| Resumé of the C.V. |
| Chronology |
| Certifications |
I was born in Terrassa, near Barcelona, and studied chemistry and piano at the same time. When I finished (chemistry, of course, because music studies last forever!) I found a job in Tarragona (a nice town on the coast, 100 km down from Barcelona), where I have spent the major part of my life working as a research engineer for a major petrochemical company by the town.
During all this time I splitted my time, energies and passion between my proffessional dedication and music, although this was always second, and amateur.
But a few years ago my life changed: by the end of the nineties, many industrial companies were re-structuring their workforces and in 1999 I had the opportunity to quit, in a set of conditions that allowed me to fully devote myself to music.
From then on I have taught music, and have studied harpsichord, baroque oboe, a university degree in musicology, and orchestral conducting, still going on. I did research in some musical subjects (exemples of them in this Web page), and have played chamber music with friends and colleagues. No need to say that I am very happy with this change!
Here below I lay down a more detailed chronology.
| 1945 | Born December 16th, in Terrassa (Barcelona). |
| 1956 | Firsts examinations at Conservatori del Liceu, as "external student"; subjects: theory and piano. |
| 1959 | Finished High School. Entered the School of Technical Engineering in Terrassa, to study the speciality in Chemistry. |
| 1963 | Composed my first music works: for piano, chamber music, and specially, "sardanes" (this is catalan dance music written for a particular wind band of 11 instruments). |
| 1964 | Start conducting choirs. Conductor of "Coral del Centre Excursionista de Terrassa" till 1967, when I will leave for Tarragona. |
| 1966 | Title of "Pèrit Industrial Químic". Start working as a chemist in a factory producing and finishing textile fabrics. I reach my 5th year in piano, but have to quit due to lack of practicing time. My teachers so far have been, Miquel Margarit, Mrs. Serrat, and Josep Mª Martí. |
| 1967 | I moved to Tarragona to joint The Dow Chemical Co., a north-american company for which I worked the following 31 years, pursuing a technical career as a researcher in the speciality of industrial plastics. During all these years, the development of new products resulted in permanent contact with the market and customers all over Europe: this brought me to improve my fluency in languages, specially english, but also french, italian and a litle german. |
| 1968 | Conductor of "Coral Boixerica" in Tarragona, till 1975. |
| 1969 | After having attended a few studying terms in choir conducting, among them the ones in Lleida organized by “A Coeur Joie” and "Orfeó Lleidatà", with professors Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Cesar Geoffray, Erwin List, i Lluís Virgili, I get the title of « Choir Conductor ». Later on I have also attended classes in Choir Conducting by Leo Massó, Oriol Martorell, Manuel Cabero, Enric Ribó and Michel Corboz. |
| 1971 | I resume my piano studies at "Conservatori de Tarragona" with professor Carme Flexas, and take examination of 6th year. I again realize I have not enough practicing time and have to quit, this time definitely in 1973. |
| 1972 | I marry Nuri Francino, with whom I will have two daughters, Marta and Monica. |
| 1975 | Conductor of singing group "Camerata de Tarragona", till 1980. |
| 1978 | Summer course in orchestra conducting with Jacques Bodmer, at "Curs de Música de Vila-Seca". Attend again the same course the following year. |
| 1980 | The company for which I work relocates me in Switzerland, where I stay for two years. There my enthusiasm for early music gets more solid. I own my first harpsichord, in fact a "spinet", and start to practice as autodidact. Later on, I will go to a few summer courses in Daroca, having Jan Willen Jansen and Christine Whiffen as harpsichord teachers. |
| 1986 | First concerts with the baroque music group Concertare, made up of musicians from Tarragona and Reus, with the following instruments: violin, flute - traverso and recorder - , violoncello, and harpsichord. Conductor of a students' orchestra, linked to "Conservatori de Tarragona". Till 1988. |
| 1987 | Two years studying violoncello, which serve me to know the technicalities of the instrument (positions, bow distribution, etc.) on which I am interested, specially from the point of view of conducting. With my father, Josep Rius, cello professor. |
| 1989 | I study slide trombone at "Escola de la Banda de Música de Tarragona" during one year, also to better know brass instruments, from the point of view of conducting. |
| 1995 | Organ studies at "Conservatori de Tarragona", with Jordi Vergés. Till 1999. I had practiced organ before, specially at Daroca summer courses with José Luis González Uriol, and at Montblanc with Josep Maria Mas Bonet, and afterwards I have attended classes with Montserrat Torrent. |
| 1998 | I reach an agreement with my company employer, which is restructuring its workforce, and as a result, end my work relationship with it. |
| 1999 | Stop working as a chemist and start my hundred per cent dedication to music. I teach Music history and Counterpoint at "Escola de Música del Centre de Lectura de Reus". Start studies of baroque oboe with Xavier Blanch. |
| 2000 | Official studies of harpsichord with Mireia Hernàndez at "Conservatori del Liceu". Start a university degree in Musicology, at the "Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona". |
| 2003 | I finish my university degree in Musicology (and get the "2003 special award" for this degree). Title of "professor superior" in harpsichord. I joint the "Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya" (ESMUC) to study orchestra conducting. My teacher is Jordi Mora. I start a doctorate in Musicology. |
| 2004 | Conductor of a chamber singing group, “Salou a capella”. |
| 2007 | I finished my studies in orchestra conducting. Creation of the performing group "Canyes del Gaià" consisting of gralles (shawms) and drums. I started studies in Composition and Instrumentation of music for cobla, at the Conservatorium of Music in Girona with Francesc Cassú, conductor of the "cobla La Principal de La Bisbal". |
Title for the Superior Degree in Harpsichord at the "Conservatori del Liceu" (the actual document is coming from Madrid since 2003).
Title of Graduate in Music History and Sciences (it didn't not arrive till end of 2007, although it's dated March 2004).
