The Directors
Enrique Azurza
Asume la dirección artística de la Sociedad Coral de Bilbao en abril de 2016.
Profesor de canto coral en el Centro Superior de Música del País Vasco – Musikene, Enrique Azurza es uno de los directores de coro más destacados y dinámicos de su generación.
Estudió dirección de coro en el País Vasco y en Estocolmo, con Anders Eby, becado por la Diputación de Gipuzkoa. Realizó cursos de especialización con Eric Ericson y Carl Høgset.
En 1991 recibe el Premio al Mejor Director en el Certamen Internacional de Varna (Bulgaria). Invitado en dos ocasiones por la IFCM al Simposio Mundial de Música Coral: Sydney 1996 y Puerto Madryn (Argentina) 2011.
Actualmente dirige el Coro Hodeiertz de Tolosa, y el grupo vocal profesional KEA, especializado en música contemporánea.
Ha dirigido el Coro de la Universidad del País Vasco (1999-2016), el Coro Lírico de Cantabria – Coro del Palacio de Festivales de Santander (2011-2015) y el Coro del Instituto Aragonés de Canto Coral (1993-2003).
Ha actuado como director invitado con el Coro de RTVE, y con el coro St. Jacob de Estocolmo.
Con todos ellos ha abordado un amplio abanico de repertorios, ha logrado primeros premios en certámenes nacionales e internacionales, y ha realizado diversas grabaciones.
Ha impartido numerosos cursos de dirección, conferencias y seminarios. Es asesor musical del Concurso Coral Internacional de Tolosa, del Simposio Mundial de Barcelona 2017 y director artístico del Certamen Coral de Ejea de Los Caballeros.
Ha formado parte de jurados en festivales nacionales e internacionales: Debrecen (Hungría), Arezzo (Italia), Tours (Francia), Varna (Bulgaria), Marktoberdorf (Alemania), Montreux y Neuchâtel (Suiza), Maasmechelen (Bélgica), Maribor (Eslovenia), Busan (Corea del Sur) y Hong-Kong (China).
Urko Sangroniz
Born in Bilbao in 1976 he beganhis musical studies at an early age in the Conservatory of the Bilbao Choral Society. Later he joined the “Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga” Conservatory in Bilbao, where he finished his higher education with distinction.
He finished hismusical studies in the specialty of violin with teachers; Dana Besedowsky, Dan Mitu, SaioaLizaso, Rosa López, Carmen Gutiérrez, Eva Graubin andHiro Kurosaki among others, and chamber music with Carmen Gutiérrez, Luis de Moura Castro and EugenyGratch.
He has further training in choir conducting, attending courses with the Asturiana Choir Federation (FECORA) with teachers XabierSarasola, BasilioAstúlez, Julio Domínguez and Albert Alcaraz, and in the Choir Confederation of the Basque Country (EAE) with teacher MaiteOca, José Ramón Gil Tárrega, Juan Luis Martínez, Vasco Negreiros, Martin Schmitt and Enrique Azurza. He has widened his vocal training with teachers NuriaOrbeaand Marta Ubieta.
He has been part of the Conservatory Choir and the Choir Euskeria, and since 1997 he has been an active member of the Mixed Choir of the Choral Society of Bilbao. He has been a violin professor at the Conservatory of the Choral Society of Bilbao since 1999, a job that he combines with the role of director of the Euskeria Choir as well as deputy director of the Company since 2007.
Jose Luis Ormazabal
A Bilbao native, he has studied guitar and Singing in his local Conservatory.
He was part of the Ancient Music Group of Bilbao from its creation to its dissolution.
He was a member of the Peñaflorida Chapel for ten years where he developed a busy concert schedule.
Currently he is conductor of the Chamber Doinuzahar Choir in Durango.
He has made various recordings as conductor and also as a solo singer.
He combines performance with teaching by working in the field of Initiation and Musical Education for children. Since 1992, he has been the musical induction workshop coordinator for the Conservatory of the Choral Society of Bilbao and music teacher at the French College of Bilbao. That same year he began his work as Conservatory Choir Trainer-coach of the company. In February 1994 he was appointed conductor of the choir.
He has received training in choir conducting from Peter Eidenbenz, Eric Erikson, Pierre Cao y Nicole Corti.
