Madrid, 26 March 2025 – Laura Halpern, President of Fundación Occident, and Paloma O’Shea, Founding President of the Reina Sofía School of Music, have signed an extension of their collaboration agreement to increase support to two annual scholarships. Named the ‘Federico Halpern Scholarships by Fundación Occident’, they will fund the training of young pianists.

Following the signing ceremony, a visit to the School took place with the participation of Josep Maria Serra, President of GCO (Grupo Catalana Occidente), and Julia Sánchez Abeal, CEO of the Reina Sofía School of Music.

Since 2022, Fundación Occident has granted one annual scholarship, awarded to young pianist Álex Arroyo, a student at the School since that same year. In May, he will make his debut as a soloist with orchestra in a concert with the Sant Cugat Orchestra. He has also won two consecutive editions of the BBVA Music Prize and received an Honour Diploma at the Ricard Viñes International Piano Competition.

By expanding its support to two scholarships, Fundación Occident strengthens its commitment to education and culture, while the Reina Sofía School of Music continues to advance its mission of offering top-level training with free tuition to talented young musicians.

During the event, both presidents stressed the importance of musical education of excellence and the fundamental role of patronage in the training of future generations of professional musicians.

• EmpleARTE 2025 will provide tools to tackle the challenges of the music and performing arts sector in the digital age.
• The event will address art monetization, online teaching, and rights protection in the new technological ecosystem.
• International speakers will analyze the intersection between performing arts and technology, exploring its impact on professional sustainability.
• Artificial intelligence, digital strategies, and new pedagogical methodologies will be at the center of the debate on the future of artistic practice and education.
• With free admission, simultaneous translation, and sign language interpretation, EmpleARTE 2025 ensures an inclusive space for young people looking to build an artistic career.

Madrid, 12 March 2025. – The relationship between art and technology is transforming the way creators and artists develop their projects and connect with audiences. In this context, the Reina Sofía School of Music presents EmpleARTE 2025, an event designed to address the challenges and opportunities that technology offers to the music and performing arts sector. This event, taking place on Saturday, 29 March, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Sony Auditorium of the Reina Sofía School of Music, aims to be a space for analysis and training for musicians and performing artists, allowing them to understand the impact of digitalization on the development of solid, sustainable artistic careers prepared to face the challenges of an evolving professional landscape.

The future of the artist in the digital age

Digital transformation has created new scenarios in the world of music and performing arts, opening up opportunities for art monetization, distance learning, and the protection of creators' rights. EmpleARTE 2025: Technology at the Service of the Artist is presented as an initiative that seeks to provide key tools for artists to adapt to the new digital ecosystem.

The event will feature experts in innovation applied to music and performing arts, who will analyze essential topics such as digital monetization, rights protection, and the impact of digitalization on artistic education.

A programme designed for the professionalization of musicians and performing artists

The event will be structured around three main themes that will address the most relevant aspects of the intersection between art and technology:

Rights, data, and networks: The technical side of the artistic profession

Pedro Fernández (Sympathy for the Lawyer) will analyze the legal framework of music on digital platforms and strategies for rights protection. Meanwhile, Fran Parrado (Reina Sofía School - Fortissimo Media) will present tools to enhance artists' visibility in the digital environment. The first segment will conclude with Pablo Romé (Momento Guitarra), who will share his experience in online instrumental teaching and how it has revolutionized access to music education and the monetization of educational services.

Education and technology: The future of artistic training and employment

Anna Milman (Baton Score) will explain the impact of artificial intelligence on music pedagogy, while Esther Viñuela (Reina Sofia School of Music) and Kadri Steinbach (University of Tartu) will present the results of Digital Skills 4 Music Teachers (DISK), an Erasmus + project funded by the European Union through SEPIE, which aims to contribute to the digitization of music education in Europe. 

What lies beyond?: Creativity without limits thanks to technology

To conclude the event, EmpleARTE 2025 will welcome Alfredo Miralles and Francesco Tristano. The latter will offer a live performance fusing classical repertoire with electronic experimentation.

