Banda Musical de Arouca HISTORY OF THE BAND The Wind Band of Arouca Asociación Cultural y Artística was founded in the first quarter of the nineteenth century by Bernardino Joaquim Soares. It was legally constituted on 25 June 1985, having been issued the Public Utility Statute for defense of music by His Excellency the Prime Minister. The Arouca Chamber of Commerce also honored the Band with the Municipal Gold Merit Medal. To fulfill one of its objectives, the Band runs a music school with about 100 students, which is free of charge to its youngest members. The Band continues to travel all over Portugal, adding sparkle to numerous festivities. The Band won first prize in the "Terras de Cambra" Civil Band Contest on 19 September 1993. In the summer of 2003, the Band travelled to the French town of Poligny, which is twinned with Arouca, to take part in the town's annual festival. In 2009 the Band gave a short performance in the Portuguese Parliament, where their audience included members of parliament, ministers and the President. The same year they performed concerts in the Casa de la Música (Oporto) and in the "Filarmonia ao mais alto nível" festival in Santa Maria da Feira. In 2011, to celebrate the release of their latest CD, the Band gave a concert which included the talents of trumpet player, Ruben Simeó. The performance was recorded and released on an acclaimed DVD. wo significant events were the highlights of 2013: the Band's participation in the First Arouca Music Contest and a concert with the Portuguese pianist and composer, Mário Laginha. Both these events had a significant impact on the Band's profile in the region. Today, the Wind Band of Arouca is made up of close to 75 musicians, many of whom work in higher education, as well as in Portuguese military bands and orchestras. BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR João DiasJoão Dias was born in Fermentelos on 12 November 1965. In 1981 he entered the Aveiro Conservatory where he completed his 6th year of clarinet studies.In 1987 he took public examinations to gain a place in the Band of the Public Security Police; he was awarded first place and appointed to the position of principal clarinet. He later went on to study at the Lisbon National Conservatory of Music, where he was a soloist in the Conservatory Orchestra and finished an advanced course in clarinet. He studied and performed in the Superior National Academy of the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra. His clarinet teachers were Nuno Silva and Étienne Lamaison; his chamber music teachers were Kevin Vigneau and Franz Jurgen; and Maestro Jean Marc Burfin taught him orchestra. He attended a master class in orchestra conducting with the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jean Sebastian Bereau. He also completed courses in orchestra conducting with the Oporto Classical Orchestra, and with the String Orchestra of the Lisbon Superior School in Óbidos, with Maestro Robert Houlihan. In 2002 he took part in a master class at the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa with Maestro Sir David Whitwell. In December 2005 he participated in a master class in band conducting, led by the American maestro, Mitchell J. Fennel, at the Lisbon National Conservatory of Music. In October 2006 he was invited to conduct the choir of the Superior School of the Public Security Police. In June 2008 he attended a master class in conducting, organized by the Symphonic Band of the Public Security Police, with Maestro Mitchell J. Fennell. n April 2009 he took part in a master class in conducting, organized by the Public Security Police, with Maestro Felix Hauswirth. He is currently attended a conducting course taught by Jean Marc Burfin. He has been the conductor of the Wind Band of Arouca since January 2007. |
