STAT. MUSICAL "LIRA CASTELLONENSE" DE VILLANUEVA DE CASTELLÓN (Valencia)

Director:
CARLOS REVERT ESPÍ

Band profile

The band first participated in the Valencia International Music Band Contest in 1887 - just nine years after being founded by Vicente Llácer Mata. It won third prize under director Francesc Aviñó and returned the following year to win fifth prize.
The band's best-known director was Jaume Fayos y Torres, known as 'the master', who directed the band from 1909.
After many years of absence, the band returned to the Valencia competition in 1925 and took second prize. A year later, the band was promoted to the special section and won second prize. The following year it won first prize and then second prize for the next three years.
In 1929, the band represented Valencian bands in the Barcelona International Exhibition.
In 1943 and 1944, it won first prize in the Murcia competitions. Returning to the special section of the Valencia competition, the band took first prize in 1947, 48, and 49, then second prize in 1948 and 1950, and third prize in 1952, 1970, 1975 and 1986.
Directors have included: Jaime Fayos Torres, Luis Ayllón Portillo, José María Alba Llácer, Francisco Hernández Guirado, Pablo Sánchez Torrella, Francisco Fort Fenollosa, Nicanor Sanz Cifre, Francisco Perales Ferré, Teodoro Aparicio, and Pablo Hellín. Over the years, the band has produced more than 80 professional musicians.

Director profile

Carlos Revert Espí was born in Agullent and began studying the saxophone under Miquel Llopis at the Valencia conservatory. He has taken advanced saxophone courses with Rafael Sanz, Manuel Miján, Arno Bornkamp, Claude Delangle, and Serge Bichon. He worked with the CDMC (Centre for the study of contemporary music) in the premiere of 'Samax' for saxophone, tenor, and percussion.
He studied harmony, counterpoint, análisis, and orchestra with Javier Darías - and harmony and análisis with Lluís Blanes. He also studied directing with Eduardo Cifre, Enrique García Asensio, Manuel Hernández Silva (director of the Salzburg Mozart Orchestra) and Denise Ham (Birmingham conservatory).
He won several important prizes directing the Eduardo Torres choir from Albaida.
He has directed the Banda Primitiva Albaidense, as well as the bands of Xella, Lira Carcaixentina, and the Associació Musical Canalense. As director of the Societat Musical Lira Castellonense, he won first prize in the Campo de Criptana competition. He also teaches at the Ontinyent professional conservatory.