Societat Musical D'Alboraya
HISTORY OF THE BAND
The Band was founded around 1885 by a group of music-lovers from Alboraya with a cultural agenda who, under the direction of Maestro Miguel Grau, started sol-fa classes and formally constituted the Band. The baton was later passed to José María Esteve Lorente and on 28 February 1906 the Association was founded with Matías Panach as president and Maestro Alfredo Clavel as director, who went on to become a charismatic promoter of the organization.
In 1908 they took part in the Valencia Contest, winning the Second Accessit Prize in Division Two. In 1909 they participated once again in the Valencia Contest, winning the First Accessit Prize in Division Two. In 1931, Maestro Clavel stepped down as director due to illness.
The Band has had prestigious directors such as Enrique Martínez, Eduardo Panach, Vicente Ballester, Manuel Galduf, Francisco Hernández Guirado, Francisco Ramos Rioja and Miguel Molina Ruiz.
They have won the following prizes in their most recent contests:
- Under the direction of Francisco Ramos Rioja, they took part in Division One of the Valencia International Wind Band Contest, winning Third and First Prize in 1984 and 1988 respectively.
- Under the direction of Miguel Molina Ruiz they won:
- Second Prize in Division One of the National Wind Band Contest "City of Murcia" in 1996.
- First and Second Prize in the "City of Cullera" Contest in 1998 and 2000 respectively.
- The Band has been under the direction of Miguel Vidagany Gil since 2002. They won FIRST PRIZE in DIVISION ONE in the Valencia Provincial Contest in 2003. In November 2005 they took part in the City of Murcia Contest in Division One where they one SECOND PRIZE. In 2006, to celebrate the centenary of the Association, they participated in the Valencia International Wind Band Contest in Division One. In May 2008 they took part once again in the Valencia Provincial Contest in Division One where they won FIRST PRIZE AND HONORABLE MENTION. In October of the same year they took part in the final phase of said Contest in Cheste and won FIRST PRIZE.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR
Miguel Vidagany Gil
Miguel Vidagany Gil was born in Llíria (Valencia) and began studying music in the Llíria "Primitiva" Academy of Music and Band Studies.
He finished his advanced clarinet studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid, where he studied under Francisco Alegre. He completed his advanced studies in Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue, Composition, Instrumentation, Choir Direction and Orchestra Direction at the Valencia "Joaquín Rodrigo" Conservatory.
In 1987 he gained the position, through public examination, of bass clarinet in the Zaragoza Provincial Band.
In 1987 he obtained the position, also through public examination, of solo bass clarinet in the Valencia Municipal Band, a post he still holds today.
In 1998, after selective examinations, he was granted a place to study Orchestra Direction at the Aspen Music School, Colorado (USA).
He studied direction with Maestros Eduardo Cifre, Vicente Spiteri, Manuel Galduf, Murry Sidlin and Uwe Mund.
He frequently attends specialized music courses in direction and analysis at the Universities of Alcalá de Henares, Valencia, Granada, Murcia and Complutense de Madrid.
He has directed the bands of the Higueruelas Music Association, the Casinos Music Association and the Moncada Artistic Music Center; the Municipal Bands of Palma de Mallorca, Huelva and Valencia; the choir and the orchestra of the Valencia Superior Conservatory of Music; the Complutense Choir, the Amadeus orchestra from Madrid and the Aspen Chamber Orchestra in the USA.
He is the founder and director of the "Grup de Cambra Ciutat de Llíria" ensemble and the director of the Alboraya Music Association Band. |
