Banda Simfònica "Societat Musical D'Alzira"

HISTORY OF THE BAND

Since 1972 the band has taken part in the International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia" several times and has won prizes in all the divisions, including first prize and honorable mention in 1975, 1977 and 1994.

The band has enjoyed great successes in the following contests:

World Music Contest, Kerkrade (Holland): first prizes in the Concert Division category and Gold Medals and Golden Kettledrum in the march-procession specialty (1978, 1985 and 1997).
First prize in the 27th National Wind Band Contest "Campo de Criptana" (2007).
First prize in the Wind Band Contest "Villa de Aranda" in Aranda de Duero (2005).
First prize at the Torrevieja International Wind Band Contest (2008).
Altea International Contest: second prize in 1997, first prize in 2004, first prize and honorable mention in 2006; in 2010 the band won first prize, Gold Necktie, the Gold Baton for its conductor, Ángel Crespo, and the prize of the best soloist for Iván Ortega Verdú (saxhorn).

Its extensive catalogue of recordings include: "World Music Contest" (1997-Kerkrade), "XXX Aniversario Banda Simfònica Alzira-Altea" (1997), "Plaza Mayor" (2000), "Fiesta Española" (1999), "Raíces" (2001), "Entre Fallas y Naranjos" (2002), "La Vall de la Murta" (2003), "Plaza Mayor" (2004), "La Vall de la Murta" (2004), "Alzira en viu" (2006) and "40 anys fent música i músics" (2008).

The band was awarded the Euterpe 2005 prize for the best wind band recording for "La Vall de la Murta" together with "La Artística" of Buñol.

In 2009 the band took part in the Canal 9 television series, "Unió Musical Da Capo".

José Mª Sanchis Chapa, Francisco Hernández Guirado, Ramón Herrero García, Ernest Artal and Nicanor Sanz Sifre were the band's previous conductors.

Ángel Crespo García has been the band's principal conductor since 1992.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR

Angel Crespo

Since 1992 Ángel Crespo has been the artistic director of the Societat Musical of Alzira. He has led the band in numerous contests and has won several prizes, including: Valencia, Kerkrade, Torrevieja and Altea, where he won the golden baton in 2010.

He teaches at the music school of the SAM of Picassent and conducts its youth band.

He is the conductor of the Banda del Cuartel de Marinería of Cartagena and the wind band of the Centro Artístico Musical of Moncada.

He is the director and founder of the Centro "Mestre Palau". From 1982 to 2007 he conducted the Banda de la Stat Unió Protectora Musical of Vallada and was director of its music school.

He has been the conductor of the Societat Unió Artística Musical of Ontinyent.

He has made various transcriptions for wind band. He has published a research paper about composers from Picassent.

He has conducted renowned soloists and groups such as Pedro Iturralde, López Artigas, Astrid Crone, Esperanza Rumbau, Yolanda Marín, Javier Bonet, James Thompson, Spanish Luur Metalls, Salvador Moreno, Lito Fontana, Gilles Millière, Carlos Gil, Alberto Pons, Vince Dimartino, Ab Koster, Steven Mead, Eric Aubier, Shoichiro Hokazono and the Budapest Festival Horn Quartet.

He has recorded 12 CDs on several labels and won the Euterpe 2005 prize for wind band music by Andrés Valero (Wind Word Music).

He works with "AM Producciones" as a music consultant and won another Euterpe prize in 2006 for the CD "Música de todo un siglo".

He was a consultant for the "Da Capo" television series for Canal 9. In 2007 he created radiobanda.com and he has been its head of programming ever since.

Since 2011 he has directed the Banda Sinfónica de la Sociedad Musical of Almoradí, with which he won first prize and honorable mention in Division One of the 42nd Alicante Provincial Wind Band Contest.

SECTION OF HONOUR

Banda Simfònica "Societat Musical D'Alzira"

Angel Crespo