Banda Sinfónica Amando Herrero de Algeciras

HISTORY OF THE BAND

The Band has military origins going back to the middle of the twentieth century. However, it was recast as a civil organization in 1989, thanks to the initiative of Fernando Gómez Díaz, and became a Municipal Wind Band.

In 1994 it lost its “municipal” status and became the “Amando Herrero” Wind Band. It was named after a great musician who has dedicated his life to the Band and who currently directs the training given in the Band's music school, which has an average of 30 pupils and 6 instructors.

Its display cases hold numerous prizes for performance and musical quality, such as First Prize from the 2006 Chauchina Wind Band Contest and Fourth Prize from the 2009 Torremolinos Wind Band Contest.

In 2001, the Local Board of Brotherhoods and Guilds awarded the Band the “Palma Cofrade”, the highest honor of the Algeciras Easter celebrations.

It is the resident band of the Las Palomas Bull Ring in Algeciras.

It has several pieces and processional marches of its own such as the pasodoble “Coso de las Palomas”, the marches “Cristo Atado a la Columna” and “Virgen de las Maravillas” by Francisco Rojo Jimeno, and “Confesión” by Manuel Jiménez.

In 2006 they gave a well-deserved tribute concert to Abel Moreno, under his direction and performing his main works.

In 2008 the Band adopted the title of “Symphony” after introducing string instruments into the group.

The Band’s goal is to put continual effort into musical improvement, training and, above all, creating a musical family. Currently the Band has 70 musicians and an extensive repertoire of classical works, pasodobles, contemporary pieces and more than 270 processional marches.On 6 October their first CD will be released, dedicated to Easter Week in Algeciras.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR

María Jesús Herrero González

María Jesús Herrero González was born in Algeciras.

She is a reputed musician who has belonged to the Algeciras Band since her infancy. She has a degree in Music Teaching from the Seville Superior Conservatory of Music. She is also a piano teacher and has a degree in Musical Language, Transposition, Musical Accompaniment and Saxophone. She is one of the pioneering women working in wind band direction in Andalucia.

At the Seville Superior Conservatory of Music she studied various courses in Musical Direction with renowned directors such as Enrique García Asensio and Vicente Sanchís, and courses in Composition and Musical Interpretation with piano teachers José Manuel Dediego, Pilar Bilbao and Adela Barranco.

She completed the first year at the "Maestro Navarro Lara" International School for Orchestra and Wind Band Directors, where she was taught by Navarro Lara himself.

She formed and directed the Jimena de la Fra Municipal Band. In recognition of her work, the town honored her by naming her the inaugural announcer of its major annual festivities.

Under the baton of this young director, the Alcegiras Amando Herrero Symphony Band won First Prize at the renowned Chauchina Wind Band Contest (Granada).

She currently divides her time between the direction of the Alcegiras Amando Herrero Symphony Band and teaching music. She entered the Secondary School teaching corps of the Andalucia Regional Government through public examination and now teaches at the Algeciras Municipal Music School.