Malibu & the Parkening Competition: a guitarist's travel guide
Parkening International Guitar Competition · Malibu, United States
The Parkening International Guitar Competition carries the largest prize in the classical guitar world, and it is held in one of the loveliest of settings, on the clifftop campus of Pepperdine University above the Pacific at Malibu. Named for Christopher Parkening, himself a student of Segovia, it draws the finest young players to the California coast every few years.
Getting there
Malibu has no rail service, so this is a fly-and-drive trip: Los Angeles airport (LAX) is around thirty miles southeast, and the drive up the Pacific Coast Highway is a pleasure in itself. A car is the practical way to get around this stretch of coast.
Compare trains, buses & flights to Malibu on Omio →
Where to stay
Malibu itself is glamorous and pricey, so many visitors base themselves in Santa Monica just down the coast, which is livelier and better connected. Either way you are close to the beach and a short drive from the campus.
An interactive map of hotels, apartments and B&Bs across Booking, Expedia, Airbnb and more, centred on Malibu.
See stays in Malibu →What you'll hear
The competition narrows through recital rounds to a concerto final, in which the finalists play with orchestra, the sort of grand finish the guitar rarely gets. Its gold medallists, among them Pablo Villegas and Meng Su, have gone on to international careers. The rich prizes and the ocean setting make it a genuine occasion.
If you play as well as listen, explore Castelnuovo-Tedesco, heard in the concerto final on Sheet Music Plus →
Where to eat
This is Southern California, so eat by the water: fresh seafood and fish tacos from the Malibu shacks, and the farm-to-table cooking and taco stands of greater Los Angeles. The produce and the ocean views do a lot of the work.
While you're there
The Getty Villa, with its Roman antiquities, sits between Malibu and Santa Monica, and the Santa Monica pier and beach are an easy trip down the coast. The canyons and beaches of Malibu itself reward a slow drive. A rental car makes the day trips simple, and GetYourGuide lists guided tours and tickets across the region.
Enter the pieces you play, and GuitarComp shows how your programme maps to this competition's rounds and which other events you qualify for.
See full competition details →Competition dates, deadlines and the current compulsory work change each edition, so always confirm at the official site: arts.pepperdine.edu.