asturias Foundation at the meeting held by the Prince of Asturias Foundation’s Board of Trustees yesterday in Oviedo.

The Board of Trustees also agreed that Graciano García, who has been up until now Director of the Foundation and its founder, should continue being linked to the Foundation by appointing him Director Emeritus for life.

During the meeting, the President of the Foundation, Matías Rodríguez Inciarte, emphasized the “exemplariness” of the transition as well as the “commendable work and career” of Graciano García as Director of the Foundation, something the Board of Trustees also stressed during the meeting. When the meeting ended, the President welcomed the new Director and highlighted her “personal and professional qualities” to carry out her job duties.

Ismaíl Kadaré, Prince of Asturias Awards laureate for Letters; José Narro, vice-chancellor of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Prince of Asturias Awards laureate for Communication and Humanities; Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Prince of Asturias Awards laureate for International Cooperation; and Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin, delivered their speeches at the 2009 Prince of Asturias Awards grand presentation ceremony in its XXIX edition.

During the ceremony, the President of the Foundation Matías Rodríguez Inciarte, and H.R.H. the Prince of Asturias, also delivered their speeches.

A simultaneous translation service in four languages was provided for the presentation ceremony at the Campoamor Theatre. The Prince of Asturias Foundation provided 1,600 receivers to the audience.

Those attending the event may listen to the speeches of the laureates in English, French, German or Spanish.

Sixteen bagpipe maestros gathered to perform Alborada de los Premios Príncipe de Asturias (Dawn of the Prince of Asturias Awards) for the first time. The piece was written by Asturian bagpiper Xuacu Amieva. The musicians that took part in this event were music conservatory professors, ensemble conductors, teachers in schools of traditional music, soloists and winners of international awards. Bagpipers from different ensembles carried a parade that went through the most representative streets in Oviedo.

The official opening of Xuacu Amieva’s musical composition, written expressly for the Prince of Asturias Foundation, was presided by T.R.H. the Prince and Princes of Asturias last October at the Reconquista Hotel in Oviedo. The “Alborada de los Premios Príncipe de Astuias" (Dawn of the Prince of Asturias Awards) was inspired by the concert “Best Bagpipers in the World” which brought together six renowned soloists from the international folk scene in July 2008.

The piece lasts six minutes and was performed by bagpipes in B-flat (tombal) and percussion instruments like the high tension drum, kettledrum and bass drum.

Xuacu Amieva is one of the most outstanding figures of traditional Asturian music. He is a professor of Asturian bagpipe and Folk music ensemble at the International Music School of the Prince of Asturias Foundation. His long musical career as a bagpiper, teacher of bagpipers and multi-instrumentalist in a number of folk groups has earned him a reputation in Asturias and beyond. His repertoire covers a wide range of traditional Asturian songs and melodies, written not only for bagpipes but also for the traditional rabel (three-stringed Spanish violin), the hurdy-gurdy, the flute or to be sung.

He has been involved since 1975 in ethnographic research work and has also been active in work to disseminate folk music with groups such as Raigañu, Urogallos and others. He began teaching the bagpipe in Oviedo in 1980, and has since expanded this facet of his work to other parts of Asturias. In 1984, he published the first Asturian bagpipe method, co-authoring the book with Francisco Ortega. The Oviedo Bagpipe School was the seedbed in 1987 of the Narancu Bagpipe Band, which he has since been musical director of. He was one of the founders of the folk groups Beleño (1983) and Ubiña (1985), which he played in until the band split up in 1989. He has taken part in many traditional music festivals as a member of these groups and as a solo performer both in Asturias and elsewhere in Spain and Europe.

He continued to pursue his career from 1990 onwards as a soloist and with the Xuacu Amieva Folk ensemble. He has worked with the Principality of Asturias Production Company, writing the soundtrack to some of their documentaries. In 1992, he wrote the script for a documentary called Asturian Musical Instruments. He is the composer of the original soundtrack for the short films Xicu el toperu and Mitos Astures and has played the three-stringed violin and sung with The Chieftains on a song from their album Santiago. One of his concerns is popularising traditional Asturian music so he works in different schools organising seminars and concerts for a range of traditional instruments (bagpipe, traditional three-stringed Spanish violin, hurdy-gurdy, flutes, percussion and voice). Since 1995, he has taken part in the Mercau Astur, writing the music for its Cuentu Mitolóxicu. His awards include the Macallan Trophy at the Lorient Celtic Festival in 1986, and a 1997 Grammy Award for the song el Besu on the Chieftain's album, Santiago. His discography includes the following: Método de gaita, 1984; Onde l´agua ñaz, 1986; Ubiña, 1988; Xostrando, 1989; Lluna caldeá, 1992; La gaita asturiana, 1993; Tiempo de Mitos. Resistencia, 1999; Al son del fueu, 2003. He has also published the following books: Método de gaita, 1994; Método de gaita asturiana, 1998, and La gaita asturiana, 2003.

