Societat Unió Musical Alberic

HISTORY OF THE BAND

The Societat Unió Musical Alberic was founded in 1852, made up of a group of musicians conducted by a school teacher with basic notions of music. It took part in the First July Fair Contest in the city of Valencia in 1886 (today's Valencia CIBM), where it won a third prize. Since then, the Band has continued to take part in different editions of the CIBM, winning first and second prizes in Division One and the Special Division B.

The SUM Alberic has had many conductors. A special mention must go to Emilio Mínguez Martínez, who was known as "El Mestre" ("The Maestro"). He was a native of Alberic and conducted the Band for 25 years, taking part in various editions of the Valencia CIBM.

The SUM Alberic is made up of professional musicians from all over Spain who come together to play in the Band whenever the occasion calls. Particularly noteworthy are Mario Vallés Torres and Miguel Iborra Climent, two great musicians who have left the Association in the last decade and who made a significant contribution to its band.

In 2002 Francesc Xavier Martínez Martínez became the Band's director and in 2004 conducted the group at the Cullera Band Contest where they won the prize for the Best Band in the competition. In 2005 they took part in Division One of the Valencia CIBM and won first prize.

Daniel Ferrero Silvage became the band's Principal Conductor in December 2005. In 2007 the Band took part in the Honorary Division of the Valencia CIBM, where they won second prize. In 2009 they took part in the Villa de Altea International Contest in the Symphonic Division, winning first prize. In 2011 and 2013 they returned to the Valencia CIBM, winning third prize and second prize, respectively, both times in the Honorary Division.

Over the past few years the band has given various concerts in the Palau de la Música and has starred in different programs about wind bands such as 'Bandalia' or 'Nuestras Bandas de Música'. Today the association has over 200 musicians, a music school dedicated to Maestro Leopoldo Magenti, and a youth band made up of more than 70 students.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR

Daniel J. Ferrero Silvage

Daniel Ferrero Silvage was born in Ontinyent in 1965. He started his musical training in his home town, taught by Father V. Pérez-Jorge. He continued his professional studies in the Valencia Superior Conservatory of Music where he gained his qualifications in trumpet, harmony, composition and instrumentation, choir conducting and orchestra conducting.

He has attended conducting classes with Manuel Galduf, Bernando Adam Ferrero, Robero Forés and Antoni Ros Marbà. He has directed the Valencia Conservatory Orchestra, the Vallés Symphony Orchestra, the Unión Musical of Muro, the Villena Municipal Band, the Banda Unión Artística Musical of Ontinyent, and the Filarmónica Alteanense. He has won two first prizes at the Cullera and Elda contests, a third prize in Campo de Criptana Contest, a second prize in the "City of Murcia" Contest in 2001, the Gold Medal with honorable mention at the Kerkrade Music Contest in 2005, a second prize in the Honorary Division of the "City of Valencia" Contest in 2007, a third prize in the same contest in 2011, and a second prize in 2013, and a first prize in the Villa de Altea International Contest in 2009.

He is a member of the General Society of Authors and Editors (SGAE) and President of the Association of Composers of Moors and Christians Music (ACMMIC).

In 2008 he was the guest conductor at the 4th PIAGET "Estágio de Orquesta de Sopros" at the Mirandela and Viseu University campus in Portugal. In 2010 the Federation of Music Societies of the Autonomous Region of Valencia (FSMCV) awarded him the Euterpe prize for festival music composition.

In 2014 he was Director of the Youth Wind Band of the FSMCV.

He is currently Professor of Trumpet at the Cullera Professional Conservatory and since 2006 he has been the conductor of the Societat Unió Musical Band of Alberic.