BILBAO AND BARCELONA: UNITED BY THE MUSIC

Repertoire

USANDIZAGA: Bidasoa
GURIDI: An Adventure of Don Quixote, symphonic poem
TOLDRÀ: Empúries, a “sardana lliure“ for orchestra
TOLDRÀ: La maledicció del comte Arnau (The Curse of Count Arnau)
BROTONS: Glosa de l’Emigrant (The Emigrant’s Ballad)
AMANDO BLANQUER: Concierto para Banda (Concerto for symphony band)

Artists

Barcelona Symphony Band
José R. Pascual Vilaplana, conductor
Bilbao Symphony Band

Program

This year sees the 125th anniversary of the Bilbao Symphony Band and, taking advantage of the fact that our principal conductor also performs the same role with the Basque orchestra, we have joined forces to celebrate the occasion in a fitting way. The twinning concert will take place in Barcelona and also in Bilbao. Each orchestra will perform the music of its own composers: the Bilbao band will play pieces by Usandizaga and Guridi, and we will play works by Toldrà and Brotons.The second part is when we light the candles on the cake: the two Symphony Bands will come together to perform the most noteworthy Concerto for symphony band of the 20th century, written by Amando Blanquer from Alcoy, Alicante, who died fifteen years ago and was the teacher and mentor of Pascual Vilaplana, with whom he was united by a relationship much more intense and profound than that of mere teacher-student. And what better way to celebrate an anniversary than by making Music with a capital ‘M’?