"Illana approached to the creative personality of Llácer Plá, demonstrating a clear and transparent sound of an excellent sound conjunction and virtuous understanding.”
José L. Galiana-Levante (Valencia)

"...the audience enjoyed the magnificent concert..."
Pilar Muñoz-La tribuna (Ciudad Real)

"Solid performance training that transmits emotions and virtuosity".
Rafael Xambó-Levante (Valencia)

"The music implementation makes a perfect listening and respect for the balance of a sound ... This group offers us a light interpretation, charged of passion and energy".
Ludovic Bargheon-Écoutervoir (Francia)

The group was formed in 1997 and named in honour of the composer Francisco Hernández Illana.

Its members are professionals devoting them mainly to Pedagogy and Performance. They have studied with professors such as Harrie Starreveld, Thomas Indermühler, Wolfgang Meyer and Joan Enric Lluna as well as Italian Woodwind Quintet (Soloist of Scala Milán Orchestra) and Vienna Woodwind Quintet (Soloists of Vienna Symphonic Orchestra).

In year 1999, the Group was awarded at the XIV Competition of Chamber Music of Manresa City.

In their career within the national scene, they have given concerts in the Music Festival of Segovia, Cultural Center “Conde Duque” (Madrid), International Festival of Contemporary Music in Tres Cantos (Madrid), Festival of Contemporary Music “ENSEMS” (Valencia), MACBA (Barcelona), Palau de la Musica in Valencia, as well as in Cuenca, Ciudad Real and Zaragoza.

They have also given concerts in many places of Comunidad Valenciana: French Institute of Valencia, Auditorio de Torrente, Centre Cultural “La Beneficiencia” de Valencia, Club Diario Levante and in various locations in the community.

The group has worked directly with valencian composer Francisco Llácer Plá working together on his “Liturgia II” for wind quintet, “Nou cançons per a la intimitat” and “Cuatro Sonetos de Fray Luis de Leon”, first recording pieces, in the second CD of Grupo Illana, in year 2003.

The group has combined their artistic activity in both the classical repertoire as in the contemporary, while maintaining a regular contact with composers like: E. Sanz Burguete, C. Cano, E. Calandín, L. Blanes, C. Cruz de Castro, M. Carro, R. Mosquera or J. Minguillón, who have dedicated their compositions to the training chamber.

The current music, especially Spanish, is a reference for the group to be invited in different cycles of contemporary music.

The group has participated in the concert’s closing competition of composition “Hui, hui música 2007-SGAE, Fundación Autor”, premiering works by Carlos Pascual, Mario Carro, Jorge Agost, David Bozzo, Hugo Martinez and Julián Ávila.

The concern and desire for innovation has enabled the Group to venture into different styles of music, improvised music, working with the guitarists Manuel Hamerlinck and Pepe Guerola, as well as with the bassist Jose Luis Porras.

Within the framework of discography, Illana has three recordings: “Música Alemana para sexteto” (2002), CD consisting of music for piano and wind quintet, “Homenaje a Francisco Llácer Pla” (2003) and
“Contrastes” (2009).

Their recordings, as well as some of their concerts have been broadcasted in RNE (Spanish National Radio), RTVV (Valencian Radio Television) and the German radio. They have excellent critics both nationally and internationally in specialized magazines MELÓMANOS and ECOUTER VOIR as well as in the national press, mentioned as a good news within the music scene of the disc.

Illana is a resident of the Auditorium of Torrent and collaborator of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Requena.