Canada’s most active horn soloist, Montréal based Louis-Philippe Marsolais can be seen on stages all over the world. He shares his musical life between solo, chamber music and orchestral playing. His career took a giant leap when he became, in 2005, winner of three prizes at the prestigious ARD Competition in Munich. He was also an award-winner in other international competitions, including Geneva, Rovereto and Trévoux. Since then, he performed with most orchestras in Canada, as well as in the United States, Mexico and throughout Europe. Louis-Philippe has been principal horn of Montréal’s Orchestre Métropolitain since 2009 and a frequent player of Les Violons du Roy and the I Musici de Montréal. He has also held positions with the Montréal, Québec and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestras. He is also very active as a chamber musician. With the Pentaèdre wind quintet, he has performed throughout Canada, as well as in the United States, Europe, and Middle East. His numerous solo, chamber music and orchestral recordings, mostly for ATMA Classics, have all received unanimous praises, as well as many awards. His most recent CD, featuring music for horn by Clara and Robert Schumann, has received praises in numerous reviews. A curious musician, he explores all musical eras. His expertise on the baroque and natural horns brings him to perform with different ancient music groups, and his virtuosity on the modern instrument has inspired many composers to write works he commissioned and/or premiered. Louis-Philippe is horn professor at the music faculty of Université de Montréal. He also teaches at the Domaine Forget Summer Academy and has been a member of the Advisory Council of the International Horn Society between 2015 and 2020.
Tanja Nisonen’s journey with the horn began at 12, when she fell in love with the instrument. She toured Scandinavia, Europe, the USA, and Australia with a youth wind band, winning numerous chamber music competitions and participating in master classes. Despite her early success, she wasn’t initially convinced she would become a professional musician and even quit playing for several years to pursue other interests. However, at 21, an invitation to join a chamber music group rekindled her passion, prompting her to resume her musical career with determination. At 25, Nisonen enrolled in the Sibelius Academy and won her first audition, securing a position as co-principal horn with the Lappeenranta City Orchestra. Influential figures in her early career included her teacher, Professor Timo Ronkainen, as well as Frøydis Ree Wekre and Markus Maskuniitty. Participation in youth orchestras such as Orkester Norden and Symphony Orchestra Vivo also played a significant role in her development. After graduating with the highest honors from the Sibelius Academy, Nisonen joined the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra as co-principal horn, where she spent 11 years as acting principal horn. She has also performed as a guest principal with major orchestras, including the Swedish Radio Orchestra and Finnish Radio Orchestra. Nisonen has appeared as a horn soloist with several Finnish orchestras and recently performed Dame Ethel Smyth’s Concerto for violin, horn, and orchestra with violinist Elina Vähälä. In 2022, she began a doctoral dissertation exploring early 20th-century European female composers, releasing the album «Fanfare pour les femmes» in 2024. An active chamber musician, Nisonen founded the group Artsoppa and the 4th Line horn quartet, which released the album «Four Impulses» in 2022. She teaches at Turku University and The Brass Academy in Finland.
Miklós Nagy (1963) was born in Budapest (Hungary). He started to play the French Horn at age of seven. In 1986 he graduated from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. His professors included Gyula Gergely, Imre Magyari and Ádám Friedrich. Between 1984 and 1988 he was principal horn of the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra and then of the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra till 1992. Between 1992 and 2018 he was principal horn of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. From 2000 September he’s solo horn of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also been a member of the Budapest Festival Horn Quartet and the Budapest Wind Ensemble (Octet). He has had a number of important international competition successes: 1985 Geneva (Suisse) 3rd Prize, 1986 Markneukirchen (Germany) 1st Prize, 1992 Duino (Italy) 1st Prize and 1995 Passau (Germany) 2nd Prize with Budapest Festival Horn Quartet. From 1996 to 1999 he was appointed Professor of French Horn at the Musashino Academy of Music in Tokyo and the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. His first solo CD „Sperger Horn Music” was released in 2003 by Hungaroton Classic. He has toured in Europe and Japan and has been featured numerous times as a soloist and Chamber player at home on radio and television.
