Conceived and set up by its director, José Miguel Sambartolomé, this ensemble has been around for some twelve years. Despite this age, which isn’t really all that long, and despite the youth of its members, the Arturo Soria Big Band has already performed for a wide range of institutions at the highest level of education. For example, they have performed for the Education Inspectorate of the Territorial Area of Madrid, the General Directorate of Education and Science, and the Presidency of the Autonomous Community of Madrid. They have also had the opportunity to collaborate with other groups from Torrejón de Ardoz and from the Alfonso X El Sabio University, when a big band festival was organised in that town.

The Arturo Soria Big Band has also played in the Teatros del Canal and it has performed for several years in a row at the National Music Auditorium, where it has always received unanimous applause from the audience. And the same can be said of all the consecutive years -approximately five – that it has been part of the JAZZMADRID line-up. It is also worth noting that it performed for several seasons at what was one of Madrid’s most popular jazz venues, the sadly defunct Bogui Jazz. Finally, a concert broadcast by Telemadrid (the Community of Madrid’s regional TV channel) at the Chamartín railway station is also worth mentioning.

The Big Band is made up of students and alumni of the Arturo Soria Professional Conservatory and on many occasions it has been able to call on the collaboration of leading figures from the world of jazz. It is a great pleasure to see them once again on the programme of this year’s Madrid International Jazz Festival.