- Three European choirs from Spain, Latvia, and Slovenia have brought the competition phase to a close.
- José Antonio Rovira, Regional Minister of Education, Culture, Universities, and Employment, praised the event as a benchmark in its genre.
TORREVIEJA, July 25, 2025 — The competition has officially concluded. The 71st International Habaneras and Polyphony Choir Competition in Torrevieja wrapped up its contest phase with performances by three European choirs.
Representing Spain was the choir Alegría from Torrejón de Ardoz—the only Spanish group in this year’s edition—followed by Balta Choir from Riga, Latvia, and the France Prešeren Academic Choir from Kranj, Slovenia.
Each choir performed five pieces, starting with the compulsory habanera “Torrevieja es así,” composed by Mari Paz Andréu and Mario Bustillo. This marked the end of the competitive performances, after which the jury—comprised of Julia Foruria, Bernadette Kühne, Josep Vila, Javier Corcuera, and David Colado—submitted their scores to the organizers.
The official results will be announced on the night of July 26, during a grand gala featuring the best of this year’s edition.
In addition to the jury’s selections, audience members also cast their votes for the Audience Award, which will be revealed during Saturday’s awards ceremony.
Among the attendees was José Antonio Rovira, Valencia’s Regional Minister for Education, Culture, Universities, and Employment, who expressed his honor at being part of a festival that stands as a major cultural reference. He reaffirmed the Valencian government’s strong support for the event.
Speaking alongside Mayor Eduardo Dolón, Rovira also highlighted upcoming developments in local educational infrastructure, including the nearly finalized renovation of IES Las Lagunas, the completion of administrative steps for Schools 14 and 15 through the Edificant Plan, and the construction of IES No. 6, to be carried out directly by the regional government.
He added that in September, following the start of the school year, another meeting would be held with local officials in Torrevieja to reassess needs and consider the planning of additional schools if required.
12th International Habanera and Choral Singing Conference
Also on Friday, the 12th International Habanera and Choral Singing Conference began with a talk titled “Mari Paz Andréu: A Life Tied to the Competition”, delivered by her son, Armando Bernabéu. The conference continues on the morning of Saturday, July 26, starting at 11:00 a.m., with an official reception hosted by Mayor and Competition President Eduardo Dolón. This will be followed by a morning session of presentations by the directors of the choirs participating in the competition.
