The Utiel Music Association is one of the oldest Wind Bands in the Autonomous Region of Valencia. It was founded in 1845 with the name "Villa Philharmonic Society".

A prominent event in its history was the Band's participation in the First Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia" in 1886, where it won Second Prize.

The current Utiel Music Association was formed on 26 November 1940 through the merger of two groups existing at the time: the Utiel "Primitiva" and the "Nueva".

The current Symphonic Band is made up of 140 members; particularly notable is the young age of the majority of its musicians.

Its headquarters is located in Calle Isabel la Católica, 6, a modern building constructed in 1993, which houses, in addition to rehearsal spaces and other Association functions, the Utiel Professional Conservatory of Music where more than 300 students study for official qualifications at both initial and intermediate level. The Association also has a Music School with more than 80 students and a musical initiation school where 40 pupils between 4 and 7 years of age receive basic music lessons.

In June 2002 and representing the Autonomous Region of Valencia, the Band gave concerts in Mons and Brussels, which the Spanish Embassy in Brussels organized to mark the closure of the Spanish Presidency of the European Parliament.

On 17 December 2005 the Band received the Gold Medal from the Federation of Music Societies of the Autonomous Region of Valencia.

On 24 February 2007, the Utiel Music Association received the Gold Medal of Cultural Merit, awarded by the Valencia Provincial Government.

It has won many prizes over the years from all the contests in which it has taken part: Valencia, Cullera, Campo de Criptana, Altea, Leganés, to name a few from the last decade.

It won Second Prize in the Honorary Division in the International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia" on 7 July 2001.

It was awarded Second Prize in the Symphonic Section of the International Wind Band Contest "Villa de Altea" on 5 December 2004.

In 2006 it received Second Prize in the Honorary Division in the International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia" and the runner-up prize for the Best Performance of a Free-Choice Piece by a Valencian Composter with its interpretation of 'Marco Polo, La ruta de la seda'.

It won First Prize and received the maximum number of points possible in the II edition of the Villa de Magallón Band Contest (Zaragoza) in September 2007.

The Band received First Prize and the Gold Necktie in the XXXVII Villa de Altea Contest 2008 in the Symphonic Section.

The Utiel Music Association Band has been conducted by prestigious baton holders. Its recent conductors have been Ciro Rodríguez Perelló, Frank de Vuys, Llorenç Mendoza Ruiz, Enrique Artiga Francés and Fernando Rodrigo Serral. Since 19 July 2010, the Principal Conductor of the Utiel Music Association Band has been Juan Carlos Civera Domínguez.

Today, the Association has 1027 members and the Management Committee is made up of 16 members. The current President is Carlos Gadea Sánchez.


BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR

Juan Carlos Civera

Juan Carlos Civera was born in Valencia in November 1967.

He studied in the Valencia Superior Conservatory of Music where he gained a degree in Bassoon and the Honorary Degree Prize.

His artistic development has been influenced by great performers such as José Enguídanos, Vicente Merenciano, Janos Meszaros, Frantisek Herman, Geofrey Gambold, Dirk Noyen, Ovidio Danzi, Ronald Karten, Marieke Stordiau, Sergio Azzolini, Josep Borrás, Carles Riera, Cesar Ponce de León, Mª José Martos, Mª Angeles Peters and Jesús López Cobos.

He studied Chamber Music under the direction of the Netherlands Wind Ensemble.

He was the bassoon player in the López-Chavarri Wind Quintet, the Iturbi Ensemble, the "Cambra XX", and the "Academia Arcadia", "La Dispersione" and the Mediterranean Europe Symphony Orchestras.

He was Principal Conductor of the "Juan Bautista Comes" Children's Choir, the Mixed Voice Choir of the Valencia "José Iturbi" Conservatory, the "Grup Polifònic Haendel", the "Camerata Haendel", the Javea Vocal School Band; and the Symphonic Bands of the Vilamarxant Artistic-Music Association, the Benaguasil Music Association and the Bétera Artistic-Music Center. He was guest conductor of the Valldigna Symphony Orchestra, the Mislata Music Association Band, the Buñol "Armónica" Band and the Monserrat Music Association Band. He is the Guest Principal Conductor of the "Pont Saint Martín" Band.

He is currently a Bassoon and Chamber Music teacher at the Valencia "José Iturbi" Conservatory. He collaborates frequently with the Valencia Region Choir and is the Principal Conductor of the Guadassuar "Santa Cecilia" Symphonic Band and the Utiel Music Association Band.