Asociación Banda Municipal de Música “La Lira” de Toro

HISTORY OF THE BAND

The Ciudad de Toro Wind Band was founded in 1890. For over a hundred years the Band has continued to perform without interruption.

Its many performances in Spain and abroad include:

The Castilla y León Wind Band Contests in 1972 and 1973, where they won the "Tuning Prize".
The "Directísimo" Show for Televisión Española (TVE) in 1976.
The "Plaza Mayor" Program for National Spanish Radio (RNE) in 1980.
The "Castilla y León Band Contest", part of the Valladolid San Mateo Festivities, where they won First Prize.
The 18th Comdom International Band Festival (France), where they won the "Silver Trumpet" Prize.
Performances in the German cities of Dormagen, Cologne, Lingen and Düsseldorf in 1992 and 2011.
Participation in the 1st Zamora Processional March Contest.
Participation in the 2007 International and National Festivals of Zamora, Veguellina de Rio Orbigo and Pola de Laviana.
And international concert in Samora-Correia (Portugal).
Participation in the 2nd Lisbon Ateneu A. Vilafranquense Band Contest (Portugal).
Organization of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th "Ciudad de Toro" International Music Course.
Participation in the 2006, 2008 and 2010 editions of the Zamora Spanish-Portuguese Festival for Wind Bands and Ensembles.
Participation in the Music Days at Disneyland Resort Paris in May 2009.
A concert as a Guest Band at the 1st Alcobendas Funeral March Contest in 2009.
Participation in the 2007, 2009 and 2011 editions of the Zamora International Festival for Wind Bands and Ensembles.
Participation in the 12th International Band Contest "Villa de Aranda" in 2011, where they came fourth out of all the bands which took part.

They have had the honor of being directed in concert by Jesús López Cobos, a Toro native and eminent conductor.

Since March 2002, Casimiro García Llamas has been the Band's Principal Director.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR

Casimiro García Llamas

Casimiro García Llamas was born in Toro. He began studying music in the local Wind Band Academy with Maestro Jesús de la Sota Calvo.

He went on to study Sol-fa, Choir and Piano in the Valladolid and Salamanca Conservatories of Music before finalizing his professional trombone studies in the Conservatory of Zamora with Juan Luelmo López. In 2003 and 2004 he studied Direction with the great composer Ferrer Ferrán in the Valencia Academia Allegro. He later continued these studies in A Coruña with the director Marcel Van Bree, while also completing his advanced trombone training in the department of Rubén Prades Cano at the Salamanca Superior Conservatory of Music.

He is a member of WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles) and ITA (International Trombone Association).

As a musician he has been a member of the Toro Municipal Wind Band for 15 years and collaborated with orchestras such as the Youth Orchestra of the University of Valladolid, the Ciudad de León "Odón Alonso" Orchestra, the Cantabria Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Salamanca Superior Conservatory of Music. He has also performed in different chamber ensembles.

He received classes from Cristian Lindberg, Stephan Schultz, Francisco Rosario, Deanna Dee Decker, Jon Etterbeek, Petur Eiriksson, Ximo Vicedo, Alvaro Martinez and Elies Herrandis.

He directed the Orchestra of the Rey Juan Carlos I University of Madrid and the Wind Bands of Zamora and Villamayor de la Armuña.

He has recorded for the Plaza Mayor program (a program dedicated to Classic Radio Wind Bands on the RTVE label) with the Alba de Tormes Band.

He has taught in Music Schools in La Bañeza (León), Tordesillas (Valladolid) and Toro (Zamora).

In 2002 he was named Director of the Toro Municipal Band and Municipal Music School, a post he still holds today.