ENRIQUE GARCIA ASENCIO

Enrique García Asensio was born in Valencia, and studied in Madrid at the Royal Conservatory of Music, in Munich under Eichhorn, Lessing and Mennerich, and in Siena under Sergiu Celibidache at the Accademia Chigiana. In 1962 he won the RAI Prize in Milan and, in 1963, the Prize for the best student at the Academy. He has served as Head of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Conservatory of Music and member of the city's Philharmonic Orchestra (1962-1964); member of the Municipal Orchestra (1964-1965) and teacher at the Conservatory of Music in Valencia and resident conductor (appointed on merit after a series of eliminatory examinations, known in Spain as oposiciones) of the Radiotelevisión Española Symphony Orchestra (1966-1984). 1967 saw him win first prize and gold medal at the Dimitri Mitropoulis International Competition in New York. He later served as assistant conductor with the Washington National Symphony Orchestra.

Enrique García Asensio is a member of the San Carlos de Valencia Royal Academy of Fine Arts, a Knight of the Order of Santo Cáliz and Santa María del
Puig, and sits on the Valencian Regional Authority Board of Cultural Affairs. Since 1970, he has been Professor of Orchestral Conducting (a post once again attained via oposición) at the Madrid Royal Conservatory of Music, since 1991 he has been principal guest conductor of the Valencia Orchestra and since 1993, resident conductor of the Banda Sinfónica de Madrid (Madrid Symphonic Band). He has conducted at venues throughout most of Spain, America and Europe. Numerous recordings stand to his credit and awards include the Paris-based Charles Cros Academy Prize in 1976 and the Ministry of Culture Prize for Best Record Interpretation in 1991. In 1967 he won the Prize for Best Conductor of the Madrid Opera Season. The Asociación de Cultura Viva awarded him the 1992 National Music Prize in recognition of "a life devoted to music".

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