Vicente Moncho Works

Argentine composer, born in San Juan, Argentina in 1939, resides in Cordoba, Argentina, since

1965.

His musical formation and career, begun under the instruction of Maestros Humberto Carfi,

Miguel A. Corrado and Francisco Kröpfl, amongst other talented and renowned professionals.

Between 1962 and 1965, he played the viola for the Buenos Aires Chamber Orchestra, the La

Plata Chamber Orchestra, and the “Teatro Argentino de La Plata” Symphony Orchestra. In 1973,

he graduated in composition as a top scholar from the National University of Cordoba.

He taught music throughout all levels of the educational system. Until 2008, he held the Head

Professorship Chair of Instrumentation and Orchestration, which he earned through a rigorous

contest, at the School of Music of the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. It is important

to highlight, that while in this position, Moncho devoted special content of music for wind and

percussion ensemble as a pioneer in this specialty, influenced by the work of composers such as

Michael Colgrass, Karel Husa, and Joseph Shwantner, amongst others. This created the

foundation for a base of compositional works of this genre/specialty being the first in South

America.

He took active participation, and continues to, in several musical conferences and gatherings

throughout the globe. He did so in his home country of Argentina, in Buenos Aires, in 1980,

1986, 2008 and 2009. As far as other Latin American countries, he was in Belo Horizonte,

Campos de Jordao, and Tatui, in Brazil, as well as in Chile in 1987, Venezuela, and Colombia in

2008. In North America, he has attended consistently, every year since 1993, the Midwest Clinic

in the City of Chicago, Illinois, as well as other conferences in San Luis Obispo, California in

1999 and Orlando, Florida, in 2004. In Europe, he was in Valencia, Spain, in 1993, (where Don

Vicente Moncho, his great grandfather, was born and raised before immigrating to Argentina in

the 19th. century) and in Schladming, Austria, in 1997. In Africa, he was in Cape Town, South

Africa, in 2005. He taught numerous courses and gave talks all across Argentina, the United

States, as well as in Venezuela, Colombia, and South Africa.

In 1995, he was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of WASBE, the World

Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, in which he served through 2001. This board

has representatives from more than fifty countries. He also served as a judge in panels of

international events, such as the 2006 120th International Competition of Bands, in Valencia,

Spain.

He was also distinguished in numerous occasions as follows; Best Graduate Prize by the

National University of Cordoba, in 1973. He was awarded a subsidy/scholarship by the Canadian

government’s Investigative Program of Canadian Studies (known as FRP). This brought him to

Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto in 1993, where he accomplished a research study on the subject of

music for winds and percussion. In 1994, he won the yearly National Composers Tribune, put

forth by the Argentine Music Council. As a repercussion of the merit just mentioned, his music

was presented during the International Composers Tribune at the UNESCO Hall in Paris, France,

which resulted in radio broadcasters from Denmark, Turkey, Ireland and Hungary to request his

pieces to be broadcasted in those countries. In 1999, SADAIC, the Argentine Society of Authors

and Music Composers, which is Argentina’s most prominent, official copyrighter entity, awarded

him with the SADAIC Grand Prize, as recognition for his contribution made by his career to

Argentine music and culture, and in 2000, he was awarded the “Distinciones 2000” Prize,

(Distinctions 2000) by the “Criticos Musicales de la Argentina”. (Musical Critics of Argentina),

scharing in his specilities with Daniel Barenboiim, Claudio Abbado and Berliner Philarmonic

among other.

His musical production, conceived in a modal language, uses his own resources as it relates to

current Symphonic and Chamber music. His pieces have been performed by orchestras and

bands all across the American continent, from Canada through, obviously, Argentina. Some of

the prestigious venues in Argentina include the “Teatro Colon” of Buenos Aires, Argentina. In

Europe, some countries include Spain, Italy, Switzerland, the UK, Sweden, Finland, Germany,

The Netherlands, Austria and Ukraine. His piece “…de Tango”, in his three versions, has been

performed in over two hundred occasions in Africa, The Americas and Europe. The Wind and

Percussion version was the most performed of these. His music has also been radio broadcasted

in several Asian countries.

As follows are some opinions of Moncho’s music by the Argentine press as well as renowned

composers and conductors from all over the world;

“… He is the musician with a coherently developed musical plan…” “…..the conciseness, not

excessive, is one of his merits, and within that measured margin, has reached the role given to

each instrument or orchestral group. Handles the symphony orchestra with fluency and has

happy findings in the sound combinations…” (“Introspeccion” piece, “La Prensa”, Buenos Aires

newspaper, 5/12/1978)

“….In just over seventeen minutes, the piece develops ideas oh high symphonic potential, treated

with a hand of constructing and sense of synthesis…..” (“El Regreso de Anaconda” piece,

“Clarin”, Buenos Aires newspaper, 5/19/1985)

“…The Cordoba Symphony performed “…de Tango”, by local composer Vicente Moncho. In

this piece, Moncho handles the instrumentation, the sounds and the symphonic textures with

mastery and subtlety. This epigrammatist composer plays skillfully with gestures taken from

archetypal tangos, ironically transforming them, intelligently full of humor….” (“La Voz del

Interior”, Cordoba newspaper, 8/24/1999)

“…I have listened to the three versions of your imaginative Tango, El Regreso de Anaconda and

I heard you solemnsweet

pipes of the organ, both beautifully orchestrated works. Listening to

your music I feel how much you build it on dances (tango, waltz). In a way this is also how

Schoenberg felt. My sincere congratulations!” (Karel Husa)

“…I am most impressed by the serious ideas which are evident in these three works. Normally

… the wind orchestra world is not used to hearing a work like “I heard you solemnsweet

pipes

of the organ…” – but I hope the bands will eventually play it as part of repertoire. The other

works are composed with much knowledge and also elegance – bravo, bravissimo ! (Joseph

Horovitz)

“…the Sao Paulo State Symphonic Band of Brazil demonstrated how much the rest of the world

still has to learn about the musical developments in this part of the world.

The Brazilian’s concert showed how “new” and still contemporary treatments of folk and dances

music really can be. Especially worthy mention on this respect are Roland Miranda’s Suite

Tropical and Vincente Moncho’s brilliant dance paraphrase “…de Tango” 8th WASBE

Conference 1997 – CLARINO

” Have done his …de Tango several times, first with the Royal Air Force Central Band back in

’96 and again in Brazil (they loved it.). The traditional tango rhythms are there in full flower, but

harmonically it is an interesting piece I

like it. It is definitely one to be consider – must be done

with lightness and elegance.” (John Stanley,conductor)

“The piece is very strong. It’s a grand job, which in addition to the composition, the group and

the solists will have to put in their part in the effort. “Atenea” shows the duality of each on of us

as physical entities.” (Rafael SanzEspert, conductor)
AVAILABLE PIECES (both sibelius 6 and pdf) Devenir/p vlin and orch.; Uno (tango arr.);Romanza p/vla and orch.; Ritual; Música para Verónica (cl solista y cuerdas)Por una cabeza (arr); El día que me quieras (arr); Capricho p/vlin y orq.; El vuelo del águila; EDl regreso de anaconda; despertango; de tango corregido; Percusio (orrq. de percusión) Crecientes; Atenea; Introspección; Paco Campillo; Orquestango.CHAMBER MUSIC: Ave María; enccuenrtros p/cuerdass; música p/ flauta y guitarra; diálogos/p fl.y vlin; un retrato de Dorian y Ben; Invennción (cuerdas); Ave María arr Bach, Gounod, Moncho.
ASk by FACEBOOK