Vicente Zarzo Pitarch

Vicente Zarzo Pitarch (born 6 May 1938) is a Spanish horn player who has played as a soloist in several European and North American orchestras.[1] He is also the author of several books on the history and technique of the horn.[2]

Life and career

Zarzo was born in Benaguasil, in the Spanish province of Valencia and studied the horn at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo in Valencia.[3] He later studied with Hans Noeth in Munich, Germany.[4]

For 25 years Zarzo has been principal horn in a.o. The Hague Philharmonic, ( Het Residentie Orkest). He has also played as the horn soloist for the Valencia Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in Reykjavík, the American Wind Symphony Orchestra in Pittsburgh, and the National Orchestra of Mexico.

Recognition

In 2004 he was given the Giovanni Punto Award by the International Horn Society and named an "Insigne de la Música Valenciana" by the Academia Valenciana de la Música. The Calle Músico Vicente Zarzo, a street in central Granada is named in his honour.[5]

Vicente Zarzo has been named from august 2020 honorary member of the International Horn Society( IHS).

Works composed for Vicente Zarzo

Quaterni II by Jan van Vlijmen (premiered by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)
Sinfónica No. 3 for wind orchestra by Eduardo Mata (premiered by the University of Mexico Orchestra)
Confronti horn concerto by Wim Laman (premiered at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague)
Concert for french-horn by Hans Henkemans that was first played in the KRO broadcasting co. by the Radio Hilversum Orchestra conducted by Ed Spanjaard.
Sonata para trompa y piano and Concierto para 4 trompas y orquesta by Amando Blanquer; both works have first been played in the Netherlands, the first one with the piano player Jand vand der Meer and the second with the Radio Hilversum Orchestra conducted by Jan Stulen.

Performances as a soloist

As a french-horn soloist Vicente Zarzo has played with the Orquesta Municipal de Valencia (Spain) conducted by Manuel Galduf. One of these concerts was the premiere of the Concierto de trompa of the composer Rafael Talens.
He also performed with the Orquesta de Valladolid, directed by Eduardo Díaz Muñoz, the Orquesta de Oviedo directed by Arturo Tamayo and the Orquesta de Tenerife conducted by Armando Alfonso, Francesc Llonguera and Edmon Colomer.
Vicente Zarzo has played with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria conducted by Cervera Collado and Cenura. With La Banda Municipal de Madrid he has performed Concierto num. 1 opus 11 by R.Strauss which was the premiere in Spain performed by french-horn and symphonic band.
He also performed with Orquesta Sinfonica de Port (Portugal) conducted by Luis Antonio García Navarro, with the Philarmonic Orchestra of Groningen (the Netherlands) conducted by García Navarro and with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid (Spain) conducted by Antonio Ros Marvá.
Vicente Zarzo performed with the Orquesta Nacional de México conducted by Carlos Chávez and Luis Herrera de la Fuente and with the Orquesta de la Universidad de México conducted by Sasha Popov, founder of 7 of 12 orchestras in Bulgaria.
Vicente Zarzo played with the National Orchestra of Reykjavik, conducted by Wodan Wodiczco, with the Residentie–Orkest of the Hague he played the Concert n. 4 of W.A. Mozart 12 times in the U.S.A. and Canada, conducted by Jean Martinon, 3 concerts in Strasbourg conducted by Hans Vonk, 20 concerts en the Netherlands directed by the Japanese conductor Hiroyuki Iwaki. Two concerts with the Ulster Orchestra of Belfast. He played Concerto n.1 of R.Strauss 3 times in England, conducted by Ferdinand Leitner and twice in Yugoslavia (Dubrovnik and Zagreb), conducted by Hans Vonk with the Residentie-Orkest. With the same orchestra he played Upon La Mi for soprano, French-horn and orchestra conducted by Mr. Mercier.
The work “Le canyon aux étoiles” for french-horn, piano and orchestra by Olivier Messian was played by Vicente Zarzo and Madame Loriod, the composer’s wife.
Vicente Zarzo played the world premiere of Quaterni II with the Concertgebouw Orkest conducted by Lucas Vis.