She began her horn studies at the Sociedad Musical de Alboraya with Gabriel Diago, continuing her training at the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Joaquín Rodrigo” in Valencia with D. José Rosell, at the Staatliche Musikhochschule Freiburg with Bruno Schneider and with Javier Bonet in modern and natural horn. Her numerous awards and scholarships include the prize at the Città di Porcia International Competition and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation scholarship. She is frequently invited to perform as a soloist at national and international festivals such as the British Horn Society, as well as to collaborate with various European orchestras, including her continuous collaboration as horn soloist with the Berliner Philharmoniker. As a teacher she has been invited by young orchestras such as the JONDE, OJA, JOGV, and conservatories such as the Guildhall School of Music and Drama or Berklee College of Music. She has been a member of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid (Teatro Real) and since 2002 she has been principal horn of the Orquesta de Valencia. He is also a member of the Quintet Cuesta, Dreisam ensemble and Metal.lògic Ensemble. Recently she has released her first solo CD “Se hace saber”, some of the pieces included are written for Maria.
Yun Zeng, a 19-year-old French horn prodigy, was dubbed «the biggest surprise from China» at the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2019, where he won the gold medal in the brass category. By September 2021, he had secured second prize at the 70th ARD International Music Competition Horn Competition in Munich and has been a laureate at 12 major international competitions, including Prague Spring (2018) and Città di Porcia (2017). As a soloist, Zeng has performed with top orchestras including the Symphonie Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Mariinsky Orchestra, and has held the role of Artist-in-Residence with Guiyang Symphony Orchestra during the 2020-2021 season. In 2022, he was appointed principal horn at Staatskapelle Berlin by Daniel Barenboim, and later won an audition to join the Berliner Philharmoniker as principal horn starting in the 2024-25 season. Zeng’s experience also includes guest performances with prestigious ensembles such as the World Orchestra for Peace and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, under renowned conductors like Barenboim and Valery Gergiev. Born in 1999 into a musical family, Zeng began learning the French horn at age 6 with his father, Jie Zeng, a principal horn player of Sichuan Symphony Orchestra. He achieved top honors in admissions to Central Conservatory of Music in 2011 and 2017, studying under prof. Quan Wen and receiving support from the ‘Best of the Best Project’ and the ‘Edifier Musician Foundation’. He also studied at Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève during the 2019-2020 academic year, funded by the Erasmus Project with Bruno Schneider.
Mervi Huttunen studied horn in Finland under Esa Tapani and Erja Joukamo-Ampuja as well as in Germany with Markus Maskuniitty. She has graduated as Master of Music from Sibelius-Academy and has performed Orchestral music postgraduate studies in Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hannover.
Before starting at her current position as a low Horn Player in the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Mervi Huttunen worked at the National opera and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway and in the Philharmonic Orchestra of Lubeck in Germany. She has also worked as a horn teacher in music schools in Munich and Prien am Chiemsee. In addition to her orchestral work Mervi Huttunen currently teaches at Turku Conservatory.
Outside the playing and teaching activities Mervi likes to go for walks especially in nature. During summer holidays you can find her at the family’s summer house taking care of the garden and enjoying the peaceful life by the lake.
1971. At an early age the source that feeds this musician is his family. At the age of 8 he began the official musical studies in his hometown, Guadassuar (Valencia, Spain). Then he gets the End of Studies Prize at Conservatory of Music in Valencia and later moves to the National Conservatory of Versailles Region (France) getting the Gold Medal at the Graduate Perfection. After being a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Spain has worked in various formations of national and international level. He has taught in various conservatories of Spanish geography and currently teaches at the Horn Classroom (www.auladetrompa.com). In 1989, together with his colleagues, he formed the Spanish Brass (www.spanishbrass.com), with whom he won the First Prize in the International Brass Quintet Competition in Narbonne (France) in 1996, and since then he has dedicated himself exclusively to chamber music, giving concerts and masterclasses all over the world. Spanish Brass has recorded 32 CDs and 2 DVDs, and in 2020 they received the National Music Prize for Performance. Manolo is a Paxman artist and plays with the 20M Centenary model.
Pauliina Koskela studied the french horn at the Sibelius-Academy in Helsinki. She performed her Master’s exam in 2005 and graduated as a Master of music a few years later.
Koskela won first place in Lahti national wind competition of 2000.
As a freelancer, Koskela has worked with Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and the Helsinki City Theater, among others.
In the year 2011 Koskela joined the ranks of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra as a permanent member.
In addition to orchestra work, Koskela also plays actively in smaller ensembles, such as Tampere Raw, a contemporary music ensemble in Tampere.
Life is busy around three children’s hobbies. In her free time she admires flowers and is currently studying to become a florist.
