Instrumenta
The State Government of Oaxaca and the 
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 
announce

Instrumenta is a program designed to promote and develop musical excellence in four areas: education, creation, performance and the preservation of musical heritage, through activities focused on audience-development, the exposure of new talents and the public appreciation of music.

Within its educational activities, Instrumenta has created an international competition dedicated to the memory of Mexican conductor Eduardo Mata. This competition is open to young orchestral conductors who are evaluated by a qualified jury of internationally acclaimed conductors and masters

Eduardo Mata
(1942-1995)

Maestro Eduardo Mata was recognized both in Mexico and in the world musical scene as a talented conductor and composer, as well as the enterprising spirit behind great projects.
An accomplished musician, he remained always committed to a daily struggle for excellence. He promoted the work of the main Latin American composers, including Chávez, Revueltas, Orbón, and Moncayo, among many others.

With patience and talent, he developed significantly an audience of young music lovers in Mexico, where he was granted a life-long membership to El Colegio Nacional.

In the international scenario, Eduardo Mata was also an emeritus resident conductor at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, guest conductor at the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, guest conductor and artistic consultant at the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar from Venezuela, and artistic director of Solistas de México.

Maestro Mata sustained tight artistic links to prominent orchestras in the world; among others, to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony, the RAI Orchestra, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Second Eduardo Mata International Conducting Competition

100 applicants from 33 countries from all regions participated in the Second Eduardo Mata International Conducting Competition. These competitors were examined by a jury consisting of Jorma Panula (president), Zuohuang Chen, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Jorge Rotter and Cecilia Rydinger Alin The 18 selected competitors were invited to conduct the Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM (OFUNAM) in the orchestra´s home, the Sala Nezahualcóyotl, November 8-13,
2005.
 
After an intense week of auditions, marked by a singular spirit of collaboration and solidarity among the participants, the competition was pared down to three finalists: Carlos Domínguez Nieto (Spain) Sylvain Gasançon (France) and Ching-Ming Lu (Austria)

The winning contestant was the young French conductor Sylvain Gasançon, who has been invited to conduct the orchestras associated to the competition