Sir David Attenborough’s conference titled “Talking about Biodiversity in a Time of Change” will be held today (Thursday 22^nd October) at 6,00 p.m. in the Art Café of the LABoral Centre for Art and Creative Industries in Gijón (c/ Los Prados, nº 121, Cabueñes).

Admission will be free until all seats are taken. Audio outputs will be available for the media.

Sir David Attenborough, Prince of Asturias Awards laureate for Social Sciences, will hold the conference after his guided visit to the “Jardían Botánico Atlántico de Gijón” (Gijón’s botanic gardens). Admission to the botanic gardens is restricted.

T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias presided over the closing concert of the XVIII Music Week, which the Prince of Asturias Foundation organizes together with Cajastur and which took place at the Prince Felipe Auditorium in Oviedo. Maestro Maximiliano Valdés was the conductor at this concert, which was by invitation only.

The Principality of Asturias Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by the Prince of Asturias Foundation Choir and the solo voices of Lola Casariego (soprano), Marina Pardo (mezzo), José Ferrero and Álvaro Vallejo (tenors), Pedro Sanz (Flamenco singer), Alfredo García (baritone), Josep-Miquel Ramón (bass) performed Manuel de Falla’s opera La vida breve (The Brief Life)., Guitarist Pablo Saínz and dancer Nuria Pomares also participated in the event.

The concert closed the XVIII Music Week, which the Prince of Asturias Foundation organizes together with Cajastur. A total of 26 concerts were held since 16th October in 7 different towns in Asturias: Oviedo, Gijón, Avilés, Luarca, Langreo, Mieres and Piedras Blancas. Music ensembles of very different genres and styles have performed at this music cycle. Some of the performing ensembles include a flute and violin duo, a voice, horn and piano trio, and several soloists. The winners of the “Ángel Muñiz Toca” Final-Year Prize for soloists of the “Eduardo Martínez Torner” Advanced Conservatory of Music also attended the XVIII Music Week.

TVE will also be providing the official signal of the audiences of T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias with the Laureates.

As on previous occasions, Televisión Española and Radio Nacional de España are to provide the official signal of the Prince of Asturias Awards grand presentation ceremony, which is to take place at 6.30 p.m. on Friday 23^rd October at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo. TVE will also be providing the official television signal of the audience of T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias with the laureates, which is to take place next Friday at 12.30 noon at the Hotel de la Reconquista´s Salón Covadonga.

RNE will provide the audio signal from the dressing rooms in the Campoamor Theatre to all the radio networks and TVE will distribute the television signal. All of the media interested in receiving the official signal should contact in advance:

-National signal: Telephone 91 346 84 12 and Fax 91 346 83 06.

-International signal: Asunción Gómez Bueno Telephone: 91 346 81 18 and Fax 91 346 97 90.

-Local signal: María Alonso Telephone: 985 10 09 69 and Fax 985 10 09 91.

The areas specially designated for the editors at the Campoamor Theatre will be the Main Boxes nº 11 and 13. Due to the limited space at the Campoamor Theatre, it is advised to follow the ceremony from the screens situated at the press office.

THURSDAY, 22ND OCTOBER

Audience in the Hall “Salón de Consejos” in the Reconquista Hotel.

11,30 a.m. Winners of the Medals of Asturias 2009.

11,50 a.m. 2008 University of Oviedo Final-year Price winners.

12,10 noon Performance by the “ASPAYM” Association of Paraplegic and Disabled Persons.

12,30 noon Performance by “Reader”, the Asturian Network for Rural Development.

12,50 noon Performance by the Asturian Postal Workers collective.

1,10 p.m. Performance by the INTGRAF association.

5,30 p.m. Performance by the Santiaguín Male Voice Choir from Langreo.

5,50 p.m. Performance by the Sports Supporters Association from La Felguera.

6,10 p.m. Members of the Board of Directors of the Association for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease (ACCU) of Asturias.

8,00 p.m. T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias will preside over the closing concert of the XVIII Music Week, which the Prince of Asturias Foundation organizes together with Cajastur and which will take place at the Prince Felipe Auditorium in Oviedo. Maestro Maximiliano Valdés will conduct this concert, which is by invitation only.

FRIDAY, 23RD OCTOBER

12,30 noon Audience in the Covadonga Hall of the Reconquista Hotel:

Audience of T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias with the presidents of the Juries, members of the Prince of Asturias Award and Foundation Boards of Trustees, and the 2009 Prince of Asturias Awards Laureates.

Press Pool

6,30 noon 2009 Prince of Asturias Award Presentation Ceremony.

