Sociedad Musical Ayorense HISTORY OF THE BAND Ayora is a town in the south-west of Valencia Province. Its rich cultural heritage includes the old popular customs of playing, singing and dancing jotas, as well as a great passion for and dedication to its wind bands. In 1908 a group of people with standing in the town founded "La Filarmónica", with Leandro Teruel Teruel as its conductor. As the town now had two bands, "La Vieja" and "La Filarmónica", there was an inevitable rivalry between them which led to the disappearance of both. In 1929, in response to concern that the town had gone so many years without a band, a group of amateurs founded the "Sociedad Artística Ayorense", with Fidel del Campo as its conductor. In 1939, as a result of some differences between members of the associations, a new band was formed, called "La Filarmónica". In 1939 "La Filarmónica" disappeared and the Sociedad Artística Ayorense continued, and went on to great success. From 1960-1970 the Band suffered a period of apathy, but in 1972 an enthusiastic group worked to revive the Band and gave the "Sociedad Musical Ayorense" legal status. The Association began with 30 musicians and by creating a music school; in this way it started to revive the local musical traditions which had been lost for years. Today it has more than 90 musicians and the school has 80 students. The Sociedad Musical Ayorense has taken part in many band contests, including: Teruel, Cocentaina, Campo de Criptana, the International Wind Band Contest 1984, the International Wind Band Contest 1994, the Leganés Wind Band Contest 1997, the International Wind Band Contest 1999, the International Wind Band Contest 2004, the Elda Festive Music Contest May 2005, and Aranda de Duero. It has also participated in numerous local festivals and other events. Today its President in Ángel Martínez Pérez and its conductor is Salva Luján. BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR Salva LujánSalva Luján was born in Valencia in 1975.He holds advanced qualifications in composition and orchestration teaching. He is also a qualified teacher of sol-fa, music theory, sight reading, transposition and piano. He has a diploma in music theory from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (UK). His catalogue of works, which predominately contains music for wind orchestra, has been performed in and selected by numerous contests, including the International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia". He was nominated for the Euterpe Prize in 2009, in the Symphonic Music category, and has won various national and international composition competitions such as the 4th "La Prime L'us" Composition Contest in Bertiolo (Italy), the 3rd "Villa de Ortigueira" Iberoamerican Composition Contest (Galicia) and the 2nd "Villa d'Albocàsser" National Composition Contest (Castellón). These prizes have brought him widespread renown as a composer of music for wind bands. He began studying conducting with Jan Cober, and went on to further and perfect his skills with Ferrer Ferran. In August 2008 he won the 1st "Cueva de Medrano" National Wind Band Direction Contest in Ciudad Real. He has been invited to conduct many bands, including the Murça Military Band (Portugal), the Zamora Municipal Band, the Orchestra of the Alcazar de San Juan Conservatory (Ciudad Real), the Orchestra of the "City of Moncada" Conservatory (Valencia), and the Orchestra of the "Alto Palencia" Conservatory in Segorbe (Castellón). He currently teaches composition, harmony and analysis in various music conservatories in the Valencia Region. He also teaches harmony in the music school of the Alginet Sociedad Artística Musical. He is the principal conductor of the Cofrentes Sociedad Musical San Blas de Teresa (Valencia) and the Sociedad Musical Ayorense (Valencia). He is a member of the Association of Valencian Symphonic Composers (COSICOVA). In 1999 he was awarded the Medal for Military Merit with White Decoration. |
