Conductor Dayner Tafur-Díaz achieved several significant awards at the recent German Conducting Award, a prestigious international competition for young conductors organized by the German Music Council. Not only did he clinch the first prize, but he also received the Kurt Masur Audience Award and was recognized for delivering the best interpretation of a contemporary composition.
The German Conducting Award, previously known as the German Conductor Prize, is distinctive in that it requires candidates to demonstrate expertise in both operatic and symphonic works. The most recent edition of this competition took place in Cologne, marking the fourth time it has been held.
The competition unfolded over the course of a week, culminating in the final round, during which three candidates conducted performances with the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, accompanied by singers from the Oper Köln and the WDR Sinfonieorchester at the Kölner Philharmonie.
Dayner Tafur-Díaz was awarded the first prize, valued at €15,000. This award was funded by two-thirds from the city of Cologne and one-third from the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation. Nathanaël Iselin secured the second prize, which amounted to €10,000, and Claudio Novati was honored with the third prize, worth €5,000, supported by the Ursula Lübbe Foundation, among other contributors.
The audience prize, a €3,000 grant, was sponsored by the International Kurt Masur Institute and was presented to Dayner Tafur-Díaz. Additionally, he received the Special Award for delivering the best interpretation of a contemporary composition, which included a €500 prize.
In addition to the monetary awards, the competition provides valuable follow-up funding. Prize winners are promised engagements with orchestras and opera houses, including the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, the Hof Symphony Orchestra, the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, the Cologne Opera, Theater and Orchestra Heidelberg, and the WDR Symphony Orchestra.
The judging panel for this year's competition comprised prominent figures such as Prof. Dr. Hartmut Haenchen, Enrico Delamboye, Stefan Englert, Torsten Janicke, Sebastian König, Louwrens Langevoort, Karl-Heinz Lehner, Hein Mulders, Anna Skryleva, Michael Wendeberg, and Ye Wu.
Dayner Tafur-Díaz commenced his musical journey as a trumpeter and pianist. He gained initial experience in conducting after being awarded a scholarship to participate in Peru's "Arpeggio" program. In 2017, he relocated to Germany to pursue a career in conducting and is currently enrolled at the Hochschule für Musik in Stuttgart, where he is studying under the guidance of Rasmus Baumann.
