Concha Velasco, Max Award of Honor 2019

Pioneer of Spanish musical theater, the Organizing Committee has highlighted her vast career as an interpreter and her fight for women's rights

The Organizing Committee of the Max Performing Arts Awards makes known the Max Award of Honor 2019, which has been granted unanimously to the actress Concha Velasco for being a key figure in the history of Performing Arts. The committee, which has highlighted his vast career as an interpreter and has highlighted it as pioneer figure of the Spanish musical theater and her commitment to the female figure, makes public the award through this release.
The pucelana interpreter will receive the award next May 20 at the Teatro Calderón in Valladolid during the ceremony to deliver the XXII edition of the Max Awards for Performing Arts which organizes SGAE Foundation with the collaboration of the City Council of Valladolid and the Foundation of Universities and Higher Education of the Junta de Castilla y León. After hearing the news, the actress has declared receiving the prize "excited and with enormous respect for what it means. In addition, they deliver it to me at the Teatro Calderón in Valladolid, a stage that has given me a lot. "

Conception Velasco Varona He was born in Valladolid in 1939, the city from which he received the Gold Medal and in which he holds a street with his name. Actress of theater and cinema, singer, dancer and television presenter, has participated in more than 80 films and in thirty plays, becoming one of the most beloved faces of the Spanish scene.

The performer, who in her record has a Max Award in 2002 for Best Musical Show for Hello Dolly !, has highlighted the value of receiving the Max de Honor: "I'm excited about what it means to me. I already have a Max to the best producer and I have been a finalist in several occasions, that I am now awarded the Max de Honor award is very important, "he concluded.

Pioneer of musical theater in Spain

Her extensive record has made her an iconic figure of the Performing Arts, however, it was her work in Spanish musical theater that catapulted her as an interpreter and consolidated her as a reference. He stepped on stage for the first time at age 10, trained in Spanish dance and classical dance, worked in the ballet of the National Opera Company and in the flamenco company of Manolo Caracol.

Already in 1985 he joined The Spanish musical comedy, program that recovered the gender of the magazine sponsored by Celia Gámez. He continued his career on the small screen, presenting and participating in musical programs such as Live the show in which in addition to acting, served as a speaker for the authors of his time. Suddenly, Concha Velasco entered live, every Friday night, in Spanish homes and with a self-taught character managed to carve out a legend as icon and reference, as an artist and as a woman. "For me, the theater is my passion and also the spectator. Climbing onto the stage allows me to abstain from how much I am surrounded and give myself to the character I am doing at that moment. I am very grateful to the viewer for his affection. I owe him so much! "He confesses.

A pioneer of a genre that was yet to emerge in Spain, Concha Velasco built a meteoric career with musical works such as Mom, I want to be an artist (1986) by Juan José de Arteche or Carmen, Carmen (1988) by Antonio Gala, of whom he was a muse. In theater, his performances in The truhana (1992) and Friday apples (1999), also written by Antonio Gala. As a businesswoman, she had great success with the adaptation of the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! who starred herself Recently he has worked in Hecuba (2013), in the Queen Juana (2014) and The funeral, show with which he is currently on tour.

Revolutionary and committed

It took off like this a meteoric race and a focus of interest that the pucelana took advantage of to denounce the situation of women and cry out for the advance of Spanish society. It was then when his face was linked to vindicating, empowered people who fought for equal rights between men and women. Known are his works in works such as Women's rights (1962), The boyfriend (1962) or Those that have to serve (1962), Filomena Marturano (1979) or I get off on the next one, and you? (1981), in which Velasco raised the feminist flag first in black and white and then in color.

Converted into a hymn of a generation, it used its popularity to serve as a speaker in the struggle for the rights of creators, to sponsor new authors and also engage in political movements. "Beside me there have been comrades like José Sacristán and Tony Leblanc. We are the benchmark of an era and our career has always been linked to the history of Spain, such as the strike of actors of 10 days in 1975 with which we managed to stop the country. The rights that we artists have today, we get them then, "he recalls. "I have been a pioneer, it is true, but above all I have a present. I never look back, nor resign myself with what I have been. The past is past, but I am present, "he concludes.

