Banda Sinfónica del Círculo Católico de Torrent

HISTORY OF THE BAND

The Catholic Circle of Torrent's first music group was the Young Workers Council Band, which was founded in 1887. This group won First Prize in the highest division of the Valencia Contest in 1912 and 1914, and survived until 1936 when the Civil War broke out.

In 1940 the Catholic Circle Band was founded under the direction of José Mª Andreu and Mariano Puig. From 1952 the Band was directed by Emilio Campos, Valentín Puig, José Medina and Juan Martínez.

In 1962 Amando Blanquer was hired as director and in 1962 Enrique Andreu took over the post. In 1975 Francisco Cabrelles became director, followed by José Miguel Peñarrocha Arastey in 1978. From 1979 to 1982, the Band hosted advanced summer courses in trumpet, taught by Vicente Zarzo Pitarch.

In 1987, Juan Pablo Hellín, a native of Torrent, directed the band. In the 1990s it was directed by Pascual Balaguer and Manuel Campos, until 1997 when, after a brief period under the leadership of Enrique de Dios, José Luis Peris became the Band's director with whom they recorded the CD "Un Torrent de Falles" in 2001.

In 2005 Vicente Cogollos took over as director and led the Band to win Second Prize at the 57th National Band Contest "City of Cullera"; in 2006 they won another Second Prize in Division One of the 30th Provincial Band Contest and First Prize in the 38th International Contest "Vila de Altea" in 2009.

Since 2011 the Catholic Circle Private Music School has been officially recognized by the Valencian Regional Government.

This year the Torrent Catholic Circle Symphony Band is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR

Vicent Cogollos Llinares

Vicent Cogollos Llinares was born in Alzira where he began studying music at the Alzira Music Association. He later went on to the Valencia Superior Conservatory where he studied for his Advanced Degree in Trumpet, Harmony, Counterpoint and Fugue, Composition, Orchestra Direction and Choir Direction; he received an Honorable Mention and the Extraordinary End of Course Prize. He attended orchestra direction courses with Maestros Cervera Collado, Sánchez Torrella, Marian Didú, García Asensio and Myung-Whum Chung at the Accademia Chigiana de Siena (Italy).

He has directed the Youth Band of the Alzira Music Society, the Symphony Band of the Teacher Training School, the Chamber Orchestra of the Alzira Auditorium, the Rotovense Musical Band from Rótova, the Federal Band of Safor-Valldigna and the Borja Choral Society from Gandia with which he won Second Prize in the 26th National Habanera and Polyphony Contest in Totana (Murcia) and recorded the CD, Visitatio Sepulchri. He currently directs the Symphony Band of the Torrent Catholic Circle with which he won Second Prize in the Cullera National Band Contest in 2005, Second Prize in the Valencia Provincial Contest in 2006 and First Prize in the 38th Vila d'Altea International Wind Band Contest in 2009.

He recently directed the Symphony Band of the Alzira Music Society as a guest director.

He also holds an Advanced Studies Diploma (DEA) in doctoral studies specializing in the History and Science of Music from the Universidad Católica de Valencia and is currently finishing his doctoral thesis on the Torrent Catholic Circle Band.