La High Performance Music School (ESMAR) It has been awarded the Levante-El Mercantil Valenciano (EMV) Education Award, a distinction that highlights the educational and musical project it has been developing since 2019. The Valencian newspaper celebrated the ninth edition of the awards, which honoured the work of eleven entities, institutions and individuals linked to the Valencian Community, at an event held at the Valencia Conference Centre on Wednesday the 15th. The event was held with a moving tone in memory of the 229 victims and tens of thousands of people affected by the catastrophe caused by the earthquake on 29 October 2024.
At an event that brought together the highest representatives of Valencian society from the institutional, economic, political, cultural, and social spheres, which filled the auditorium, the Mayor of Valencia, Maria José Català, began the awards ceremony by awarding the Education category prize, sponsored by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, to Ramón Estarlich, academic director of ESMAR, an educational center that focuses on employability and the acquisition of the skills necessary to be a professional musician in the 21st century. Català, an oboist, established the "autonomous core group" of music in the Valencian education system during her time as Regional Minister of Education, Culture, and Sport for its pedagogical benefits and its fight against academic failure.
ESMAR Vice President Alejandro Monzonís thanked the Levante-EMV newspaper in a video for being abroad, "which encourages us and gives us energy to continue working for music." He stated that "our purpose and commitment is to become a prestigious music university not only nationally but also internationally." Monzonís emphasized that "the main objective is to train young musicians who will bring the Valencian musical experience to the world."
Carles Subiela, president of ESMAR, expressed his satisfaction with this award from the Valencian newspaper and encourages "national and international musicians to join a project that serves high-level training and the values that future professionals should treasure."
The president emphasizes that "students are the center's priority, and they actively participate in the academic and artistic life promoted by the Esmar Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and chamber groups in numerous concerts." Subiela points out that "the Valencian Community is a land of musicians who act as true ambassadors of our culture around the world. Our greatest homage and tribute to such excellence is to follow in their footsteps and benefit from their experiences and learning."
Professional environments
ESMAR offers courses through an innovative music education model based on a curriculum that prioritizes practical over theoretical courses, providing experience in real-life professional settings, and providing connections to the industry's labor market. It offers comprehensive training for practicing today's music profession in its various specialties: Performance (Piano, Symphonic Instruments, Early Music, Voice, Modern Music, and Jazz), Pedagogy (all instrumental tracks), Composition, Production, and Management and Conducting.
The project, which has more than 300 students studying a wide range of Academic offering of higher degrees, master's degrees, and advanced level musical training courses, has established itself as a highly attractive alternative that focuses on specialized, high-performance musical education, offering various specialization and continuing education programs and the opportunity to participate in various international activities.
Concerts and recitals
The high school offers concerts and recitals These represent a great experience for young musicians who experience these initiatives in an environment led by prestigious conductors and performers who perform in some of the best auditoriums in the world. Students work as if they were part of a professional orchestra or band, recreating and sharing dynamics and learning experiences, which become a magnificent opportunity for musicians who stand out for their excellence and performing careers and have the chance to perform with high-level training. In this sense, the Esmar String Ensemble brought the gala to a close with a performance of the italian serenade by Hugo Wolf.
Esmar recently participated in the Beijing International Folklore and Music Festival and in Joy Dancing Beijing with the Llíria City of Music Wind Quintet. The Esmar String Ensemble offered a total of four concerts, two in Huadong and two in Beijing, conducted by Vicent Balaguer, as well as master classes for Chinese students. This initiative, which began 20 years ago, is an enriching experience for musicians who graduated from the Valencian school.
Alapont, Soler, Valero-Terribas
La Esmar Symphony Orchestra, directed by Sergio Alapont, offered the Requiem by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the Palau de la Música Catalana in July. The conductor, winner of the prestigious Best Conductor Award in Italy for GBOSCAR-L'Eccellenza dell'Opera, along with the renowned Mozart Requiem Chorus of Japan, and Misaki Takahashi (soprano), Joe Tsuchizaki (tenor), and the Valencians Estíbaliz Ruiz (mezzo-soprano), and Luis Martínez-Agudo (bass-baritone), tackled this emblematic work by the Austrian composer, for which tickets were sold out.
This same ensemble was conducted by Cristóbal Soler, director of the Valencia Municipal Symphonic Band and principal conductor of Madrid's Teatro de la Zarzuela for six seasons, and by Francisco Valero-Terribas, considered one of the "most valuable, unquestionable, and effective Spanish maestros of his generation" by the specialized press, performing demanding programs. The Esmar Symphonic Band also performed under the baton of Pablo Marqués, principal conductor of the Castelló Symphonic Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Carpe Diem Chamber Orchestra of St. Petersburg.
It also hosted the 5th Piano Marathon, in which 35 students of Rubén Talón participated. This project promoted the participation of young talents from Europe, America, and Asia, winners of prestigious competitions, to offer recitals featuring works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and more.
100.000 euros in scholarships
ESMAR has been allocating more than 100.000 euros per year to a scholarship program This grant is available to students pursuing higher education. The grants subsidize part of the cost of any of the degree specialties with which the school facilitates access to the musical education it offers.
It also enabled Egor Chulkov to graduate from the Bachelor's Degree in Higher Artistic Music Education in 2023. The musician, who has lived in Alicante for 25 years, was the first person with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Spain to earn the demanding Advanced Piano Degree after overcoming all kinds of adversities and obstacles with the unwavering help and support of his family since he was a child. Chulkov's graduation had a vindicative tone for the educational, social, and inclusive project that the institution has developed since its inception.
He also collaborates with the San Jerónimo Brotherhood of the Colegio del Arte Mayor de la Seda and the Ateneu Musical d'Ensenyament Banda Primitiva de Llíria, offering charity concerts at the Silk Museum in Valencia for various institutions and those affected by COVID-19.
Awarded
Levante-EMV, a leading publication belonging to the Prensa Ibérica group, recognized the work carried out and the contribution to excellence in the social, cultural, and economic development of the Valencian Community at an event sponsored by Iberdrola and in collaboration with Omoda, the Valencian Community Hunting Federation (FCCV), and Hefame.
In addition to ESMAR, the gala also included awards to Roig Arena (Award of the Year), Fira del Llibre (Culture), Stadler (Economy), Luis Martí Bonmatí (Health), Consum (Cooperativism), Ricardo Ten (Sports), Casal de la Pau (Social Action), Heineken (Sustainability), Enrique and Mª Ángeles Fayos (Leisure), and José María Rubert (Career).
Responsible and truthful journalism
At the event, the president of Prensa Ibérica, Javier Moll, highlighted the arduous and rigorous investigative journalism carried out by the Levante-EMV editorial team since October 29th and "this newspaper's commitment to the truth and to the citizens of Valencia." Moll also stated that "we want to be part of the reconstruction, putting what we know how to do—information—at the service of the well-being and progress of all."
Joan-Carles Martí, director of Levante-EMV, warned about the current difficulties in distinguishing between information and misinformation: "In this context, the role of journalism takes on essential value." He also emphasized the newspaper's commitment to responsible, truthful, and committed journalism in the face of hoaxes and misinformation.