XX International Music Festival Vitoria-Gasteiz (FCIMV)

The International Music Festival/Course of Vitoria-Gasteiz (FCIMV) was founded nineteen years ago in the city where its founder and artistic director, clarinettist Iñigo Alonso, was born and raised.

From the start, it was conceived as a meeting point: a place where young musicians and teachers from all over the world come together every summer in a positive atmosphere, to exchange ideas and experiences, to learn, and to work seriously and intensively. Each August, FCIMV combines individual masterclasses, chamber music and public concerts. Activities take place in emblematic venues of Vitoria-Gasteiz, such as the Jesús Guridi Conservatory, the Luis Aramburu Music School and the Portico of Santa María Cathedral. 

The festival also travels beyond the city: concerts are held in Bilbao and in small rural communities of Álava, such as Lagrán and Araia, bringing high-quality live music to audiences with limited access to it. Student concerts, in lunchtime and evening sessions, are a central part of the programme and give every participant real stage experience. Our main goal is to shape a generation of young musicians with values grounded in respect, acceptance, open-mindedness, and recognition of both their peers and their teachers. We want to offer them a perspective on their instrument and musical performance that differs from what they usually experience during the academic year. 

Throughout his career as a performer and teacher, our director has seen musicians who lost this human approach, or were never guided towards it, and who focused only on competitiveness or technical mastery while lacking real artistic substance. FCIMV exists to offer a different path: excellence built on curiosity, generosity and dialogue. Our faculty are active performers and teachers from leading European orchestras and conservatoires. Many of them have supported the project for years, taking part out of a love of teaching and a shared belief in its values. For them, FCIMV is an opportunity to share their knowledge with students who would not otherwise have the chance to study with them. For students, it opens doors to future studies and professional contacts across Europe.

All teachers receive the same fee, reflecting the collegial spirit that has defined the festival since its beginnings. In 2026, the 19th edition welcomed 60 students and presented 10 concerts. Nearly half of the participants were women. About 35% came from the Basque Country, and the rest from across Spain and abroad, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Serbia.

In 2027, FCIMV will celebrate its 20th edition. FCIMV is organised by a small, committed team that knows the music sector well and understands the practical needs of artists and students. Once musicians arrive, we take care of accommodation, meals, rehearsal spaces and logistics, so they can concentrate fully on their work. The festival is financed mainly through participant fees and the personal commitment of its founder, with the support of the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Provincial Council of Álava. 

Vitoria-Gasteiz itself is part of the experience. It is an easy city to settle into, known for its food, its welcoming people, its architecture and its many green spaces, among the best in the Basque Country and in Spain. This makes it an ideal setting for a residency: a calm, inspiring environment where an emerging artist can create, rehearse and perform, while connecting with young musicians, teachers and local audiences. As we approach our 20th edition, we want to strengthen FCIMV's European dimension and its role as a platform for emerging talent, working closely with festivals across Europe to support young artists at a decisive moment in their careers.