Filarmónica Beethoven of Campo de Criptana Wins Cullera Band Competition

The ensemble from Campo de Criptana triumphs with 539.8 points, securing the First Prize and the Special Jury Prize.

Generic image of a conductor's hands with a baton.
IA

Generic image of a conductor's hands with a baton.

The Filarmónica Beethoven Music Band of Campo de Criptana has been declared the winner of the LXXVIII National Music Band Competition 'City of Cullera 2026', held as part of the Major Festivities in this Valencian town.

With a score of 539.8 points, the ensemble from Campo de Criptana triumphed over the Asociación Musical Banda Municipal de Música de Daimiel, which scored 384.9 points. The winning band received the First Prize and the Special Jury Prize, along with a monetary award of 10,000 euros, sponsored by Aigües de Cullera, and an additional 1,000 euros from Ediciones Tot per l'Aire for musical material.
The Filarmónica Beethoven achieved a 'double win' in the competition, also securing the award for Best Concert Pasodoble, which came with 2,000 euros sponsored by Veolia. The second prize in the competition was 6,000 euros, thanks to the sponsorship of Caixa Popular.
The Cullera City Council highlighted in a statement that this year the prize money for winners has been increased, with an additional 2,000 euros for both the first and second prizes. Furthermore, participating bands received 6,000 euros for their participation, 1,000 euros more than in previous editions.
The Filarmónica Beethoven Music Band of Campo de Criptana, directed by Carlos Garcés, performed Duende by Luis Serrano as their free choice piece and the concert pasodoble Antoñana by Fernando Tormo. Meanwhile, the Asociación Musical Banda Municipal de Música de Daimiel, under the direction of Pedro Fco. Sánchez-Valdepeñas, performed The island of light by José Alberto Pina and the pasodoble Valencia by Santiago Lope. The compulsory piece for this edition was El mirall de la joventut by the Valencian composer Saül Gómez, who chaired the jury alongside Beatriz Fernández and Fernando Lizana.
Outside of the competition, the musical afternoon featured performances by the symphonic band of the Sociedad Musical Instructiva Santa Cecilia de Cullera, directed by Marcel Ortega, who performed the pasodoble Tercio de Quites and symphony no3 Aquae Flaviae; and the symphonic band of the Sociedad Ateneo Musical de Cullera, directed by Andrea Gasperin, with the pasodoble Yakka and symphony no3 by Alfred Reed.