Font de Mora: “One in 20 students from the Valencian Community have enjoyed the programming at the Palau de les Arts”

The Minister of Education, Alejandro Font de Mora, highlighted today that "one in 20 students in the Valencian Community have been able to enjoy the educational activities offered by the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía."

The Minister made these statements during the review of educational programs carried out at the Valencian cultural complex since the beginning of its first season in 2006, in which the Director of the Palau de les Arts, Helga Schmidt, was also present.

As Font de Mora explained, “for the Ministry of Education, it is a project of utmost importance to bring the world of music and cultural activities closer to young people, and that was one of the main objectives we set ourselves from the moment the Palau de les Arts began its activity.”

In this regard, the Minister of Education has pointed out that “nearly 30,000 students from more than 170 schools have attended the performances, dramatized readings, conferences, exhibitions and educational activities offered by the Valencian opera house; and we expect that 10,000 more will do so next season.”

Alejandro Font de Mora also announced that the Ministry of Education and the Palau de les Arts are working on a collaboration agreement to develop new initiatives next season with the aim of "promoting active learning that allows students to learn about activities in their natural environment and foster interest and respect for them."

For her part, Mayor Helga Schmidt emphasized that since the introduction of educational content in 2006 with Comediants' Mozart Andante, activities aimed at students have become a central focus. Already in its second season, the Palau de les Arts presented Drawing Music and two dramatized readings of Schiller's Dom Karlos, Infant von Spanien and Beaumarchais' Le mariage de Figaro.

This third season, during which more than 17,000 students have attended events at the Palau de les Arts, the cultural center has offered a wide range of activities, including a screening of Suzie Templeton's animated version of Peter and the Wolf, based on Prokofiev's musical composition; two educational performances of Martín i Soler's L'arbore di Diana and one of Chapí's zarzuela El rey que rabió; as well as three staged readings: Schiller's Intrigue and Love, Goethe's Faust, and an adaptation of Da Ponte's libretto for Così fan tutte. Furthermore, those responsible for the educational project are actively promoting Anell de Llum, the visual spectacle created by La Fura dels Baus featuring musical excerpts from Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle, which will be performed at the 2nd Festival del Mediterrani.

Mayor Helga Schmidt has announced that for its fourth season, the Valencian cultural complex will maintain its commitment to education with new educational projects such as "Joaquín Rodrigo: The Boy Who Dreamed of Music," "Detectives in Opera," and a revival of "Peter and the Wolf." In addition, the Palau will program performances exclusively for students of Strauss's "Die Fledermaus," Smetana's "The Bartered Bride," and Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," as well as zarzuela titles. The education department will continue to offer staged readings of Scott's "The Bride of Lammermoor" and adaptations of the librettos of "The Bartered Bride" and "Così fan tutte."

Finally, Helga Schmidt highlighted the Palau de les Arts' strong commitment to training with the launch of the "Plácido Domingo Training Center," which has received financial support from Servef and is the third center sponsored by Plácido Domingo to promote young talent. Students of the "Plácido Domingo Training Center" will subsequently participate in the Valencian cultural complex's musical productions and activities.