A thousand musicians and twenty music bands have paid tribute to Mestre Serrano this Sunday on the 150th anniversary of his birth, with a parade through the center of the city of Valencia, from the Plaza de España, Sant Vicent street to the Town Hall Square.
José Serrano's granddaughter, Isaura Navarrete Serrano, the director of the Municipal Band of Valencia, Miquel Rodrigo Tamarit, and the tenor Vicente Onbuena, nephew of Maximiliano Tous, participated in the event, the council reports.
The commemoration began with a floral offering at the monument that remembers the legacy of the Valencian composer on Regne de València avenue, in which the Fallera Mayor of València, María Estela Arlandis, and her court of honor participated.
Subsequently, the parade of 20 music bands and a thousand musicians from the city took place, directed by Rodrigo Tamarit, who performed two works by maestro Serrano: El Fallero and the Anthem of the Valencian Community, the latter together with the tenor Vicente Onbuna , nephew of Maximiliano Tous.
The mayor of València, María José Catalá, accompanied by Maestro Serrano's granddaughter, Isaura Navarrete Serrano, has assured that "Maestro Serrrano is one of the most important composers of the last century and from the City Council we wanted to do an original and unique act that would pay tribute to him."
"For us it has been very important to come hand in hand with his family, specifically his granddaughter. For his family to see how Valencia surrenders to the Master is very special," said Catalá, who highlighted that "we Valencians carry in our Music is DNA and the City Council wants to value that talent."
The mayor has also pointed out that "in Valencia we have more musicians per square meter than in any other city, we are the city of music" and that is why the council wants to have "this sensitivity and recover our own traditions and culture."
He also explained that with this act in honor of the person who composed the Anthem of the Valencian Community for the Regional Exhibition of 1909, which was later adopted as the official anthem and symbol of identity, the City Council also wanted to promote interest in his work among the current and future generations so that they know and appreciate his contribution to Spanish music.
The event, which brought together music lovers, as well as tourists and visitors, in the Town Hall square today, was organized by the Department of Culture, with the collaboration of the Coordinator of Musical Societies of Valencia (Cosomuval), and the Federation of Musical Societies of the Valencian Community.
