Queen Sofía Presides the Board of Trustees of the Reina Sofía School of Music

• Queen Sofía has received the Medal of Honor from the School on its thirtieth anniversary as a center for advanced musical training.

Madrid, Wednesday, March 9, 2022.

Her Majesty Queen Sofía, Honorary President of the Reina Sofía School of Music, has presided over the annual meeting of the School’s Board of Trustees, an information and support body for this center of advanced musical training.

The president of the School, Paloma O’Shea, thanked Her Majesty Queen Sofía for her presence, and welcomed the representatives of the public institutions: Amaya de Miguel, general director of INAEM; Marta Rivera, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports; and Fidel Rodríguez, Deputy Minister of Universities, Science and Innovation, of the Community of Madrid. She also thanked Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, for joining the Board of the School.

Many private patrons have also wanted to support the work of the School with their presence and learn about the new developments for the coming months. At the beginning of the meeting, the new patrons who were joining the Board were detailed: Miguel Sitwell, president of EDP; José Bogas, CEO of Endesa; Alfonso Serrano-Suñer de Hoyos, president of Management Solutions; Ignacio Mariscal, general director of Reale Group in Spain; Donato González, president of the Société Générale Group Spain and Portugal; Andrés Guevara, president of BP Spain; María Isabel Valldecabres, general director of the National Mint; Juan José Cano, president of KPMG; Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, president of Puertos del Estado, and Stefania Bedogni, corporate general director of Unidad Editorial.

Paloma O’Shea stated that “it is a pride to go through the adventure of the School in your company. I invite you to take a further step in your support by helping us to get new patrons”. She has also reviewed the main novelties and projects of the School in the last year and has announced the incorporation of maestro Stanislav Ioudenitch to the faculty, in the Piano Chair Banco Santander Foundation, replacing Galina Eguiazarova, who will leave teaching at the School at the end of this present course.

“We have lived through the second year of the pandemic. The School has moved forward on the basis of determination and technological innovation, becoming the leading music school in Europe in digital dissemination. The events since the last meeting have been many and very positive, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Santander Music and Academy Encounter last summer, and our 30th anniversary declared by the Government Event of Exceptional Public Interest. The tour of our symphony orchestra through Europe to celebrate the 30th Anniversary was one of the most special moments in the history of the School. Madrid, Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna enjoyed our music together with a great travel companion. Maestro Orozco-Estrada gave us a whole week of his valuable time and two of our historical patrons, Asisa and Mutua, increased their contribution to facilitate the anniversary. It was unforgettable to see the children play so well in the Musikverein, probably the most prestigious concert hall in the world ”.

Paloma O’Shea wanted to point out to Her Majesty that this year, at the Closing ceremony of the course, on Thursday, June 23, in addition to the diplomas to the students, she would like “you to present the “Eméritus Magister” medal to our beloved professor Galina Eguiazarova; the School Plaque to the Banco Santander Foundation for its more than 20 years of carrying out a great work of cultural sowing with the cycle “Concerts for Schoolchildren”; and the Medal of Honor of the School to a person who is decisively contributing to its fulfilling its work: José María Álvarez-Pallete, president of Telefónica, a historical partner that sponsors our very important Violin Chair”.

Proud of the milestones and achievements of the School in its thirty years of life, Paloma O’Shea wanted to highlight some of the successes obtained by former students on the world stage “Our students continue to win awards and jobs. I don’t want to bore you with lists, but let me point out two important novelties: the pianist Juan Pérez Floristán, who was a student of Professor Galina and won the first prize of the Santander Competition, won the Arthur Rubinstein of Tel-Aviv last May. For her part, our student, the violinist Ellinor D’Mellon, has just played as a soloist in England with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Also, as is traditional, we have tried to ensure that this year the students can work with great musicians. They have already been directed by maestros Orozco, Goodwin, and Kalitzke and, for the closing of the course, Sir András Schiff will return, who we also want to receive our Medal of Honor that day ”.

After the speech of the Founding President, it was the turn of the General Director of the Reina Sofía School, Julia Sánchez, who spoke about the value of culture and its importance in the impact economy, a report prepared together with EY.