Radio recordings

The dutch radio-broadcast recorded 140 concerts, some of them premieres such as; French-horn and harp- violin, French –horn and harp and harp, French-horn and organ. All of these radio recordings were assigned to the duthc audiovisual archive (Nederlands Audosvisueel Archief) whose manager is Mr. Patrick Ouwens. Also in the Netherlands, the concerts for french-horn and orchestra of Gallay, Pawels, José Muñoz Molleda and the full work for French-horn by Amando Blanquer were recorded.

Commercial recordings

Quintets by Mozart and Beethoven for brass and piano with the well-known piano player Radu Lupu -DECCA 414 219-2
Trio for violin, French-horn and piano, op.40 by J.Brahms -Residentie Orchestra -CD 420 056-2
Soli I for brass quintet and Soli IVfor trumpet, french-horn and trombone by Carlos Chávez - Columbia 31 534
Simphony n.3 with Corno obligato by E. Mata (composed for Vicente Zarzo) RCA Victor MRS-003
French –horn concerts by P. Hindemith, M. Arnold and Amando Blanquer. Alberri ALS-10.113-A
French-horn music by Amando Blanquer Producciones musicales ML. MI 99-018-CD
Trios for violin, French-horn and piano by Claudio Prieto, Francisco Llácer Pla and Amando Blanquer. Producciones Musicales ML. ML 033
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart French-horn concertos performed by Vicente Zarzo Pitarch and the symphonic band “la Artística de Buñol” WWM 500.067.
Baroque music by Harmonie Mundi.
Spanish music for French –horn of the XXI century
French-horn and human voice
Vicente Zarzo playing Fr. Shubert’s “Auf dem Strom”, op.119. by J. Brahms, Trio op.40
Vicente Zarzo playing “trompa miscellanea”
Vicente zarzo playing C.Saint-Saens, R.Strauss and José Muñoz Molleda.
Vicente Zarzo playing virtuose chamber music.
Vicente Zarzo and Bartomeu Jaume playing “Música rusa para trompa” (Russian music for French-horn)
Vicente Zarzo playing: Duvernoy, Clerisse and Gallay
Vicente Zarzo playing in trios for violin, French-horn and piano.

Bibliography

70 Estudios Convencionales En Cuatro Volúmenes op. 5 Para Trompa, Piles, Editorial de Música, S.A. 1 January 1998.
with Bernhard Krol (1 January 1995). 10 estudios para trompa, op. 7: sobre una idea de B. Krol. Piles. ISBN 978-84-88548-83-2. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
13 Estudios Variados Para Trompa. Piles, Editorial de Música, S.A. 1 January 1997. ISBN 978-84-89595-58-3. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
Anécdotas y sucesos: una mirada al Benaguasil de los años cincuenta. Consolat de Mar. 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
Compendio de la Técnica de la Trompa. Piles, Editorial de Música, S.A. 1 January 1995. ISBN 978-84-88548-81-8. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
Compendio sobre las escuelas europeas de trompa. Piles, Editorial de Música, S.A. 1 February 1994. ISBN 978-84-88548-35-1. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
Grandes trompistas del pasado. Ediciones Seyer. 1997. ISBN 978-84-86975-56-2. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
La trompa: história y desarrollo. Seyer. 1994. ISBN 978-84-86975-34-0. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
Una vida para la música. Rural Sant Vicent Ferrer. 1 March 1995. ISBN 978-84-7050-403-7. Retrieved 20 July 2013.

References

Mariano Pérez Gutiérrez (January 1985). Diccionario de la música y los músicos III (P-Z) (in Spanish). Ediciones Akal. p. 389. ISBN 978-84-7090-138-6. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
Historic Brass Society Newsletter. Historic Brass Society. 1999. p. 63. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
International Horn Society. Punto Award winners: Vicente Zarzo. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
Diario Crítico de la Comunidad Valenciana (1 December 2010). "Vicente Zarzo Pitarch será investido Académico de San Carlos". Retrieved 20 July 2013 (in Spanish).
Calle Musico Vicente Zarzo, Granada