Images featuring Óscar Esplá, the renowned composer, or the singer Milagritos Gorge Borras with a booklet by Juan Such Sierra, alongside a pasodoble composed by Luis Torregrosa, form part of the documents and photographs on display at the Alicante Municipal Archive. The exhibition, hosted at the archive building on Labradores Street, opens this Thursday and runs through December 4. It marks the rich heritage of Alicante musicians as part of the Santa Cecilia festival celebrations, honoring the patron saint of musicians, whose feast falls on November 22.
The exhibition can be explored in the research room on the ground floor, where a selection of photographs from Alicante musicians is presented on panels. Among those represented are Milagritos Gorge Borras, a celebrated Alicante singer who lived from 1878 to 1959; Óscar Esplá and Triay (1886-1976); Gonzalo Soriano Simó (1913-1972); José Mira Figueroa (1912-1976); José Tomás Pérez Sellés (1934-2001); Juan Latorre Baeza (1868-1941); Luis Torregrosa Garcia (1871-1960); the Alicante Chamber Orchestra from 1927-1937; Municipal Symphony Orchestra since 1913; Rafael Rodríguez Albert (1902-1979); Vicente Spiteri Galiano (1917-2003); Antonio Torres Climent (1913-1946); and Juan de Dios Aguilar Gomez (1900-1991).
In the window display of the room, visitors will see original documents from past centuries that reveal the city’s musical life. These include a document granting a musician position at the San Nicolás school in 1824; a music score for a tap dance from 1853; a booklet containing the text of a zarzuela with music by maestro Juan Such Sierra from 1883; the pasodoble Les Fogueres de San Joan by Luis Torregrosa; and a sketch of the temple of music accompanied by photographs dating to 1941.
The Cultural Council member Nayma Beldjilali commented on Alicante’s deep musical tradition, noting that this feature helps position the city as a national and international reference. She highlighted the ongoing presence of local musicians who have shaped the Municipal Symphony Orchestra and other ensembles throughout the city’s history, emphasizing the living continuity of Alicante’s musical culture.