BANDA ARTÍSTICA DE MERZA VILA DE CRUCES (Pontevedra)

Director:
JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS

Band profile

The band is the oldest in Galicia - being founded in 1828. The first recorded director was Anselmo González and his grandson Rogelio Otero followed him as director. In 1930, the band divided into two - only to reunite again in 1939 under the direction of Jesús Cao González.
The band´s most illustrious directors have included: José Fiuza, Francisco Beristain, Enrique González, Rafael Aladrén, Feliciano Cagide, Francisco Ortega, Enrique García Rey, Antonio Castro, Amadeo Valero (subdirector of the Banda del Generalísimo), Antonio Amigo, Alejandro del Río, Miguel de Santiago, Vicente Paniagua, Xurxo Guzmán, Serge Fortín, and the current director José Rodríguez.
The band has performed throughout Galicia, Asturias, and Portugal; and toured Venezuela in 1982 and 1992, and Argentina in 2000. It has recorded various LPs and CDs since 1980, and regularly attends festivals and contests such as: Vigo, Cangas, Santiago de Compostela, Ourense, Lalín, Vila de Cruces, Catoira, Castrelo, Gres, Ordes, Meaño, Boqueixón, and Mocao (Portugal). The band has recorded various programs for Galician radio and television.
The band started in own school in the 1970's and currently has 15 teachers and 115 students. Today, the band has 71 players, including many professionals, and is generally considered one of the best in Galicia.

Director profile

José Rodríguez Ramos was born in Rianxo (Corunna) and began studying music at the age of seven in the French town of Evian-Les-Bains. On returning to Spain, he continued his studies in trumpet and piano at the Corunna and Santiago conservatories.
He joined the Santiago municipal band in 1988 and attended various courses with José María Ortí Soriano of the Madrid conservatory and solo trumpeter with the Orquesta Nacional de España. He obtained his qualification as advanced trumpet instructor from the Santiago conservatory.
In 1990, he obtained a place in the Corunna municipal band and began teaching throughout Galicia. He also played with various Galician groups, including: the Santa Cecilia metal band in Ferrol, the Santiago metal band, Coruña Brass, Grupo de Metales de Galicia, Banda Sinfónica de Galicia, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia. He played as soloist with the Corunna chamber orchestra.
He has also directed the Banda de Música de Villalba and taught at the Ferrol conservatory.
He continues to develop his technique by working closely with teachers such as Vicente Martínez, Juan Carlos Alandete, and Benjamín Moreno, and he regularly attends courses given by José Ortí.
As well as directing the Merza band he is also solo trumpeter with the Corunna municipal band.