CRESCENDO’S NEW MUSICAL DIRECTOR ……SIXTO MANUEL HERRERO

Sixto was born in Rafal near Orihuela.  He studied the saxophone, composition and conducting at the highest level at the Conservatories conservatoires in Alicante and Valencia with teachers such as José Mirete, Jaim Belda, Ramón Ramos and Manuel Galduf.

He has recorded a CD of contemporary Spanish music with the Sax Ensemble saxophone quartet and a CD entitled “A las nueve, Lord Berri” with the Ars Musicandum saxophone quartet.  He has been soloist in recordings made by the Spanish National Radio with the City of Elche Chamber Orchestra, and has played with the Region of Murcia Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra of Santiago de Compostela.  He has taken part in the world saxophone congresses in Valencia, Montreal and Minnesota.

Many of his compositions have been performed in public and he has edited the collections of music for the saxophone “Podemos hablar” (We can talk) and “Viajeros al tren” (All aboard!).  He was granted a special prize in the second edition of the Fernando Rielo Competition for Religious Music in Rome for his work “Huéspedes de la Luz” (Guests of Light) for choir and orchestra, a special prize in the second edition of the International Composition Contest of Montreal for the string quartet entitled “Ignotalias” (Unknown Things) recorded by the Molinari Quartet on the ATMA Classique label and won a prize at the Ensemblia Festival in Germany for his string quartet entitled “Quera”.  He composed the original sound tracks for the films “Thirteen” and “Concilia” directed by Fernando Canet.

As an orchestral conductor he has made CDs entitled “Prima Luce” and ADUA.  He has conducted orchestras at the Mediterranean Saxophone symposia in Alicante and the Cuidad de Elche Chamber Orchestra.

He holds a doctorate from the Universidad Politécnica of Valencia on the subject of musical creativity based on the study of the “Cantes Mineros” Flamenco style (the singing of miners from Andalusia who worked at La Union near Cartegena early in the last century – a very famous festival is held there  every August).  At present he is Head of the Composition department at the Higher Conservatory of Music in Murcia, in charge of the music school of Los Montesinos and of its band, a member of the “Ars Musicandum” saxophone quartet and director of the “CIMMA” contemporary music ensemble.  He also gives an annual course on technique and interpretation for the saxophone together with the pianist Ramón López.

Sixto will be at Chas Smith’s retirement concert at Torrevieja Christian Fellowship on May 25th where Chas will introduce Sixto as his successor. They will work together with the choir throughout June, then Sixto will take over as MD when the new season of rehearsals start in September after the summer break.  

By a strange coincidence,  Sixto’s surname HERRERO means SMITH in Spanish so Crescendo’s MD will still be a Mr Smith!!