Press Pool

SATURDAY, 24TH OCTOBER

12,00 noon Presentation event of the 2009 Exemplary Village of Asturias Award to Sobrescobio.

12,35 noon Visit to Sobrescobio.

Mass media from all over the world will broadcast some of their programmes live from the Reconquista Hotel during the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award grand presentation ceremony.

There will be more than 100 media stations accredited to cover the solemn act. More than a thousand journalists from local, national and international stations will visit Oviedo to cover the event. Televisión Española shall provide the official signal and will broadcast their Second News Bulletin. It will also transmit several programmes dedicated to the Prince of Asturias Awards through the “Canal 24 Horas” and the “Canal Internacional”. Antena 3 TV will also be present at the Asturian capital to televise a part of their news bulletin first edition, and the news bulletin second edition on the 23rd full-length; Cuatro TV and Tele 5 will broadcast their news bulletin live from the Reconquista Hotel and La Sexta will carry out several recordings there. The Television of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (TV UNAM) will broadcast a special news bulletin live from the Reconquista Hotel to cover the ceremony.

Televisión del Principado de Asturias will broadcast special programmes and their news bulletin live from the hotel. Likewise, Telemadrid, Catalan TV3, Canal Nou from Valencia and Radiotelevisión de Castilla y León will transmit their news bulletins live from the Reconquista Hotel. In addition, Oviedo TV will broadcast special programmes and news bulletins from the Hotel; and Tele Asturias and Canal 10 TV will carry out several recordings.

The Prince of Asturias Awards presentation ceremony will be broadcast live on La 1, the International Channel and the 24 Hour Channel of TVE, CNN+, the Television of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (TV UNAM), the autonomous Canal Nou from Valencia and Asturias’ local TV channel (TPA), which will broadcast via satellite for America, Europe and the North of Africa. Euronews, which has more than 292 million subscribers in 144 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America, will broadcast part of the grand presentation ceremony. The Mexican radio channel Grupo Radiocentro will also broadcast from the Campoamor Theatre in their programme “De una a tres” (From One to Three), chaired by journalist Jacobo Zabludovsky. Audience of T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias with the laureates, and the official photo will also be broadcast live by the television channels TVE, CNN+ and TPA. Also, the Canal 24 Horas of Televisón Española will offer live press conferences with the laureates.

The European Association of Public Service Broadcasters, Eurovision, will provide full coverage of the award presentation ceremony to its associate members. Eurovision is made up of those European public broadcasters which are part of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). It now includes 75 members from 56 countries of Europe, the North of Africa and the Near East, as well as 43 associate members worldwide. Some of the television stations that belong to this association are TVE, the British BBC, Italian RAI, German ZDF and ARD, and Channel 1 of Russian Television, among many others.

All the main Spanish radio stations will be present in Oviedo. Punto Radio will air their news bulletin and the programme “Protagonistas”, with Félix Madero and Luis del Olmo, and will transmit live from the Campoamor Theatre during the Awards presentation ceremony. Onda Cero will broadcast their local morning and evening programmes on 23rd October and will transmit the award presentation ceremony live on the Internet. It will broadcast live from the Reconquista Hotel, with journalists and contributors of the programme “La Brújula”. The radio station COPE will offer their national news magazine “La Mañana” between 6,00 a.m. and 12 noon, and the local news from 12 noon to 2,00 p.m. The radio station SER will broadcast the ceremony live for Asturias through their four stations in the region. It will also broadcast their regional and national programmes from the Reconquista Hotel. Radio Nacional de España, on the occasion of the Prince of Asturias Awards, will count with a mobile unit that will air the programmes “En días como hoy”, “Asuntos propios” and “El ojo crítico” from the Reconquista Hotel. The Radio of the Principality of Asturias (RPA) will air special programmes on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th from the Reconquista Hotel, as well as covering the ceremony live from the Theatre.

International mass media will go to Oviedo to cover the event. The British agency Reuters, Associated Press and Getty Images (U.S.A.), Presse (France), Xinhua (China), PPE-Agency (Holland), Ria Novosti (Russia) and Notimex (Mexico); the newspapers El Universal and El Mundo (Venezuela), La Jornada and Reforma (Mexico), MK (Russia), Die Welt and weekly magazine Der Spiegel (Germany), and the TV channels Euronews, Mexican channels Televisa, TV Azteca and Milenio TV, Italian RAI, German ZDF, Albanian Top Channel TV, Portuguese RTP and Mexican Radiocentro Group are some of the stations that will be present at the Awards presentation ceremony.

Also, the Local Television of the Principality of Asturias (TPA) will cover the closing concert of the XVIII Music Week, presided by T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Asturias, which will take place on 22nd October at the Prince Felipe Auditorium in Oviedo.