The Música Cercana tour promoted by Redeia and the Reina Sofía School of Music arrives in Piélagos this weekend after the success of its previous performances in Galicia, Asturias and Navarre, among others. This town in Cantabria will host a concert and two virtual reality workshops, bringing classical music to rural communities that lie outside the main cultural circuits.

“At Redeia, we are firmly committed to finding ways to develop rural communities and offer them all kinds of opportunities. We believe that living in a less densely populated part of Spain should not mean having less access to rights and opportunities. The idea behind this initiative is to bring unique, first-rate concerts to places where these events are rare, improving access to culture, education and leisure activities in rural areas," says Antonio González Urquijo, Redeia’s delegate in Navarra.

Julia Sánchez, director general of the Reina Sofía School of Music, internationally renowned for its academic and artistic excellence, said: “The main mission of the school since its foundation has always been to offer support for the artistic and personal development of young musicians, as well as to enable society to appreciate the impact of classical music. Appearing on the world’s greatest stages with the best orchestras is not the only way to do this, so we also seek to reach places that may not offer ideal conditions for enjoying these performances on a regular basis”.

This Friday, the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Valencia in Vioño will host the concert, offered by the Wind Quintet of the Reina Sofía School of Music, consisting of the students Miguel Flores (flute), Lucía Talavera (oboe), María Castillo (clarinet), Kaleb Bou (bassoon) and Paula Cerdán (French horn). The concert has two goals: to bring the beauty of live classical music to the local residents, and to boost the career and employment options of these young talents from various countries who share their love of classical music and the desire to connect with varied audiences.

The concert, which will last for around one hour, with start at 6:30 pm and admission is free until the space is full. The programme is made up of five major works, all composed for wind quintet by composers from the 18th century to the present, including Wind Quintet in G Minor by Franz Danzi, Small Chamber Music for Wind Quintet by Paul Hindemith, 3 short pieces for wind quintet by Jacques Ibert; The “Belle Epoque in South America” Suite by Júlio Medaglia and Spanish Dance from “La vida breve” by Manuel de Falla, arranged for wind quintet by Maximiliano Santos.

The virtual reality workshops are being held on Saturday morning at 10:30, 11:30 and 12:30 at the Centro Cultural de Quijano de Piélagos. These workshops offer an immersive introduction to the works of great composers, bringing out the emotion and magic of the works of Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Respighi.

This activity is open to everyone, without the need for any prior musical education. All that is required is prior registration by calling 942076960 and giving your name, surname and ID DNI.