Role

:

Conductor Performer

Country

:

Spain

Period

:

Romantic

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Opera

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Enrique García Asensio was a renowned Spanish conductor and violinist who made significant contributions to the world of classical music. Born on May 28, 1937, in Valencia, Spain, he showed an early interest in music and began playing the violin at the age of six. His father, who was a music teacher, recognized his talent and encouraged him to pursue a career in music. Asensio received his formal music education at the Valencia Conservatory, where he studied violin, piano, and composition. He later continued his studies at the Madrid Royal Conservatory and the Salzburg Mozarteum, where he studied conducting under the tutelage of Herbert von Karajan. Asensio began his career as a violinist, performing with various orchestras in Spain and Europe. He was a member of the Valencia Symphony Orchestra and the Spanish National Orchestra, where he served as concertmaster. He also performed as a soloist with many orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In the 1960s, Asensio began to focus more on conducting, and he quickly gained a reputation as a talented and dynamic conductor. He was appointed the principal conductor of the Valencia Symphony Orchestra in 1969, a position he held for over a decade. During his tenure, he led the orchestra in many successful performances and recordings, including the complete symphonies of Beethoven and Brahms. Asensio also conducted many other orchestras around the world, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. He was particularly known for his interpretations of the works of Spanish composers, such as Manuel de Falla and Joaquín Rodrigo. One of Asensio's most significant achievements was his role in the creation of the Palau de la Música in Valencia. He was instrumental in the design and construction of the concert hall, which opened in 1987. Asensio served as the artistic director of the Palau de la Música for many years, and he conducted many of the hall's inaugural concerts. Asensio was also a prolific recording artist, and he made many recordings with various orchestras throughout his career. He recorded the complete works of Joaquín Rodrigo with the London Symphony Orchestra, as well as the complete works of Manuel de Falla with the Valencia Symphony Orchestra. Asensio received many awards and honors throughout his career, including the Gold Medal for Fine Arts from the Spanish government in 1986. He was also awarded the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 1991 and the Order of Isabella the Catholic by the Spanish government in 1992. Asensio continued to perform and conduct well into his later years, and he remained an active and influential figure in the world of classical music until his death in 2019. His contributions to the world of classical music, both as a conductor and a violinist, have left a lasting impact on the art form and have inspired countless musicians and music lovers around the world.

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