INSTITUTIONAL GREETINGS
Agrupación Musical "Amigos de la Música" de Mancha Real HISTORY OF THE BAND With great zeal, this music group made its debut on 22 November 2002, SAINT CECILIA'S day. The vast majority of its 75 members are music students from different provincial, national and international conservatories; some of them have won prizes in contests (young musician competitions) and conservatory competitions. Some are previous and current members of the OJA (Andalucia Youth Orchestra) and have completed further studies in different European schools and centers. In its early years the band was directed by Rafael Jimènez Gila who continues to be an exemplary member of the group for us all and holds the role of Sub-director of the band. Later, and until 2006, the band enjoyed numerous successes under the baton of Francisco Javier Yera Jiménez, a trombone teacher at the Jaén Superior Conservatory and a fellow native of Andalucía. Currently, the artistic and musical direction of the group is managed by Francisco Gabriel Pérez Garrido, who teaches music and performing arts in the specialty of clarinet at the "Andrés Segovia" Professional Conservatory of Music in Linares. Over the last few years the "Amigos de la música de Mancha Real" have performed in numerous contests and festivals, including:
BIOGRAPHY OF THE CONDUCTOR Francisco Gabriel Pérez GarridoFrancisco Gabriel Pérez Garrido was born in Linares. He began learning the clarinet at an early age as a pupil of Fernando Rodríguez.He continued his training in the conservatories of Linares, Jaén and Málaga. He furthered his education with renowned teachers such as Marcel Anción, Michel Letiec, Julian Farrel, Walter Boeykens, José Luís Estelléz, Carlos Gil, Enrique Pérez Piquer and Jusep Fuster. Since 1995 he has taught in the conservatories of Vélez-Rubio, Baza, Andújar, Jaén and Linares. He currently teaches in his home town, giving classes in clarinet and repair and maintenance of woodwind instruments. He has been a member of the OSL, OSJ, GOML and the JOPMA, as well as part of various chamber ensembles. Outside of Spain he has taught classes in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa (in Honduras), collaborating in a charitable initiative with ACOES. He has also taught training courses in Málaga, Almería and Granada and in various towns in his home province. During the 2011-12 Christmas holiday season, he travelled to the People's Republic of China with JOPMA where they performed a series of nine concerts around the country, visiting cities such as Zhengzhou, Changsh, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Wuhang, Wuangzhou and Beijing. From 2000 to 2004 he was Musical Director of the Campillo de Arenas Municipal Wind Band and since 2006 he has been the Artistic and Musical Director of the "Amigos de la Música de Mancha Real" Association. With this last group he recorded a CD of a live performance in the Manzanares "Gran Teatro" and a DVD of another live performance to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the band's foundation. |
