- The evening featured two choirs from Colombia and one from South Korea.
- Eduardo Aranda and Jorge López received the 2024 ‘Manuel Parada’ Composition Award for their habanera El canto de una sirena (“The Song of a Mermaid”).
- The Valencian Minister for Environment, Infrastructure, and Territory, Vicente Martínez Mus, reaffirmed the regional government’s support for the contest and future plans to revamp the city’s seafront.
TORREVIEJA, July 24, 2025 – The habanera remains the central focus in Torrevieja as the 71st edition of its International Choral Contest continues to gain global attention. Thursday night’s session featured three competing choirs: two from Colombia and one from South Korea. All groups performed the mandatory habanera piece, Torrevieja es así (“This is Torrevieja”), composed by Mari Paz Andreu Latorre and Mario Bustillo Martínez. The song was interpreted in different vocal formats: low, high, and mixed voices.
Opening the night at the Municipal Theater was Zebtysqua Voces Oscuras from Bogotá, directed by Mario Lo Russo. They were followed by Gioia da Camera from Pasto, also in Colombia, conducted by Diana Carolina Cortés Montezuma. Closing the evening were the Agados Singers from Seoul, South Korea, under the direction of Sunmi Hwang.
The evening also included the presentation of the 2024 Manuel Parada Composition Award, announced last November. The winning piece, El canto de una sirena, was written by Eduardo Aranda Hortelano (lyrics) and Jorge López Pérez (music), both from Torrevieja. The jury, chaired by Aurelio Martínez, included Pilar Páez, Armando Bernabéu, Belén Puente, and José Francisco Sánchez as members, with Miguel Albentosa acting as secretary (non-voting).
The prize, which includes €1,000 and an official diploma, was presented by Reyes Parada in the presence of local officials.
Among the dignitaries attending the gala was Vicente Martínez Mus, the Valencian Regional Minister for Environment, Infrastructure, and Territory. He announced to the press that the regional government would continue supporting this important cultural event and would advance urban redevelopment plans for Torrevieja’s waterfront.
Accompanied by Mayor Eduardo Dolón, Martínez Mus also took the opportunity to inspect progress on port renovations and review the planned expansion of the CV-95 highway.
One notable disruption during the evening was caused by bad weather, which forced the cancellation of the live broadcast normally shown on the large screen at the Vista Alegre promenade.
