Don't miss this special performance, An Evening of Spanish Music, by Málaga Chamber Orchestra (Concerto Málaga) with José Manuel Gil de Gálvez, violin on Saturday, March 30, 7:30 p.m. This evening will feature works by Falla, Turina, Rodrigo, and Albéniz. The concert is free and open to the public; no ticket reservations are necessary. Seating is first come, first served.

Málaga Chamber Orchestra (Concerto Malága)

Concerto Málaga is a Spanish string orchestra founded in 1996 by a group of young Andalusian musicians who took up the musical spirit bequeathed by the composers belonging to the “1898 Generation” aimed at protecting and disseminating western classical music of Spanish root and inspiration. Acclaimed by its performances of Spanish music and consisting of European musicians dedicated to the research, study and performance of the string repertoire spanning from the end of the 17^th century to today, Concerto Málaga is, according to the specialized German magazine, Ensemble Magazine, “one of the best Spanish ensembles” and according to the American radio station WFMT Chicago Classical, “one of the most important ensembles in Spain”. In the words of the famous Spanish guitar player, Pepe Romero, “Concerto Málaga will give Malaga what I Musici has given to Italy”.

The ensemble, created in honour of the painter from Málaga, Pablo Picasso, performed for the first time in the Museo de Bellas Artes de Málaga, and was renamed in 2005 by the musician and communicator Fernando Argenta in Televisión Española. Six violins, two violas, two cellos, double bass and harpsichord make up this chamber ensemble led by the Malaga-born violinist José Manuel Gil de Gálvez. At present, the ensemble is protected by the Fundación Hispania Música and sponsored by Malaga Town Hall. It regularly collaborates with institutions like Culture Commission of the European Union, European Investment Bank, and European Music Council. It is also an ex-officio member as a Specialized National Institution of the UNESCO International Music Council.

José Manuel Gil de Gálvez, violin

Gil de Gálvez is a versatile artist who approaches music from various perspectives, including performance, education, outreach, management, and research, with the violin, his instrument, and orchestral conducting as central themes.

As a conductor, he made his debut at the Teatro Nacional de El Salvador and has conducted the National Symphony Orchestra of La Victoria in Honduras, and the Camerata Bach of Managua. He achieved great success leading the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Venezuela at the Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas, with a concert described as “one of the best performances seen in the hall” by Alba Ciudad 96.3 FM.

Among his academic achievements, he earned a unanimous cum laude International Doctorate in Music and Education from the University of Malaga. He obtained an official postgraduate Master of Arts in Classical String Performance in violin and chamber music with the highest distinction (First Class with Honours) from the University of Limerick (Ireland). Additionally, he pursued postgraduate studies in orchestral conducting at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya and holds a Higher Degree in Violin and Chamber Music from the Real Conservatorio de Música de Granada. His education has taken him to cities such as Dresden, Leipzig, Madrid, Barcelona, or Rome, actively participating in institutions like the Campus Internazionale di Música di Sermonetta, Accademia Musicale Chigiana, or Moulin d’Andé Centre artistique et culturel, among many others. In the realm of violin, his direct teachers were Davor Kuljeric (Zagreb Soloists) and Mariana Sirbu (I Musici), although he has also received lessons from professors such as Félix Ayo, Manuel Villuendas, Hugh Maguire, and Ivan Zenaty. In the field of chamber music, his specialty, his most influential teacher has been Massimo Paris, and he has expanded his knowledge with Mihai Dancila, Rocco Filippini, Brunno Giuranna, Franco Pretacchi, Ferenc Scüsz, and Michael Wolf. As a researcher, he follows the recommendations of Walter Aaron Clark and José Peris Lacasa, from whom he also receives composition lessons. Always continuously learning, he explores phenomenology and orchestral conducting technique with his mentor Jordi Mora, deepening his understanding of the principles of Husserl-Celibidache.

At the pedagogical and teaching level, he obtained the Master Educational Counsellor for Multicultural Affairs from the European Union and the Diploma of Advanced Studies in Theory and History of Education from the University of Malaga. Likewise, he has given numerous masterclasses in various countries such as Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ireland, Italy, the United Kingdom, Tunisia, and Venezuela. He is frequently invited to serve as a jury member for prestigious competitions. He holds a permanent position as a conservatory professor in Andalusia, is a professor in the Music Department at the University of Cadiz, and teaches at the undergraduate and master’s levels in Violin, Chamber Music, and Musicology at the Faculty of Music at Alfonso X University El Sabio in Madrid.

In the field of cultural and artistic management, he has been nominated for a Latin Grammy as a producer. For years, he was a member of the board of Juventudes Musicales de España and the European Chamber Music Teacher Association (ECMTA). Currently, he serves as the Artistic Director of the Festival FIAPMSE - International Forum for the Advanced Musical Training of Southern Europe, a member of Festclásica and the SIMCE - International Week of Spanish Chamber Music. By the acclaim of its board, he is the president of Fundación Hispania Música, an organization based in Málaga focused on the research, pedagogy, and dissemination of Spanish chamber music from all periods, representing it before the International Music Council (IMC) of UNESCO.