Centro Artístico Musical de Moncada

HISTORY OF THE BAND

The Musical Artistic Center Band, in its present form, was founded during the presidency of Crescencio Granell Ferrer on 27 June 1914, by member sponsors and musicians from the already existing band whose origins went back to the nineteenth century. The statutes written at that time, the only document from before 1936 which has been preserved, confirm the existence of the older band which was directed by Timoteo Ferrer Llorens.

Since then many notable directors have led the Band and have won numerous prizes. Particularly noteworthy are the First Prizes won at the International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia" in 1916, 1947, 1957, 1965, 1990 and 1996. The directors who have worked with the Center include: Enrique Martínez, Francisco Barceló, Manuel Palau, José Manuel Izquierdo, Miguel Gimeno, José Mª Cervera Lloret, José Ferriz, José Llopis, Leopoldo Gomis, Rafael Alabort, Felix Ramiro, Pablo Sánchez Torrella, Miguel Lafuente, Miguel Gorrea, José Miguel Peñarrocha, Francisco Cabrelles, Francisco Fort Fenollosa and Angel Crespo.

In 2003 and 2005 the Band took part in the Honorary Division and Division One (respectively) of the International Band Contest "City of Valencia".

Currently the band is directed by Maestro José Alcácer Durá with whom the Band took part in the 33rd Provincial Wind Band Contest in 2009 and won First Prize in Division One.

In 2010 the Band recorded a CD called "Moncada en música" under the baton of lead conductor José Alcácer. This was a historic recovery project which involved recording and digitizing unpublished works from the start of the twentieth century which were all written by local composers such as Rafael Alabort (Rafael de Moncada), Timoteo Ferrer, Manuel Palau and Miguel Gimeno.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR

José Alcacer

José Alcacer was born in Riba-roja de Túria in 1977. He studied Clarinet at the Valencia Superior Conservatory of Music with Maestro Juan Vercher and was awarded the title of Superior Music Teacher in said specialty. He furthered his studies in Music Teaching with Maestro Jos Wuytak.

He has a degree in Band Direction from Royal College of Music in London.

He studied Band Direction courses with Eugene Corporon (University of North Texas), José R. Pascual Vilaplana, Lorenzo Della Fonte (Udine Conservatory, Italy), Enrique García Asensio, Markus Theiner, Henrie Adams and Jose Mª Cervera Collado. He also studied Composition with Franco Cesarini (Lugano Conservatory, Switzerland) in Italy.

Since 1999 he has worked as a high school music teacher.

Since 2011 he has been the Director of the Moncada Professional Conservatory of Music, where he teaches Clarinet, Chamber Music and Orchestra. He directs the Band and Orchestra of the Moncada Professional Conservatory of Music. He is the Director of the Mestre Palau Center for Music Studies in Moncada.

He is the Director of the Mediterranean Brass Festival.

As a guest conductor, he has led: the Banda Musicale Città di Procida from Naples; the Orchestra di Fiati Kart Orff from Priolo Gargallo, Sicilia; the Wind Orchestra U. Giordiano from Rodi Garganico; the Orchestra di Fiati Il Leoncini de Abruzzo from Pescina; Il Corpo Musicale Pietro Giannone, La Orchestra Accademia 2008, the Banda de la Guardia Vienesa from Vienna; the Antonio Vivaldi Chamber Orchestra from Brescia and the Italian Army Band from Rome.

He consults and records for the Italiana Eufonia record label.

He has directed the Moncada Musical Artistic Center Band since 2005 with which he won First Prize in the Valencia Provincial Wind Band Contest in 2009.