Certamen Internacional de Bandas de Musica

MARTÍN ELLERBY

Martin Ellerb Ellerby is a composer of international standing, whose works have been performed, broadcast and recorded to critical acclaim across Europe, Asia and the USA. His catalogue comprises compositions spanning a diverse range of media, including orchestral, choral, concert band, brass band, ballet, concertos (11), instrumental and chamber, together with a substantial number of commercial orchestrations and arrangements. Ellerby’s works are published extensively and recorded on over 150 commercial CDs to date. Key performances include the BBC Promenade Concerts, Carnegie Hall (New York City), Leipzig Gewandhaus, Barbican Centre, Royal Albert Hall, South Bank Centre, Symphony Hall (Birmingham), Sydney Opera House and many major international festivals, including Edinburgh, Harrogate, Zurich and Kuhmo Chamber Music (Finland).

Martin combines a busy schedule as a professional composer with work in education, where he is currently Visiting Professor (with responsibility for curriculum design) at the Royal Air Force: Headquarters Music Services. He is also Artistic Director for Studio Music Company and Senior Producer for Polyphonic Recordings. He is currently Composer-in-Residence to the Band of Her Majesty’s Coldstream Guards.

In his previous post as Head of Composition and Contemporary Music at the London College of Music and Media, Martin was responsible for the co-ordination and development of a high profile department of over 50 composition students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He instigated and designed four specialist composition programmes at Master’s level while also preparing a range of detailed undergraduate syllabuses. Martin contributed to the artistic focus of the school by being pro-active in overseeing the inclusion of a substantial number of student works in concert programmes, hosting a range of Composers’ Festivals and organising frequent workshops and specialist composers’ concerts.

JOSÉ MARÍA CERVERA LLORET

Born in Alborache on March 13th, 1910, where after a whole life plenty of enthusiasm and dedication on music, he died on June 2nd, 2002.

He started his music studies at a very early age at Valencia Conservatory of Music on Composition, Counterpoint, Fugue and Musical Forms, being master Sosa’s favourite pupil.

He belonged to the Civilian Music Bands Conductors National Body, to the Conservatory Professors Body and also he was the Giner Music Institute principal in Valencia as well as a counselor at the Music Societies Federation in Land of Valencia. He did receive multiple homages and was designated as their Honorific Conductor at countless Music Societies due to his activities as a Conductor and his constant, unconditional support to the Music Bands. He has been the regular Conductor at the most prestigious Bands in Land of Valencia.

As Harmonics Professor at the Conservatory of Music in Valencia, his pedagogical labour has been not only immense but also prolific, teaching many pupil generations who nowadays hold important posts at the music world both in our country and abroad.

By acclamation he was named favourite son of Chiva and favourite son of Alborache, his birthplace, where a street shows his name and he received the gold town keys.

Among the countless prizes he was awarded with, maybe the most important Composition Prizes are "Ciudad de Barcelona 1969", “Ciudad de Murcia de 1970”, “Maestro Villa de Madrid de 1984”, Bronze Medal to Work Excellence and the Valencia General Captaincy Medal.

JESÚS SANTANDREU

Saxophonist, tenor and compositor, Jesús Santandreu was born in Carcaixent (Valencia) in December 1970. He studied in the Carcaixent Lira Band, in the Mestre Vert Conservatory in his home town, in the Amaniel Professional Conservatory in Madrid and in the Madrid Superior Conservatory. He later entered the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2000 with a master's degree in Performance.

As a musician he has recorded more than 20 records including Out of the Cage (Ref: Fresh Sound Records, FSNT 289) and Sound Colors (Ref: Fresh Sound Records FSNT 340), in which he led the ensemble, providing exclusively original compositions.

In the field of jazz composition he was awarded with a mention and a second prize in the SGAE Young Jazz Compositors Contest in the 1995 and 1996 editions respectively.

His symphonic pieces have been performed in Brazil, the USA, Portugal and Spain, and he has received commissions from various national and international institutions.

Currently he divides his time between composition, arranging, teaching and playing in concerts.

LUIS SERRANO ALARCÓN

Allthough his formation is basically independent and self-taught, Luis Serrano Alarcón feels a deep gratitude to some teachers and entities who had a decisive influence on his formation. Such as Jose Mª Cervera Lloret, Jose Mª Cervera Collado, Javier Barranco and the musical society " La Artística " from Chiva, where he started with his first musical lessons.

He's graduated with special Award "Premio Fin de Carrera" in Composition, Instrumentation, Solfeggio, Musical Theory, Sight-reading, Transposition, and Piano teaching.

He has been principal conductor of the symphonic bands "La Primitiva" from Alborache, "La Artística" from Chiva, and "Centro Instructivo Musical" from Benimaclet (Valencia).

From his very early years he felt a strong attraction towards musical creation, which resulted in a growing catalogue of compositions. Since 2005 some publishers, such as "Piles Editorial de Musica" and "Tot per l'Aire" are taking an interest in his works, and are publishing part of them, which made possible that some of his compositions have been interpreted in Spain, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Portugal, Estonia, Israel, United States, Argentina, Colombia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South-Korea.

In 2006 he wins the first award at the International Band Competition Contest of Corciano, Italy with the piece "Preludio y Danza del Alba", for brass quintet and symphonic band.

Besides composing, Luis Serrano Alarcon is teaching Analysis and Composition at the Professional Conservatory of Valencia, and since november 2006 he is principal conductor of the symphonic band "Centre Artístic Musical" from Betera (Valencia).