JOSÉ MANUEL AZCUE AGUINAGALDE

Born in the Basque town of Oiartzun, he studied music in the Conservatory of San Sebastián, where he was awarded first prize in piano. Later, he obtained the Piano Chair by public competitive examination at this Conservatory. He undertook higher musical studies in piano, organ, musicology and musical pedagogy in the USA, and graduated from Syracuse University in New York State.

He lived in the USA for 18 years, working as organist and chapel master at the Immaculate Conception Church in Fulton, New Cork, and also as music teacher and director of the choirs of the G. Ray Bodley High School of that city. During his last four years in the USA he combined this work with that of being professor of piano and choral director of the University of New York in OSWEGO (Suny). In 1975 he returned to Spain and won by public examination the post of titular organist of the Basilica of Santa María del Coro of San Sebastián, a post he still holds today.
He is an active organ concertist throughout Spain and the rest of Europe. In 1985, celebrating the 3rd. Centenary of the birth of J.S. Bach, he played his complete Works in a series of concert cycles in various Spanish cities. That same year he represented Spain in the Europalia Festival which took place in Belgium. In 1990 he took part in the recording entitled "O'Orgue de Cavaillé-Coll", a sound document about the work of the great organ builder of the Romantic era. In 1992 he was invited to participate in various music festivals where the complete works of César Franck were played on the occasion of the first centenary of his death.

He has played in many concerts as a soloist and as accompanist with orchestras such as the Spanish National Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Spanish Televisión corporation, the Basque Symphony Orchestra and that of  Bayonne Côte Basque, amongst others. He has taken part many times in International Music Festivals such as those of Santander, Granada or Estoril. More recently he has given concerts in the Juan March Foundation of Madrid as well as in the cathedrals of Seville, Barcelona, Bilbao, Santander, Logroño and Calahorra, the Saint Sulpice church of Paris, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Gran Canaria, as well as in the Euskalduna Palace of Bilbao.
He has frequently participated in the San Sebastián Music Fortnight, and has played in 20 of its 67 editions. He has also been a jury member in various organ festivals. 

DISCOGRAPHY:

It must be pointed out that all Mr. Azcue's recordings are live from the concerts he gives  at the Basilica

aArus016 Santa María Basílica - Cavaillé-Coll organ  (Series Organs of Vasconia Nº2)

PROGRAM: T. Garbizu: Tríptico sobre un tema gregoriano; C. Franck: Priére, Op 20; G. Cuesta: Messe pour orgue sur Regina Coeli; H. Schubert: Magnificat.

aArus066 The Art of J.M. Azcue

PROGRAM: J.S. BACH Preludio y Fuga en si menor, BWV 544;  J.S. BACH Vater unser im himmelreich, BWV 682; C. FRANCK Fantasie in La;L. VIERNE Pastorale; L. VIERNE Allegro Vivace;  L. URTEAGA Fantasía Religiosa;  A. HEILLER Tanz Tocata; O. MESSIAEN La Vierge et l'Enfant;  M. DUPRÉ Résurrection(4th mov. Passion Symphony)

This recording of Mr Azcue playing J.S. Bach's choral "Vater unser im Himmelreich" BWV682 in  the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Santa María Basílica of Donostia-San Sebastián was made by Xabier Mugika using a pair of AKG 414 microphones and Manley and Sony recording equipment.  

---