Santander, 2 July 2025 – Today, the presentation of the 24th Santander Music and Academy Encounter took place at the Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria. The event was attended by Luis Martínez Abad, Regional Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Government of Cantabria; Gema Igual, Mayor of Santander; Paloma O’Shea, Founding President of the Reina Sofía School of Music and the Albéniz Foundation; Márta Gulyás and Luis Fernando Pérez, the new Artistic Directors of the Encounter; and Maestro Péter Csaba, who will conduct the opening concert.

Throughout the month of July, the Santander Music and Academy Encounter will bring together 11 renowned professors and 67 young musicians, selected by the new artistic directors, Márta Gulyás and Luis Fernando Pérez, through online auditions. Professors and students will work side by side in the classroom and on stage, providing an enriching experience of interaction and collaboration. The programme features major international repertoire and will mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Ravel, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Strauss, the 50th anniversary of the death of Dmitry Shostakovich, and the centenary of the death of Erik Satie.

The Opening Concert will take place on Tuesday, 8 July at 8:00 p.m. in the Sala Argenta of the Palacio de Festivales, sponsored by Fundación EDP. The Freixenet Symphony Orchestra of the Encounter, conducted by Maestro Péter Csaba, will perform works by Brahms and Ravel. The Closing Concert will be held on 26 July at 8:00 p.m., also in the Sala Argenta, with conductor Jordi Francés leading the Encounter’s String Ensemble and guest accordionist Iñaki Alberdi. The concert will feature a work by Sofia Gubaidulina, honoured on this occasion sponsored by Fundación Banco Santander.

The academic activity (masterclasses, individual study, chamber music groups and larger ensembles) will take place at the Jesús de Monasterio Conservatory. This year, masterclasses will be offered in violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, voice, and piano.

The concert schedule will include 46 performances, which can be consulted in the Encounter Agenda.