First Prize winner at the Prague Spring International Music Competition in 2018, – along with the prize for best interpretation of the contemporary piece, the International Horn Society Prize, the Radio Free Europe Prize and a further nine awards, Second Prize winner at the Città di Porcia International Competition in 2013 and laureate of the Autumn Music Festival Competition (FMAJI) in 2011, Alexandre Collard is among the elite musicians of his generation since his studies, first with Guy Mouy in Douai and then with André Cazalet at the Paris Conservatory. A lover of the great symphonic repertory, Alexandre is appointed solo horn of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France after he played eleven years with the Lille National Orchestra and often performs solo concertos. He is regularly invited to prestigious international chamber music festivals and creates the Ensemble Polygones. The group has a particularly close collaboration with the composer Camille Pépin, and recently recorded a CD of her chamber music. He also plays sonata with the pianist Nicolas Royez, and they recorded together their first disc Aquarelles (2021). Renowned pedagogue, he teaches in Douai, his hometown’s conservatory. Alexandre plays Paxman’s 20M Centenary double horn.
Maria Luhtanen studied horn at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki under Erja Joukamo-Ampuja and at the Hannover University of Music, Arts and Drama under Markus Maskuniitty.
Maria Luhtanen is an active and multifaceted freelance artist, and has consistently worked with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Finnish National Opera Orchestra. Luhtanen also works in the marvelous world of musicals with the Helsinki CIty Theater and the Swedish Theater in Helsinki. Luhtanen is a member of horn quartet 4th Line.
As well as horn playing, she loves to do sports. During winter time she is an enthusiastic cross-country skier. Gym and Pilates are also near her heart as well as the Finnish Laphund who takes her out every day. When not skiing or playing the horn, she is knitting and watching Netflix with her husband and teenager.
Born in Toulouse 1991, Maxime learned to play the horn at the Conservatoire Régional de Versailles in the class of Gilles Mahaud. In 2010, he entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in the class of André Cazalet, where he obtained his Master’s degree in 2015, with distinction. During masterclasses or internships, he receives advice from great masters such as Jean-Michel Vinit, Benoit De Barsonny, Marie-Luise Neunecker, Francis Orval, Radovan Vlatković… Maxime is regularly called upon to play in national orchestras such as the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestre national de Lille, Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris and Orchestre de Paris, where he has played under the baton of great conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Christoph Eschenbach and Herbert Blomstetd. In 2012 he founded with his friends Pierre Badol, Clément Charpentier-Leroy and Alexis Crouzil the HORNormes quartet which he will perform many concerts with, across France and Switzerland in various original shows. In 2013 Maxime won the audition in the academy of the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris and the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and between 2013 and 2016, Maxime has been principal horn of the Orchestre national des Pays de Savoie. Since December 2016, he has joined the Geneva Chamber Orchestra as second horn. He is also a professor at the Swiss National Youth Orchestra since 2022. Moreover, Maxime has participated as a teacher in the 2021 and 2022 editions of CITGUAD.
She began her studies at the Sociedad Instructiva Unión Musical de Montserrat, continued them at the Conservatory of Music of Torrent with Jose Vte Sebastià and completed her higher studies at the Higher School of Music of Valencia with D. José Rosell. She has continued perfecting her studies taking courses of technique and musical interpretation with different renowned horn players such as Eric Terwilliger, Anne Marie Scharer, Francis Orval, Fergus Mc William, Stefan Leval, Bruno Schneider, Daniel Bourgue, Markus Maskuniitty, among others… and as a student of the Spanish Brass Academy with Manuel Perez. As artistic experience includes participation in different orchestras such as: Ricercare Chamber Orchestra, New Philharmonic Orchestra of Valencia, Mediterranean Orchestra, RTVE Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra City of Ibiza, Orchestra of Barcelona and National Orchestra of Catalonia… She has been a founding member of the Discantus Wind Quintet, the Alcalans Brass Quintet, the Tramuntana Quintet and is currently a member of the Trio Romàntic. She is currently a horn teacher at the Conservatory of Music of Tarragona in Tortosa, horn soloist of the Chamber Orchestra «City of Tortosa» and the Symphonic Orchestra of Terres de l’Ebre.
