Managers

Ayestarán Picabea, Antxon

Musician from Guipuzcoa, born in the Unanue-Berri farmhouse in the Añorga neighbourhood of Donostia on 14 April 1939. He died in a traffic accident in Donostia on 22 December 1986.

He began singing tenor in the Orfeón Donostiarra at the age of 18. After two years as assistant conductor of the choir, in 1968 he became conductor of the Orfeón, replacing Juan Gorostidi. Under his mandate, the choral group reached its highest national and international prestige, receiving the Gold Medal of Fine Arts (1975), the Medal of Honour of the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts (1983), the Prince of Asturias Award (1984) and the Gold Medals of Toulouse and Gipuzkoa (1985).

It was also under his auspices that the Music Workshop and the Singing School were created (1984) within the choral society. Under Ayestarán, the choir multiplied its international tours; it visited the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the Royal Festival Hall, toured Philadelphia and Washington (1980), Israel (1982), Switzerland (1986) and the USSR (1986). Also during this period, his discography expanded in a special way and he consolidated his attendance at state festivals such as Granada, Santander, Quincena Musical or appearances on the great stages, such as the Teatro Real in Madrid or the Palau de la Música in Barcelona.

His funeral was held in the basilica of Santa María del Coro in San Sebastián, with the Orfeón conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.

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