Santander, October 20, 2021.- This morning, the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Santander Center for Musical Studies took place in the capital of Cantabria, which coordinates all the programs promoted by the Albéniz Foundation in Cantabria: the Santander Music and Academy Encounter and the Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition.
“Last summer, we celebrated the XX Anniversary of the Music and Academy Encounter, which is essentially the Reina Sofía School in Santander. Despite the restrictions we are still suffering, it was a magnificent edition that started off on a high note, with a Beethoven’s Eroica to remember. There was a lot of exciting music afterwards and a fun and high-level concert commemorating our 20th birthday. For that reason, we invited former participants of the Encounter to return, who are now incorporated into European musical life. For me, it was a confirmation of the extent to which the city of Santander and the region of Cantabria are in the minds of many European musicians,” Paloma recalled.
At this meeting, the Activity Plan developed during the 2020-2021 academic year and a preview of the current 2021-2022 year were presented, which is marked by the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Santander International Piano Competition next summer.
“On Monday, we closed the registration and we are still gathering the initial data. We have far exceeded our record, 42 percent more than the previous edition, a particularly significant figure. The Competition begins, therefore, with the best expectations. Hopefully it will be a very good edition with winners as stupendous as those of the last competitions: both Dmytro Choni and Juan Pérez Floristán—who has just won the Arthur Rubinstein in Tel-Aviv—are triumphing around the world.”
The President of the Albéniz Foundation has thanked the Government of Cantabria, the Santander City Council and, in general, the public and private institutions involved in these activities. She greeted and welcomed the new rector of the Menéndez Pelayo International University, Carlos Andradas, and the general director of the EDP Foundation, Vanda Martins, and invited them all to continue working so that Cantabria remains a pioneering community in keeping culture alive and in giving it the consideration of a first-rate necessity, more than ever in times of crisis.
“It is wonderful to see people and institutions so important gathered around this project of culture and support for youth. We are experiencing significant times at the Albéniz Foundation, many anniversaries to celebrate what has been achieved, to analyze the great changes that the musical world is experiencing, and to strive to adapt to them as much as possible. What does not change is our purpose to continue supporting youth and musical culture.”
The Board of Trustees of the Center for Musical Studies has S.M.A. Infanta Doña Margarita de Borbón as Honorary President. The President of the Board of Trustees is Paloma O’Shea and its members, representing Public Institutions, are: Miguel Ángel Revilla, President of the Government of Cantabria; Pablo Zuloaga, Vice President of the Government of Cantabria; Marina Lombó, Minister of Education, Vocational Training of the Government of Cantabria; Gema Igual, Mayor of the Santander City Council; Carlos Andradas, Rector of the Menéndez Pelayo International University; and Ángel Pazos, Rector of the University of Cantabria.
Representing Private Institutions: Charo Baqué, CEO of Grupo Dromedario; Santiago Díaz Díaz, President of Grupo Empresarial SADISA, S.L.; Javier González Portilla, President of Grupo Tirso; Roberto González Portilla, CEO of Grupo Tirso; Mariano de Linares, Honorary President of Editorial Cantabria; Manuel Iturbe, Territorial Director of Cantabria and Asturias of Banco Santander; Vanda Martins, General Director of the EDP Foundation; Modesto Piñeiro García-Lago, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Cantabria; and Julia Sánchez Abeal, CEO of the Albéniz Foundation.
Individually, the following also belong to the Board of Trustees: Elena García Botín, Manuel Huerta Castillo, Annelies Kaufmann and Rafael Segura Báez.
Álvaro Guibert acts as Secretary of Minutes.
