Alberto Porro Carmona
Encyclopedia
Alberto Porro Carmona is a Spanish conductor
, composer
, author
, music lecturer
, teacher
and saxophonist
. He has led several important European and American orchestras. Currently he works as music conductor at Akureyri School of Music (Iceland). He has received numerous awards and prizes in different countries.
with Antonio Flores at Mérida
Conservatory, and finishing the Bachelor's
of Music in Saxophone with professor Cecilia Garcia Grijota (10-year degree). At the same time, he played as soloist
at the Music school's Orchestra of Mérida (OCGM) and also with the Local Orchestra of the same city. Furthermore he was a member of bands and other groups linked to this Conservatory.
In 2002, he finished a 3-year Bachelor degree in Education and musical teaching in the University of Extremadura taking part in its Modern Orchestra for two seasons. In 2003 he won the Special Price award (accesit) in the ‘Young Performers of Extremadura
’, funded by the Extremadura Government. He studied composition with Jose Ignacio de la Peña, some of which songs were played by the school Orchestra.
Alberto directed ‘Grupo de Cámara Verdi’ in 2001 for 4 years. This group plays classical
and jazz
music performing in sereval venues all over Spain as well as for certain television channels in Spain and Portugal.
In 2005 Alberto finished a 4-year degree ‘History and Sciences of Music’ (MMus) in the University of Salamanca
. Whilst studying in Salamanca, he took lessons with the north-American teacher Bobby Martinez, taking part in some Master-Classes and several courses with a number of musicians such as Paquito D'Rivera
, Ramon Cardo and Bob Sands, amongst others. Alberto played concerts in Spain
, France
, Iceland
, Belgium
, Portugal
, Italy
, Germany
, United Kingdom
, Argentina
, Chile
, Brazil
, Paraguay
, Cuba
, Canada
, Holland, Sweden
, Denmark
, Faroe and Tunisia
.
In 2004, he began to conduct the University of Salamanca Modern Orchestra
. He invited and conducted famous musicians (Bart Van Lier, Yaure Muñoz, Roman Feliu O’Reilly, Diego Ebbeler, Albert Bover, German Kucich, Perico Sambeat, Pepe Espinosa, Owe Larson, and John Goergini). He trained and was involved as a conductor in several courses with Noman Hogue, Tony Heimer, and Cheryl Walkers. During the previous academic year (2004–2005), he won a scholarship
and worked in the ‘Cultural Activities Services’ of the University of Salamanca
.
He continued to study at the Institute of Fine Arts in La Havana (Cuba). He finished a 1-year Postgraduate degree in ‘Orchestral Conducting’ and another Postgraduate degree in ‘Composition’, receiving classes from Orlando Sanchez "Cubajazz", Alejandro Vargas, Ignacio Diaz and Ana Miriam Santana. As saxophonist, he studied a third Postgraduate course with Javier Zalba (member of "Buena Vista Social Club
").
As well as this, he conducted the Modern Music Orchestra of the Institute of Fine Arts, ‘Havana Jazz Band’ from October 2005 to May 2006. He was also invited as conductor by the National school of Art (Havana, Cuba) where Alberto conducted ENA Jazz Orchestra for six months with Javier Triana.
In October in 2006, he received a scholarship from "Institute of Drama, Music and Audio-Visual Arts" (CEDRAMA) of his region. This scholarship was dedicated to develop high specialization and improvement in music in EMBA, Buenos Aires
, Argentina (October - December 2006). He was a member of "EMBA Orchestra" as soloist and invited conductor
in that period of time.
Alberto worked as musician and conductor at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Scotland
) as special invited guess with the Spanish dance and music company AF. He worked at the City of Edinburgh Council at the school department during 2006 and 2007 teaching classic and jazz saxophone. He also made recordings with several music bands and the British TV National Channel BBC
.
(Iceland
) at TONAK Music School for the Icelandic Government (Tónlistarskólinn á Akureyri). He also works at University of Akureyri
from January 2009. Alberto teaches as visiting professor master-classes at Universities in Europe and America during summer. He have been conducting international orchestras especially in America and Europe during 2008-2011. Alberto has received the “Education Honor Award 2010” from the education commission (Akureyrarbæjar) for excellent work and positive impact on the educational community.
Alberto is researching a new methodology in music with an international team of experts and artists from different Universities (Spain, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina and Iceland). This project is supported financially and sponsored by the Icelandic government through Kennarasamband Íslands (KI), Menningarsjóði Akureyrarbæjar and Samtök íslenskra skólalúðrasveita (SÍSL). Mainly based on learning music focusing on emotions rather than academic content. First book will be released on November 2011.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, music lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and saxophonist
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. He has led several important European and American orchestras. Currently he works as music conductor at Akureyri School of Music (Iceland). He has received numerous awards and prizes in different countries.