She began her musical studies at the age of 9, and later studied at the Conservatorio Profesional de Música in Torrent where she was taught by José Sebastià Ferrer. At the end of her studies she obtained the Professional Music Prize in the speciality of horn. She studied horn performance at MUSIKENE, Higher School of Music of the Country Basque, with the teachers Rodolfo Epelde, Óscar Sala and Jorge Rentería. She extended her horn education with Manolo Pérez, as well as attending masterclasses with internationally renowned horn players such as María Rubio, Bernardo Cifres, David Fernández, Sarah Willis, Ab Koster, Marie Luise Neunecker, Markus Makuniitty, Wolfgang Gaag… She has been a member of the Youth Orchestra of Valencia, the Youth Symphony Orchestra of FSMCV and the National Youth Orchestra of Spain. She collaborates with professional orchestras such as the Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta de Valencia, Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao or Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, among others, under the baton of conductors like Juanjo Mena, Lorenzo Viotti, Karina Canellakis or David Afkham. She is currently a horn professor at the Conservatory of Music of Valencia and at the Guadassuar School of Music.
She has a degree in Music Performance specialising in Trumpet from the Higher Conservatory of Music of the Canary Islands, has completed an Erasmus scholarship at the Akademia Zas Glassbo (Slovenia) with Stanko Arnold and Jure Gradinski and has participated with the Big Band of Akademia Zas Glassbo in the Ljubljana Festival in 2013. She has been formed with a multitude of trumpet teachers such as: Luis Gonzalez, Reinhold Friedrich, John Miller, Pierre Dutot, Alejandro Castañeda, Kristian Steenstrup, Otto Sauter, Pierre Badel, among others. Judith is a Certified Early Music Teacher from E. Gordon’s Music Learning Theory and a Certified Dalcroze Rhythmic Teacher. She is also the creator of Cosquillas musicales, an imprint through which she trains teachers, conducts family workshops and didactic concerts. She has participated as a speaker at the 47th International Trumpet Guild Conference, at the I Symposium for Children in Mexico and at the SBALZ 2022 Festival, as well as having composed and performed several didactic concerts for the Philharmonic Orchestra of Gran Canaria. She is the composer and performer of her first CD «La Travesía» and the author and composer of her first book «El Bolero de Levar», which has been awarded in 2022 as best book in the section «Música Maestro».
He is a teacher, composer and conductor, and although he regularly writes for different orchestral ensembles, his main work focuses on symphonic music for winds and percussion. His works have been performed by international ensembles, festivals and competitions such as the National Conservatory of Lisbon, Brassband Excelsior Veenwoudsterwal in Holland, Federazione dei Corpi Bandístico di Trento, CIBM Valencia, etc.
He has received numerous national and international prizes, including first prize and honourable mention at the XXIX Edition of the prestigious International Composition Competition in Corciano, Italy. He is regularly asked to act as musical advisor in different recordings and as a jury member in different regional, national and international composition and performance competitions such as the Certamen Internacional de Bandas de Música Ciudad de Valencia, Certamen de Bandas de Música de Mota del Cuervo or the Jeju Composition Competition in South Korea, among others.
His work in the band field has led him to receive commissions and to premiere his works in more than twenty countries over the last few years. He is currently working on different commissions for prestigious national and international ensembles such as Spanish Brass, Brillante Brass Band or the Seoul Wind Orchestra.
Known for her mastery of orchestral writing and symphonic textures, Amparo is a leading contemporary musician who shines as a composer and French horn player. With an enchanting synergy of musicality and innovation, Amparo creates compositions that extend musical genres and crafts colorful sonic landscapes. Beyond her passion for the horn, Amparo has blossomed as a contemporary concert and media composer, weaving threads of melody, harmony, and emotion into a flow of musical stories. Her compositions are a fusion of diverse influences, building a distinctive voice that reflects on both familiar and unexplored elements. Amparo has won composition competitions including the International Women Brass Conference Prize (2019), Women and Culture Award (2013), and Salvador Seguí International Composition Competition (2007). Her song Un café per a emportar earned a nomination to the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (2015). She has been commissioned to write music for renowned artists and ensembles including Spanish Brass, Metal·lògic Ensemble, or Orfeó Universitari de València, and for various competitions, festivals, and organizations, including the Iturbi International Piano Festival, the Spanish Tuba and Euphonium Association, or the Valencia State Wind Ensemble Competition. Amparo currently chairs the Contemporary Writing and Production Department at Berklee College of Music.
