The concert was conducted by the four conductors the orchestra has had since its founding in 1986
Rondalla de La Barqueta, 40 years of music and culture in Benidorm
La Barqueta Cultural and Recreational Association's String Orchestra celebrated its 40th anniversary with a historic concert in the parish church of Sant Jaume i Santa Anna, under the baton of the four conductors who have led the organisation over the four decades since its founding on December 23, 1986.
At 8:00 p.m., the packed church welcomed the members of the musical group, whose names were announced one by one over the loudspeakers. The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez; the councillors for Culture and Fiestas, Jaime Jesús Pérez and Mariló Cebreros; other members of the municipal council; and the regional deputy, José Ramón González de Zárate, formed an institutional delegation that, with their presence, showed their support for the institution and its president, Francisco Llorens, known as ‘Paco Rosera’, at this tribute concert.
Among the audience were the queens of the 2026 Patron Saint Festival, Laura Ivars and Carnen Guillen; the presidents of the Comissió, Ramón Cano, and of the Associació de Penyes Verge del Sofratge, Diego Carrasco; and representatives of social and cultural groups from the city.
After a brief overview of its forty-year history, the first conductor of the String Orchestra, Juan Francisco Pérez Lapera, led the ensemble in the premiere performance of the pasodoble ‘Pérez Barceló’ by Bernabé Sanchis, performed by the rondalla, and in his own adaptation of the popular melody ‘Viaje por España’ (Journey through Spain).
Following this, the orchestra's second conductor, Josep Vives, led the ensemble in the premiere performance of ‘Balalaika Souvenir’ by John B. Kok and in Daniel Fortea's adaptation of the traditional Valencian melody ‘Jota valenciana’. For his part, Raúl Mahiques, the rondalla's third director, led the ensemble in Astor Piazzolla's "Oblivion," adapted by Manuel Pérez-Gil, and in "De l'aube au crépuscule," the second movement of David Laheurte's "Mandoline Project."
Finally, José Antonio Pastor took the stage, conducting the group in Francisco Tárrega's "Recuerdos de la Alhambra," adapted by Daniel Fortea; Manos Madjidakis's "Los niños del Pireo," adapted by Pedro Royo; and excerpts from Pablo Sorozábal's "Katiuska, la mujer rusa."
After the audience's applause, a photograph of the performers in front of the church's main altar preserved the memory of the concert and forty years of history for posterity.
