Young Croatian guitarist wins prestigious Granada guitar competition

Croatian guitarist Filip Mišković won first prize at the fortieth Andrés Segovia International Classical Guitar Competition in La Herradura on Granada province's Costa Tropical, which finished on Saturday 29 November.

Mišković, 23, won 10,000 euros and a special edition "Maestro" concert guitar, built by La Herradura-based British luthier Stephen Hill. He posted on his website after the finale, "A big thanks to everyone who is part of my artistic journey, especially my teacher Zoran Dukić for his guidance, and my former teachers Darko Petrinjak, Maroje Brčić and Vicko Novak, without whom I wouldn’t be where I am today. This achievement is as much yours as it is mine."

Second prize was awarded to Vledyslav Indyk (Ukraine). The prize includes 4,000 euros and a special edition "Double Top" concert guitar from the Granada-based luthiers Martínez-Lázaro. According to organisers, the anniversary edition was "notable for the jury's extremely high standards", which led them to the decision not to award a third Prize.

The awards ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Leo Brouwer prize for the best performance of the obligatory piece (Andrés Segovia's Estudio Sin Luz) and the Diego Martínez prize, awarded by the audience, which includes a trip to perform a recital at the town's 2026 Noches del Castillo Festival.

During the closing ceremony, mayor of Almuñécar-La Herradura, Juan José Ruiz Joya, thanked the jury and addressed the winners: "To Maestro Mišković and Maestro Indyk, I say that you are taking home much more than an award; you are acquiring with it the responsibility of a lineage, the commission to be ambassadors of an art and a unique artist who elevated the guitar to the stage."

Ruiz Joya concluded, "The town hall reaffirms its commitment to continue being the beacon where the future of the world's classical guitar is decided." The competition is sponsored by Spain's Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Affairs and the Andalusian regional government, among other institutions,