The Rafael Domenech Pardo Auditorium at the Benidorm Cultural Center hosted the first day of the 25th Festival of Orchestras and String Ensembles of the Valencian Community this afternoon, following its recent declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC). The city’s mayor, Toni Pérez, attended the opening day of the event, along with the Regional Minister of Culture, Education, and Universities, Carmen Ortí, and members of the city council. Also present were the queens of the Patron Saint Festivities, Laura Ivars and Carmen Guillem, and the president of the Festival Committee, Ramón Cano.

The festival was inaugurated by the president of the Federation of String Ensembles of the Valencian Community, Luis Julián García, who stated that “this edition will remain in our collective memory after the recognition as an Asset of Cultural Interest,” which highlights “a tradition deeply rooted in the Valencian territory.” García indicated that the declaration carries “solid institutional prestige” and thanked the Regional Ministry and the Regional Minister “for their unwavering support in promoting our traditions into the future and for fostering the development of stringed instruments.” She also thanked the Benidorm City Council and the Mayor “for their support of culture and music, and specifically the La Barqueta string ensemble.”

Before the performances, the president and vice-president of the ACR La Barqueta, Francisco Llorens and Batiste Rostoll, presented an insignia to the president of the Valencian Federation and exchanged a few gifts.

The official ceremony was closed by Mayor Toni Pérez, who emphasized “this recognition for which you have fought so hard.” The mayor recalled “the many joys that our La Barqueta rondalla has brought to thousands of people over the decades” and affirmed that “bringing music closer to people in any form is always a great satisfaction.” Pérez also highlighted the City Council’s “ongoing commitment” “to ensuring that local musical groups have their space, given all that culture and music represent,” and concluded by expressing his hope that the declaration of BIC (Asset of Cultural Interest) “will be another incentive to continue fostering the growth of rondalla music and the art of stringed instruments.”

The first day of the festival featured a performance by the Rondalla de Gata (Gata de Gorgos), who presented a program consisting of:

• ‘La boda de Luis Alonso’ (Gerónimo Giménez),
• ‘Lágrimas negras’ (M. Matamoros y Ángel Pozo),
• ‘El baile de Luis Alonso’ (Gerónimo Giménez),
• El pasodoble ‘Gallito’ (Santiago López Gonzalo),
• ‘Atrapa sueños’ de la obra El Mago de Oz (arreglos de Daniel Pedrós),

conducted by Manuel Olivencia.

The second performance was by the Orquesta de Plectro ‘El Micalet’ from Lliria, with the following program:

• ‘València-*Lliria’ (Miguel Pascual),
• ‘Peer-*Gint’ (Edvard *Grieg)
• L’Arlesienne, Suite número 2 (Georges Bizet),

conducted by Miguel Gómez.