A film career

But in addition to the theater, his professional career has been linked to the seventh art. Already at 16 years old, he made his film debut in the film The generous bandit (1954) by José María Elorrieta. After that first experience they did not stop succeeding other highly successful films like The girls of the Red Cross (1958) by Rafael J. Salvia, Valentine's Day by Fernando Palacios (1959), The cheaters (1959) by Pedro Lazaga, and later in Beehive (1982) by Mario Camus, Beyond the garden by Pedro Olea (1996) and Paris-Timbuktu (1999) by Luis García Berlanga. In the 80s, her name is associated with television, in which she works as a presenter and actress, highlighting her leading role in Teresa of Jesus (1983) by Josefina Molina. Since 2011, she has joined the Spanish Television team as a presenter of Neighborhood cinema, work that combines since then with other recordings as The girls of the cable (Netflix) or Gran Hotel (Antenna 3).

A life of professional recognitions

Actress awarded with the 2012 Goya Honor Award, her career has been endorsed by numerous awards such as the Ondas Award (1988 and 2012), the Miguel Mihura Prize of the SGAE (1982), the National Theater Award Pepe Isbert (1999), the Gold Medal of the Film Academy 2003, Gold Medal of Merit at Work 2008, Prize A lifetime of the Academy of Television 2009, the Medal of Honor of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers 2010, Award of the Union of Actors 2012 and Valle-Inclán Theater Award in 2014, the Corral Comedy Award in 2016 and the National Theater Award 2016, among others. In addition, she was a finalist for Best Actress at the Max Awards in 2010 for her work in The life ahead, and won the Max Award for Best Musical Show for Hello, Dolly! in 2002. His is a record that continues to expand, as it was recently awarded with the prize Duende Zahorí Torrelavega Winter Festival and the Gold Medal of Madrid, delivered by the mayor Manuela Carmena.

Previous winners

In the previous years the award went to José Sanchis Sinisterra (2018); Salvador Távora (2017); Lola Herrera (2016); Rosa Maria Sardà (2015); María de Ávila (2014); Ana Diosdado (2013); Julia Gutiérrez Caba (2012); José Monleón (2011); Josep Maria Benet i Jornet (2010); Miguel Narros (2009); Víctor Ullate (2008); Fernando Arrabal (2007); Pilar López (2006); José Rodríguez Méndez (2005); Francisco Nieva (2004); Alfonso Sastre (2003); José Tamayo (2002); Antonio Gala (2001); Adolfo Marsillach (2000); Antonio Buero Vallejo (1999) and the Teatro de la Zarzuela (1998).

Three special prizes
Organized by the SGAE Foundation since 1998, the Max Awards, whose prize is designed by the poet and artist Joan Brossa (Barcelona-1919/1998), promoter of one of the renewing collectives of post-war Spanish art, have been consolidated as over these years as the broadest recognition in the field of Performing Arts in the Spanish State, reaching a growing number of followers and arousing the interest of companies of all types and throughout the national territory. In this latest edition, which will be broadcast live at 20 hours in La 2 of TVE.

These awards celebrate 23 years keeping their three special awards: Max honor award, that distinguishes the trajectory of a person that for his contribution, delivery and defense of the Performing Arts, the Max Amateur or Social Prize, which encompasses projects in favor of integration and social projection and to amateur companies with an outstanding contribution to Performing Arts, and Max Public Award, which will be granted to the show that obtains the greatest number of votes from the public through the online application #VotaMax, effective until April 30.

The Organizing Committee of the 22nd edition of the Max Performing Arts Awards is composed of Ana Graciani, president of the SGAE Foundation, Pilar Jurado, president of SGAE, the dramatists Juan Luis Mira, Paloma Pedrero Y Óscar Castaño 'Garbitxu' (president of the Territorial Committee of SGAE in Euskadi) and the members of the School of Great Law of the SGAE Eduardo Galán, Yolanda García Serrano and the choreographer María Pagés.

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