History

The Colmenar Viejo Band began in 1987. As a cultural association, its official aims include a two-fold function: music training and dissemination.

Over the years, the Band has taken part in many national and international competitions as well as a wide range of cultural events, from purely musical and religious to bullfighting, etc. It has a large, highly diverse repertoire that spans classical, modern and popular music.

The Colmenar Viejo Band has 100 musicians including members who regularly take part in the band’s activities, students who are starting out and will join the band in the future, and additional non-members who join us for concerts and other initiatives.

The band members are students and workers of all ages, from 7 to mature-age musicians, and they receive no payment. Some are conservatory students, others are now professional musicians and others are simply, but no less importantly, music enthusiasts. Their common cause is the enjoyment of playing music in a group and acting as ambassadors for its dissemination.

As a non-profit organisation and given the lack of public subsidies, the band’s expenses are currently covered by membership fees and occasional payments received for playing at cultural events, although this has not reduced the number of performances or activities we are prepared to take part in.

Since the Association’s foundation in 1987, the band has been shaped by a number of conductors: José Torres, José Susi, Luis de la Rosa, José Guillén, Miguel Ibáñez and Miguel Ángel Grau.