The Música Cercana tour, organised by Redeia and the Reina Sofía High School of Music, will take place in Medina de Rioseco this Friday, following the success of its previous performances in Galicia, Asturias, Navarre, Aragón, Cantabria, and Castile-La Mancha. It is an academic and artistic initiative designed to make classical music accessible to rural communities through free concerts held in historic or symbolic buildings, performed by students from the School. The goal is to promote equitable access to culture, education, and leisure for rural populations.

Medina de Rioseco is the next stop in Castile and León, which will feature a concert and a workshop featuring virtual reality glasses. On Friday, 6 June, at 8:00 p.m., there will be a chamber music recital featuring string instruments at the Teatro Principal in Medina de Rioseco. The performance will be given by the Reina Sofía School String Quartet, comprising young musicians Irene Herrero and Gustavo Gil (violinists), Adriana Julio (viola), and Álvaro Lozano (cello).

They will perform two major works from the chamber music repertoire: String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110, by Dmitri Shostakovich —a deeply autobiographical piece composed in 1959, expressing his emotions after a trip to Dresden where he wanted to reflect his feelings about the devastation, as well as paying homage to war victims— and String Quartet in F major, Op. 59 No. 1, 'Razumovsky,' by Ludwig van Beethoven — composed in 1806. This quartet is the first of the three in Opus 59, commissioned by Count Andrei Razumovsky, a Russian ambassador in Vienna and the German composer's patron, who, in order to please the count, included Russian melodies. Admission is free until capacity is reached.

Virtual reality workshop sessions will be held at the Town Hall on Saturday, 7 June, at 11:00 and 12:00. The audience will be able to enjoy themselves while they learn about Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Respighi using virtual reality glasses. To participate in this free activity, interested individuals must register in person at the Ventura García Escobar Municipal Library in the Plaza Mayor, in advance.

The mayor of Medina de Rioseco has described the visit of Música Cercana to the municipality as a 'unique opportunity' to enjoy a 'high calibre' concert. 'Our city is entrenched in music and enjoys it all year round. One good example of this is our Municipal Music Band and the Tierra de Campos Music School, which teach children from across the region who will be the future musicians of the band. Furthermore, the municipal band is about to celebrate its 30th anniversary, and the Rioseco community enjoys the Bono de Proximidad (local residents' pass) at the Miguel Delibes auditorium, which is complemented by the recent creation of the Listening Club.'

'At Redeia, we are strongly committed to developing and providing all kinds of opportunities in rural areas.' We believe that living in the most sparsely populated areas of Spain should not mean having access to fewer rights and opportunities. With this initiative, we want to offer a unique, high-quality concert and help ensure that rural communities have better access to culture, education, and leisure,' states Roberto Arranz, Redeia’s delegate in Castile and León.

From the Reina Sofía School of Music, internationally recognised for its academic and artistic excellence, its general director, Julia Sánchez, adds: 'Since the school was founded, its main mission has always been to support young musicians in their artistic and personal development, as well as to give society better access to the impact of classical music. Achieving this is not just about performing in grand venues and orchestras around the world, but about always striving to reach every nook and cranny'.