Attendance is free of charge upon reservation on this page.

Madrid, 11 March 2025. - Her Majesty Queen Sofía, Honorary President of the Reina Sofía School of Music, presided over the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of the School, the main governing body of this leading institution for advanced musical training.

The President of the School, Paloma O’Shea, expressed her gratitude for the presence of Her Majesty Queen Sofía and welcomed representatives from public institutions: Paz Santa Cecilia Aristu, Director General of INAEM; Emilio Viciana, Regional Minister for Education, Science, and Universities of the Community of Madrid; and Santiago Herrero, Director of Cultural and Scientific Relations at AECID.

Many private patrons also attended the meeting to show their support for the School's work and learn about the upcoming developments for the coming months.

The General Director of the Reina Sofía School of Music, Julia Sánchez, presented the progress made by the School on its 2024/2028 Strategic Plan, outlining key milestones and objectives aimed at fostering the institution’s continued growth, both in its academic offerings and in its social impact and international projection.

Board members also had the opportunity to experience firsthand one of the School’s latest and most innovative initiatives: an immersive musical creation workshop. This allowed them to explore how music not only conveys emotions but also serves as a key tool for innovation, learning, and progress within society and the organizations that comprise it. This initiative is part of the recently launched partnership between the School and the company Musical Thinkers, which aims to revolutionize the way teams, individuals, and organizations—particularly in the corporate sector—develop creativity and leadership skills through the transformative power of music.

The Board of Trustees of the Reina Sofía School of Music is composed of a distinguished group of individuals representing various sectors of society, all committed to the School’s educational and artistic mission. As a leading international institution for the training of young musicians, the School welcomes new Board members this year: José Arnau, Vice President of Inditex; Agustín Vivancos, Founder and CEO of Jungle; and Antonio Pulido, President of Fundación Cajasol.

Madrid, February 25, 2025. – Inditex has expanded its collaboration with the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía by signing a new agreement that extends its sponsorship to the Chair of Composition. Inditex has been a sponsor of the School since 1997 through scholarships for its students. This extension of its support reaffirms the group's commitment to the School and its mission of training new generations of musicians.

The agreement was signed by the founding president of the School, Paloma O’Shea, and Inditex's CEO, Óscar García Maceiras. Also present at the event were Julia Sánchez and Marjorie Netange, CEO and Director of Development of the Escuela Reina Sofía, respectively; along with José Arnau, Vice Chairman of Inditex, who joins the Board of Trustees of the School, and Raúl Estradera, Director of Communication and Institutional Relations at Inditex.

The Chair of Composition at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, led by Professor Fabián Panisello, plays a fundamental role in the development of emerging talent in musical creation. In the 2024/2025 academic year, it includes six students: Diego Arévalo (Madrid, Spain, 1994); Onir García (La Piedad, Mexico, 1987); Daniel Alejandro Cristóbal (Salta, Argentina, 1995); Pablo Domínguez (Ciudad Real, Spain, 2000); Sevan Gharibian (Yerevan, Armenia, 2000); and Andrés Felipe Poveda (Bogotá, Colombia, 1994).

"Our School is very grateful to Inditex for this new support for the Chair of Composition. Inditex has been a long-standing sponsor that has always been attentive to the learning and development of its scholarship students. Today, they reaffirm their commitment to education and innovation, fostering the talent of our composition students to enrich the contemporary musical repertoire with their work,” said Paloma O’Shea.

Inditex's CEO highlighted: “As a fashion company, creativity and the pursuit of emotion and beauty are central to Inditex's DNA. We admire the work of the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, an international reference center known for the quality of its education, and we are grateful to take this new step in our collaboration with this Chair of musical innovation and talent development for new composers.”

With this alliance, Inditex strengthens its commitment to education, a fundamental pillar of its social responsibility strategy. Meanwhile, the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía takes another step in its mission to train the best musicians and composers of the future, always convinced of music's great power to transform individuals and societies.