He began his musical studies at the Escola Municipal de Música de Sabadell with Josep Plans and Cebrià Cabané, and continued them in Barcelona, ??composing and harmonizing with Manuel Burgés. He sang at the Orfeó de Sabadell and entered the Banda Municipal de Sabadell when he was only 16 years old. At that time he was already playing the piano, violin, saxophone, and clarinet. Shortly after, he was appointed professor of music theory at the Escola Municipal de Música and entered the Quintet Vila-Padró as a pianist. In 1915, at the age of 21, he traveled to the United States. There she met Xavier Cugat and for a season they formed a duo to play in concert-cafes. Between 1915 and 1932 he lived in Washington and, while conducting the artistic direction of one of the "Meyer Davis" orchestras, composed American-style ballets, suites, and operettas, garnering rave reviews. In 1928, he became a citizen of the United States. He collaborated with the Paul Whitman orchestra and in 1934 he was hired as artistic director of the WOR station radio symphony orchestra conducted by Alfred Wallenstein, who commissioned him to perform Spanish-style symphonic works. He combined this task with that of professor of orchestration at the Juilliard School of Music (1934-1938). Between 1941 and 1960 he was musical and artistic director of the National Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and made many orchestrations for various singers, including Mario del Monaco and Renata Tebaldi. Upon retirement he returned to Spain in 1963, where he continued composing.
The composer's musical work is vast: more than one hundred and eighty sardanas and other music compositions for cobla, more than fifty songs for voice and piano, thirty pieces of choral music, a large number of works for piano, two quartets and a String trio, works for chamber and symphony orchestras, operettas and ballets.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW BETTER THE ARTIST?
Agusti Borgunyó Archive in the Arxiu Històric de SabadellSheet music on ClivisLetters Borgunyó-SallarèsBlog of the Borgunyó Family
PERFORMED WORKS
Suite of four songs, for voice and piano
