Founded on 3 March 1940, the ARMAB - the "Friends of Branca" Recreational and Musical Association - was initially created to perform in liturgical ceremonies and religious festivals; its great champion was Father Manuel Valente dos Santos Conde.

Throughout its history, the ARMAB has been directed and supported by many figures, renowned in the local community, including: António Pires Ladeira, the first President, António de Almeida Oliveira, his successor, and Gualdino Pereira Martins da Silva, who revitalized the Band in 1976 and directed the Association until close to his passing in 2004.

The Association Band has had its ups and downs, like almost all groups of its kind. However, since the 1980s, the evolution of the Band has always been expansive and positive, both in musical training and artistically, thanks to improved management of people and resources.

This development has been founded on improved training, achieved through the creation of a Music School, which currently has about 120 young students who take classes in wind and percussion instruments with a staff of 16 qualified teachers.

The Philharmonic Band, the greatest exponent of the ARMAB, has shown extraordinary artistic development in the last few years. With the current Artistic Director and Conductor, Paulo Martins, the Band has focused on new music and new audiences, using different ways of working and diversifying their performances, thereby successfully reaching a level of artistry and performance that is uncommon among bands in Portugal.

Never having ceased to perform in religious processions and festivals, the ARMAB Philharmonic Band has also channeled its efforts into auditorium concerts, performing repertoire containing a wide variety of styles, from classic to contemporary compositions, interpreting transcriptions and works written for band, as well as pieces by Portuguese and foreign composers.

To make all this possible, the Band has 90 members and prepares various seasons using a set repertoire for auditorium concerts, open air concerts, popular festival and processions.

The Band has increased its participation in national and international band contests. Recently they have won: a first prize at the Villa de Altea International Band Contest (Spain) in December 2007; a first prize at the Ateneu Vilafranquese International Contest in May 2008; and tenth place in Division One of the World Music Contest in Kerkrade, Holland, in August 2009.


BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR

Paulo Martins

Paulo Martins' first instrument was the saxophone; he finished the complementary course in this subject at the Porto Conservatory of Music, where he was taught by Francisco Ferreira and received the highest marks possible.

He continued his bassoon studies under the tuition of Hugues Kesteman, later entering the Superior School of Music and Scenic Arts (ESMAE), where he received his Master's degree in Bassoon Playing and the Engineer António de Almeido Foundation Award for having finished the Joint Honors degree in Instrument/Bassoon with the highest marks in the 2000/2001 graduating class.

In 2001 he furthered his bassoon studies in Germany, and in 2004 he finished the DKA (Diplom Künstlerische Ausbildung - Bassoon) soloist course and advanced postgraduate studies in performance (Konzert Examen), taught by Prof. Guner Pfitzenmaier at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe (Germany). He received the highest marks possible for both courses. In recognition of this achievement he was given the opportunity to record a concert of Mozart's music with the School's Chamber Orchestra.

He has worked with the bassoonists, Sérgio Azzollini, Milan Turkovic, Pierre Kerremans, Robert Glazburn and Arlindo Silva, among others.

He has won prizes in various contests, including: the Portuguese Young Musicians Contest; the Young Talents of the CTT Competition; the Porto Conservatory of Music Contest and the Districts of Coímbra and Aveiro Youth Competition.

He has performed as a soloist with the Santa María da Feira Orchestra and Youth Band; the "Sinfonieta" Orchestra; the ARTAVE Orchestra; and the Chamber Orchestra of the Staatliche Hoschule für Musik Karlsruhe (Germany). He has played as a member of various orchestra, including: the Porto National Orchestra; the Beiras Philharmonic Orchestra; the "Sinfonieta" Orchestra; the Póvoa do Varzim Symphony Orchestra; the Santa Maria da Feira Regional Youth Orchestra; the "Sinenomine" Orchestra; the Braga Regional Orchestra; the Porto Jazz Orchestra; the Private Schools Orchestra; the Gaia Regional Conservatory Orchestra, and the Coimbra Wind Instrument Ensemble. He has performed all over Portugal and in Spain, France, Belgium, Macau and Germany.

He was a master class tutor at the "IV International Course" of the ARTAVE School, at the VI Festival of Music from the Santa Maria Region, at the Piaget Institute and in the Azores, where he also performed in concert.

He studied orchestra conducting with maestro Osvaldo Ferreira and participated in master classes in orchestra conducting and chamber music with maestro Ernest Schelle, Eugene Corporon and Jorma Panula.

In 2007 he received advanced postgraduate qualifications in conducting, taught by the renowned maestro, Jan Cober, at the Maastricht Conservatory (Holland).

As a conductor, he has won prizes at the International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia" in 2002 and 2005, at the Vila d'Altea International Wind Band Contest in 2006 and 2007, and at the 2nd "Ateneu Artístico Vilafranquense" Band Contest.

He has also had the opportunity to conduct various orchestras, including: the Castelo de Paiva Music Academy Wind Orchestra; the Orchestra of the Coliseu do Oporto Salão Jardím Passos Manuel; the Raizes Ibericas Orchestra; the Alacuás Symphonic Band (Valencia); the Aveiro Conservatory of Music Symphonic Band; the Viana do Castelo Professional School of Music Wind Orchestra; the Piaget Institute Classical Orchestra and Wind Orchestra; the Band of the Lisbon Republican National Guard (GNR); the Military Band of the Azores; the Porto Military Band; the Santa Maria da Feira Music Academy String Orchestra; the Fornos Conservatory of Music Classical Orchestra; the Madeira Classical Orchestra and the Porto National Orchestra.

He has been a member of the jury at the RDP Young Musicians Contest, the First Almàssera National Band Contest (Valencia) and the prestigious International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia". He is the Artistic Director of the National Philharmonic Band Contest "City of Aveiro".

He is a teacher at the Aveiro Conservatory of Music and the Artistic Coordinator of advanced postgraduate studies in Wind Orchestra Conducting at the Viseu Piaget Institute. He is Artistic Director of the Concelho de Santa Maria da Feira Orchestra and Symphonic Youth Band, and of the "Friends of Branca" Association.