The youth and children’s section of Orquesta Ciudad de Alcala

Around October 2004, and with the goal of starting a strong foundation and continuity to the CAO (City of Alcalá Orchestra), the Youth and Children’s Section is created. The musicians in it can train to start with the most basic fundamentals, and also perfect the musical performance from a very young age, always having the end goal of becoming a part of the Symphonic Orchestra.

This way, the Youth and Children’s Section, with an incredibly innovative system of group lessons and collective learning, the heritage of the new educational Northamerican projects or of The System of Venezuelan orchestras. This entails an interesting way of learning and perfecting individual and orchestral performance.

In a dynamic and playful way, working across aspects such as memory, improvisation, and musical dramatization, the young musicians get closer to the world of the Symphonic Orchestra while interpreting pieces adapted to their level by the most important composers in the history of music.

The Youth and Children’s Orchestra of the CAO has performed on numerous occasions in the city and its surroundings, even performing in the National Auditorium of Spain in 2011, Talance (France) in 2012, or in Guardo (Palencia) in 2018. Today, this orchestra consists of 50 young musicians that, under the baton of its conductor, Ignacio Urbina, are capable of performing music from Disney to the wonderful New World Symphony by Dvorak.

Ignacio Urbina Medina – Conductor of the Youth and Children’s Orchestra

He starts his musical adventure at 7 years old in the Music Conservatory of Alcalá de Henares, led by Rafael Cuéllar. Later, at the young age of 10, he joins the Orchestra of the City of Alcala as a founding member.

He continues his oboe studies at the Royal Superior Conservatory of Madrid, under the teachings of Cayetano Castaño, and complements his degree with a master’s degree in Instrumental Specialization in Oboe in the School of the Arts of the University of Zurich (Switzerland) under Thomas Indermüle.

Throughout all those years of musical instruction, he also receives masterclasses from other prestigious oboists, such as Albrecht Mayer, François Leleux, Hansjorg Schellenberger, Alex Klein, Juan Carlos Báguena, and Eduardo Martínez.

He has been part of numerous orchestral groups, like the Symphonic Orchestra of Madrid, the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, or the Symphonic Orchestra of Madrid’s Community; playing under conductors such as Jesús Lopez Cobos, Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, Josep Vicent, Pablo Heras o Pablo González.

As a soloist, he has performed, along with the Orchestra of the City of Alcala, the Oboe and Strings Concertos by W. A. Mozart and B. Marcello.

At the present time, he balances teaching in the Music School of Arganda del Rey and in the Youth and Children’s section of the CAO, along with his work as an oboist often collaborating in musical ensembles such as the Filarmonía Orchestra, the Universal Music Spain Symphonic Orchestra, the Classical Orchestra of Santa Cecilia, the Film Symphony Orchestra, the Enara Quintet, or the Zelenka Trio among others.