In 1901, Valencia City Councilor, journalist and art critic, Vicente Ávalos Ruiz, proposed to Salvador Giner, who was considered to be the highest musical authority of the time, the creation of a Municipal Band under the direction of Santiago Lope. Maestro Lope conducted the Municipal Band in their first concert in the city's bullring on 8 December 1903 where, among other works, they performed 'L'Entrà de la Murta', composed by maestro Giner specifically for this occasion.

Under Maestro Lope's leadership, the Valencian group achieved countless successes, including three first prizes at the Bilbao International Festival in 1905.

Over the years the Municipal Band has had several principal conductors, including Maestros Vega, Ayllón, Seguí, Palanca, Ferríz, Garcés and Ribelles, while always maintaining its superior level of artistry.

The Municipal Band gives numerous performances every year. Worthy of special mention are those in the Palau de la Música concert cycles, the June concerts held in the Palau's gardens, and those in outlying areas of the city, smaller towns in the Valencia Region and several European cities, in addition to their participation in official City Council events.

On 5 December 2003, at the request of the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, and following deliberation by the Council of Ministers, the Valencia Municipal Band received the "Corbata de la Orden Civil de Alfonso X El Sabio" decoration.

It also holds the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes [Fine Arts Gold Medal], the highest honor awarded by the Spanish State.

Valencia City Council, in an extraordinary plenary session held on 28 June 2002, decided unanimously to "grant the gold medal of our city to the Valencia Municipal Band, an example and inspiration for all bands in the Valencia Region, as well as an illustration of its traditional musical culture and popular opinion, on the occasion of the one-hundredth anniversary of its foundation."

Finally, we must mention the huge success that was the Band's 2005 concert tour of Japan, where they took part in the 2005 Japan Band Clinic and further increased their already considerable international prestige.


BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR

Fernando Bonete Piqueras

Fernando Bonete holds qualifications in Clarinet, Baroque Flute, Sol-fa and Music Theory, Transposition and Accompaniment, Harmony, Counterpoint, Composition and Instrumentation, Choir Conducting and Orchestra Conducting. He is a student of the distinguished maestro, Enrique García Asensio.

He has won numerous important contests: the Valencia "Joaquín Rodrigo" Choir Conducting Contest in 1992; the Madrid Royal Conservatory of Music Orchestra Conducting Contest in 1995; prize and honorable mention in the highest division in the International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia" in 1999. He has also won the following national composition competitions: "City of Orihuela" 2004; the Pamplona City Council "Maestro Turrillas" 2007; and the Soria City Council "Maestro Francisco García Muñoz" 2008.

He has recorded for labels such as RTVE-Música, Radio 9, RNE-Radio Clásica, Nuestras Bandas de Música and has written papers and courses for the Ministry of Education and Science.

He is a member of the Spanish Association of Interpreters and Performers and the General Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE). He has more than three hundred works to his name and other phonograms and videograms. His instrumentations for bands, both lyric music and those of symphonic repertoire, are reference points for today's symphonic bands.

He has been invited to conduct the most important symphonic bands in Spain, including those of Alicante, Almería, Barcelona, Bilbao, Castellón, La Coruña, Madrid, Santiago de Compostela, Seville and Tenerife. He has also been a jury member at the most significant composition and band contests.

In his educational work, Fernando Bonete has taught Harmony and Accompanied Melody at Zamara Provincial Conservatory of Music (obtaining the position through public competition). He is also a member of the Secondary Education Teacher Corps, specializing in Music, and the Music and Scenic Arts Teacher Corps, specializing in Choir and Orchestra (again gaining the posts through public competition).

He is currently the Director-Chief of the Albacete Municipal Music Service and the Albacete Municipal Symphonic Band.