He was born in Godella, Valencia, where he began his musical career at the age of 9. He studied saxophone at the Higher Conservatory of Music in Valencia. He completed his jazz training at the Taller de Músics in Barcelona and at several International Jazz Seminars. Ramon is one of the great references of jazz in Spain, he belongs to the generation of jazzmen of the 70s. Together with other musicians of his generation, he was part of the beginnings of one of Spain’s pedagogical references «El Taller de Músicos», and has been a key player in the introduction of Jazz in the higher education of music at the Higher Conservatory of Music in Valencia. He is one of the most experienced musicians in the creation and direction of Big Bands, a task for which he is in demand throughout the country.
As a composer and arranger, he has an extensive background ranging from the composition of numerous themes for Big Band, with his production «Per l’altra banda» standing out, to the compositions he has made for chamber groups. He is currently immersed in the preparation of a new project based on Valencian style singing focused on the language of the Jazz Big Band and, in the same direction, he has written and arranged popular music for brass quintet and cantaor de Estilo.
Born in Idar-Oberstein on 6 August 1958. At the age of 18, on 1 September 1976, I went to work for GEBR.ALEXANDER in Mainz to learn how to make brass instruments. During 1978 and 1979 I finished my apprenticeship and joined Alexander’s sales department.
It was there that I completed my commercial apprenticeship within two years and, as a very young man, became the head of the sales department. So, during the years I developed the spirit of the company, the way of selling, the exhibitions and the improvements of our instruments, with a very close relationship and many long-lasting friendships with many horn players all over the world.
September 1st 2022 was the day of my retirement after 46 years with GEBR.ALEXANDER.
After a total break of four months, I started to do my own and very special business called «Dr.Horn» and to work as a freelancer. This was my nickname during the last few years. I did small repairs for students during master classes. So, I kept it. The horn players know me.
My idea is that my long experience should not be lost. I can help students and professional players to choose instruments at Alexander in Mainz. You can book a private appointment.
He is an expert in physical and mental well-being with over 20 years of experience. He began focusing on maximum flexibility and now combines mind-body aspects by designing exercises that emphasize movement quality, coordination, and breathing.
He is a teacher of Tai Chi Chuan, Chi Kung, and Meditation, certified by the Hun Yuan Tai Chi Foundation. Additionally, he holds a 1st Dan black belt in Wu-Shu from the Royal Spanish Judo Federation. He has been a disciple of renowned masters such as Pedro Valencia, Tung Kuan Yen, and Feng Zhi Qiang in China, specializing in the Beijing Chen style. He has certifications in Integral Mental Training and Pilates, the latter recognized by The Pilates Center of Las Vegas.
He is the owner of the oriental wellness center “Centre Cel Anterior” in Guadassuar since 1995, offering specialized massage services, studies in cranial osteopathy, Feng Shui consultancy, and collaborates on educational projects by organizing Tai Chi and meditation workshops for children.
Professor at the Conservatorio Superior de Música «Joaquín Rodrigo» in Valencia, Antonio studied for five years at the University of Music «Frederic Chopin» in Warsaw (Poland) with P. Paleczny and K. Nadolska. Nadolska, and completed the Master’s and Postgraduate studies.
Born in Valencia in 1991, he began his musical studies at the age of six with J. Blom-Dahl, continuing them with C. Apellániz and J. Blanco at the Professional Conservatory of Valencia. He finished his higher studies with honours and obtained the final degree prize at the Conservatorio Superior de Castellón, with Brenno Ambrosini. He has perfected his skills and received advice from masters of the level of J. Soriano, O. Yablonskaya, F. Clidat, E. Indjic, J. L. Prats, I. Cognolato, L. Angelov, G. Jackson, C. Martínez-Mehner, etc.
He has participated in music festivals and performed concerts and recitals all over the world, premiering works by more than 4 contemporary composers. Since 2018 he has formed a duo (Simant Duo) with the international trumpetist Rubén Simeó, with whom he has recorded a CD, «New Way», which has the endorsement of Maestro Arturo Sandoval. He has also won awards in more than 20 national and international competitions.
He began his higher studies at the Higher School of Music of the Basque Country, Musikene, with professors Rodolfo Epelde, Óscar Sala and Estefanía Beceiro. In 2021 he joined the Horn Chair at the Reina Sofía School of Music with professors Radovan Vlatkovic and Rodolfo Epelde, where he was awarded a scholarship by Havas Group and the Albéniz Foundation.
