PARES | Spanish Archives

Identification

Type:

Person

Preferred form:

Arámbarri, Jesús (1900-1960)Other forms

Fechas de existencia:

Bilbao (Bizkaia, España) 1900-04-13 - Madrid (España) 1960-07-11

History:

Spanish composer and band and orchestra conductor. He was born on April 13 of 1900 in Bilbao and died on July 11 of 1960 in Madrid. He was the nephew of the conductor and composer Cleto Zabala. His musical education started in Vizcaya's capital. He played the piano since he was fifteen. He studied at Bilbao's Conservatory with Fuster, Jesús Guridi and Sainz Basabe. Having won the Cortázar Prize, he moved to Paris, where he continued his studies with Le Flem, Paul Dukas, and Vladimir Golshmann. In 1929 he composed "Cuarteto en Re mayor" and "Cuarteto Improntus". Meaning to improve his formation as a conductor, he enrolled in 1932 into the course for orchestra conducting taught by Felix Weingartner in Basilea. In 1933 he won the spot, via public examination, of conductor of the Banda Municipal de Bilbao and he married the harpist, Josefina Roda. After the Spanish Civil War, he became the conductor of the Orquesta Municipal de Bilbao right after it was formed. As an homage to Manuel de Falla, he composed "Ofrenda a Falla" in 1946 for orchestra. He wrote and first performed his only opera, "Viento del Sur", in 1952. A year after, he was appointed conductor of the Banda Municipal de Madrid, with which he had great success. Aside from being the conductor of this orchestra, he took charge of the National Orchestra, the Symphonic Orchestra of Madrid, and the Municipal de Barcelona, among others. In 1959, he recorded a CD with his "Ocho canciones vascas", among other works by contemporary composers. He died suddenly while he was conducting a concert with the Banda Municipal in Madrid's Retiro park. He was given homages and posthumous honours such as the Medalla de Oro de la Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao (1964).