Early life
Alberto began his musical education at the age of 9 years old studying saxophoneSaxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
with Antonio Flores at Mérida
Mérida, Spain
Mérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
Conservatory, and finishing the Bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
of Music in Saxophone with professor Cecilia Garcia Grijota (10-year degree). At the same time, he played as soloist
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
at the Music school's Orchestra of Mérida (OCGM) and also with the Local Orchestra of the same city. Furthermore he was a member of bands and other groups linked to this Conservatory.
In 2002, he finished a 3-year Bachelor degree in Education and musical teaching in the University of Extremadura taking part in its Modern Orchestra for two seasons. In 2003 he won the Special Price award (accesit) in the ‘Young Performers of Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
’, funded by the Extremadura Government. He studied composition with Jose Ignacio de la Peña, some of which songs were played by the school Orchestra.
Alberto directed ‘Grupo de Cámara Verdi’ in 2001 for 4 years. This group plays classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music performing in sereval venues all over Spain as well as for certain television channels in Spain and Portugal.
In 2005 Alberto finished a 4-year degree ‘History and Sciences of Music’ (MMus) in the University of Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
. Whilst studying in Salamanca, he took lessons with the north-American teacher Bobby Martinez, taking part in some Master-Classes and several courses with a number of musicians such as Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera
Paquito D'Rivera is a Cuban alto saxophonist, clarinetist and soprano saxophonist. The winner of multiple Grammys and other awards, D'Rivera has lived in the United States since the early 1980s. He has worked in a variety of contexts, but is perhaps best known for playing Latin...
, Ramon Cardo and Bob Sands, amongst others. Alberto played concerts in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Holland, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Faroe and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
.
In 2004, he began to conduct the University of Salamanca Modern Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. He invited and conducted famous musicians (Bart Van Lier, Yaure Muñoz, Roman Feliu O’Reilly, Diego Ebbeler, Albert Bover, German Kucich, Perico Sambeat, Pepe Espinosa, Owe Larson, and John Goergini). He trained and was involved as a conductor in several courses with Noman Hogue, Tony Heimer, and Cheryl Walkers. During the previous academic year (2004–2005), he won a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
and worked in the ‘Cultural Activities Services’ of the University of Salamanca
University of Salamanca
The University of Salamanca is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid. It was founded in 1134 and given the Royal charter of foundation by King Alfonso IX in 1218. It is the oldest founded university in Spain and the third oldest European...
.
Musical Maturity
Buena Vista Social Club
The Buena Vista Social Club was a members club in Havana, Cuba that held dances and musical activities, becoming a popular location for musicians to meet and play during the 1940s...
").
As well as this, he conducted the Modern Music Orchestra of the Institute of Fine Arts, ‘Havana Jazz Band’ from October 2005 to May 2006. He was also invited as conductor by the National school of Art (Havana, Cuba) where Alberto conducted ENA Jazz Orchestra for six months with Javier Triana.
In October in 2006, he received a scholarship from "Institute of Drama, Music and Audio-Visual Arts" (CEDRAMA) of his region. This scholarship was dedicated to develop high specialization and improvement in music in EMBA, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina (October - December 2006). He was a member of "EMBA Orchestra" as soloist and invited conductor
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
in that period of time.
Alberto worked as musician and conductor at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) as special invited guess with the Spanish dance and music company AF. He worked at the City of Edinburgh Council at the school department during 2006 and 2007 teaching classic and jazz saxophone. He also made recordings with several music bands and the British TV National Channel BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Present
Nowadays, he works as conductor, composer and teacher in AkureyriAkureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
(Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
) at TONAK Music School for the Icelandic Government (Tónlistarskólinn á Akureyri). He also works at University of Akureyri
University of Akureyri
The University of Akureyri is a young institution, founded on September 5, 1987 in the city of Akureyri in the north part of Iceland. It has grown since then, especially in the last few years as more facilities have been established...
from January 2009. Alberto teaches as visiting professor master-classes at Universities in Europe and America during summer. He have been conducting international orchestras especially in America and Europe during 2008-2011. Alberto has received the “Education Honor Award 2010” from the education commission (Akureyrarbæjar) for excellent work and positive impact on the educational community.
Alberto is researching a new methodology in music with an international team of experts and artists from different Universities (Spain, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina and Iceland). This project is supported financially and sponsored by the Icelandic government through Kennarasamband Íslands (KI), Menningarsjóði Akureyrarbæjar and Samtök íslenskra skólalúðrasveita (SÍSL). Mainly based on learning music focusing on emotions rather than academic content. First book will be released on November 2011.
External links
- University of Extremadura, Spain
- University of Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Fine Arts, Cuba
- EMBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Edinburgh's Fringe, Scotland
- City of Edinburgh Council, Scotland
- TONAK Music School
- Háskólinn á Akureyri, University of Akureyri