The meeting concluded with the presentation to Doña Sofía of the Medal of Honor of the School, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

“The care with which you have attended the School during all this time and the enthusiasm you show for the progress of our young musicians would more than justify dedicating the celebration of our 30th Anniversary to Your person. This School is what it is because the most important musicians in the world agree to come and teach in it and this is due, to a large extent, to the international prestige that Your Majesty has, as a good connoisseur and lover of music. Without the participation of Your musician friends—Rostropovich, Menuhin, Mehta and so many others— we would not have been able to start the School. Always grateful”, Paloma O’Shea highlighted.

In addition, Doña Sofía had the opportunity to greet teachers and students of the School, among whom were a representation of Ukrainians who study and teach at the School.

Composition of the Board of Trustees of the Reina Sofía School of Music

This Board meets under the honorary presidency of Her Majesty Queen Sofía. Its Co-Presidency is formed by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Mayor of the Madrid City Council, and Paloma O’Shea, Founding President of the Albéniz Foundation and of the Reina Sofía School of Music.

Representing public institutions: For the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Miquel Iceta i Llorens, Minister, and Amaya de Miguel, General Director of INAEM. For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Pilar Cancela Rodríguez, Secretary of State for International Cooperation. For the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. On behalf of the Community of Madrid, Enrique Ossorio, Minister of Education, Universities and Science, and Marta Rivera de la Cruz, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports.

Representing private institutions: Juan Carlos Escotet Rodríguez, President of ABANCA; Claudio Aguirre, President of Altamar Capital Partners; Francisco Ivorra, President of Asisa; Antonio Martínez Leal, Managing Partner of Bain & Company Spain; Pablo Hernández de Cos, Governor of the Bank of Spain; Andrés Guevara, President of BP Spain; David Coral, President of Contrapunto BBDO; Pedro López-Quesada, Vice-Chairman Iberia of Citi; José Manuel Pérez Tornero, President of the Corporation of Radio and Television Española; Fernando Ruiz, President of Deloitte; Mauricio Casals, President of the Diario La Razón; Mariano Linares, Honorary President of Editorial Cantabria; Miguel Stilwell Andrade, President of EDP; Antonio Llardén, President of Enagás; José D. Bogas Gálvez, CEO of Endesa; Federico Linares, President of EY Spain; María Isabel Valldecabres Ortíz, General Director of the National Mint; José Ferrer Sala, Honorary President of Freixenet; Isidro Fainé, President of Fundación Bancaria ”la Caixa”; Rodrigo Echenique, President of Fundación Banco Santander; Carlos Torres Vila, President of Fundación BBVA; Alfredo Mahou, President of Fundación Mahou-San Miguel; Fernando Masaveu, President of Fundación Mª Cristina Masaveu Peterson; Jaime Montalvo, Trustee of Fundación Mutua Madrileña; Jean-François Fallacher, CEO of Fundación Orange España; Helena Revoredo Delvecchio, President of Fundación Prosegur; Cristina Álvarez Guil, Trustee Vice President of Fundación Ramón Areces; Olaf Díaz-Pintado, President of Goldman Sachs Spain; Fuencisla Clemares, General Director of Google Spain and Portugal; Javier Sánchez-Prieto, President of Iberia, Juan José Cano, President of KPMG Spain; Alfonso Serrano-Suñer de Hoyos, President of Management Solutions; Álvaro Rodríguez Dapena, President of Puertos del Estado; Ignacio Mariscal, CEO of Reale Compañía de Seguros S.A.; Donato González, President for Spain and Portugal of Société Générale; José María Álvarez-Pallete, President of Telefónica; Stefanía Bedogni, Corporate General Director of Unidad Editorial; Ignacio Ybarra, President of Vocento.

In a personal capacity: Miguel Antoñanzas, Ana Botín, Jaime Castellanos, Fernando Encinar, Zubin Mehta, Ignacio Polanco, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, Octavio Ruiz-Manjón, Julia Sánchez Abeal.

Secretary: Álvaro Guibert.