He has participated in Masterclasses with renowned horn players such as Lawrence Woudenberg, Juan Manuel Gómez, Jose Chanzá, Hervé Joulain, Maria Rubio, José Luis Sogorb, José Vicente Castelló and Matías Ignacio Piñeira, among others. He has collaborated in different projects with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Madrid Symphony Orchestra, ORCAM, Euskadiko Orkestra and the Tiroler Festpiele Orchestra, among others. He has also played in different national and international youth orchestra festivals such as the Neue Philharmonie München, the Young Symphony Orchestra of Castellón, Youth Orchestra of the Basque Country, Holstein Schleswig Festival Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra Greece and JONDE.
In 2021 he premiered David Rivas Domínguez’s concerto «De amore et mortis» for solo horn and band, with the Wind Band of the City of Oviedo. He has recently won the audition for 3rd and 1st horn in the Euskadiko Orkestra, where he will perform for a season with the orchestra as a substitute.
The Youth Orchestra of the Generalitat Valenciana (JOGV) was created by the Valencian Law of Music in May 1998 and depends organically on the Deputy Directorate of Music and Popular Valencian Culture of the Institut Valencià de Cultura. This orchestra takes up the initiative of the Youth Orchestra of the Valencian Community, born in 1991. Its main objective is to contribute to the training of musicians under 26 years of age through meetings and workshops led by outstanding teachers. From its creation until 2017 its musical and pedagogical director was Manuel Galduf. In 2017, Beatriz Fernández Aucejo was invited as director in spring and Pablo Rus Broseta in summer, who became its musical and pedagogical director shortly afterwards. In the 2018 Spring Meeting the guest conductor was Rubén Gimeno. It has an assistant conductor, Júlia Cruz Carceller, and since 2001 it has also had a resident composer, a responsibility that has successively fallen to César Cano, Ricardo Climent, Andrés Valero-Castells, Miguel Gàlvez-Taroncher, Voro Garcia, Francisco Coll, Óscar Navarro, Carlos Fontcuberta and, since 2018, Marc García Vitoria.
The JOGV has worked with maestros such as José L. García Asensio, Félix Ayo, Mihai Dancila, Alfonso Ghedin, Agustín León Ara, Franco Petracchi, Mstislav Rostropóvich, and groups such as: Spanish Brass, Quintet Cuesta or Cuarteto Canales, among others. He has also accompanied soloists such as Rostropóvich himself, Vadim Repin, Otto Sauter, Irvine Arditti, Ara Malikian, Josep Puchades, José Franch Ballester, Nicolas Hodges, Itxaro Mentxaka, Isabel Monar, Erika Escribá-Astaburuaga, Silvia Vázquez, Marina Rodriguez-Cusí and José Antonio López. In its repertoire, it highlights the presence of contemporary music and works by Valencian composers, to which it has dedicated its recordings.
Since the mid-19th century, Guadassuar has always had different music bands. In 1939, the musicians who had belonged to the different groups founded the Unió Musical Santa Cecília which, until 1975, was under the direction of Virgilio Beltrán. Between 1981 and 1995, with Joaquín Vidal Pedrós as conductor, they won the first prize in the First Section and the highest score in all sections (1983), second prize in the Special Section B (1985), first prize and honourable mention in the same section (1987, 1990) and second prize in the Honour Section (1994) at the Valencia Music Band Contest. Between 1995 and 2006 under the direction of Francisco Zacarés, they won two second prizes in the Certamen de Altea (1996 and 1999), first prize in the Certamen Nacional de Murcia (2002), first prize in the Certamen Nacional de Campo de Criptana (Ciudad Real, 2004) and first prize in the WMF competition in Kerkrade (2005). He has participated in numerous festivals and concerts in several towns in the Valencian Community, Albacete, Catalonia and Madrid, as well as Avignon (France) and Corciano (Italy). In 1980 the School of Music was created, where at present all the instrumental specialities are taught to more than 250 students. It also has an Orchestra, Youth Band, Youth Orchestra, Choir and Children’s Choir. Since 2006 it has been conducted by Juan Carlos Civera, with whom in 2008 they won first prize in the First Section of the Certamen Internacional Ciudad de Valencia, with the highest score in all categories. In July 2009 they won first prize in the Certamen Villa de Alginet, with a team of young musicians. In July 2010 and 2012 they won second prizes in the Honorary Section of the Certamen Internacional de València. The ensemble is currently directed by Rafa García Vidal.