Earplay has announced that Spanish composer Benet Casablancas is the recipient of the 2025 Donald Aird Composers Competition prize. His composition Haikus Notebook will be premiered at an upcoming Earplay concert on March 24, 2026, at the Noe Valley Ministry venue.
Open to composers of all nationalities and ages, the Aird Prize (also known as the Earplay Donald Aird Composers Competition) awards a cash prize of USD 1,500 and secures a performance of the winning work by Earplay. The competition commemorates the memory of Donald Aird, a former composer, conductor, and board member who strongly advocated for new music and its performance.
In their announcement, Earplay expressed gratitude to all entrants and extended congratulations to Casablancas, while also inviting composers to participate in the 2026 edition of the competition.
Born in Sabadell, Spain in 1956, Casablancas pursued studies both in his native Barcelona and in Vienna. Alongside his musical training, he earned a doctorate in musicology and a degree in philosophy from the University of Barcelona. Earplay His compositional approach is often described as rooted in modernist tradition, yet distinguished by expressive individuality, rich textural detail, and attention to harmonic and timbral nuance.
Throughout his career, his works have been performed by ensembles and orchestras across Europe, North America, and Asia, including groups such as the Orquesta Nacional de España, the London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, and various chamber ensembles. High-profile venues such as the Wiener Musikverein and Miller Theater in New York have hosted concert programs featuring his music.
Casablancas has also held residencies and teaching posts in Barcelona, Madrid, and Bremen, and has served as director of the Conservatori del Liceu. He has received multiple national recognitions in Spain and has been a finalist twice for the Prix Prince Pierre de Monaco. In 2019, his first opera, L’enigma di Lea, was premiered at the Gran Teatre del Liceu to critical acclaim
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