The Salón de Actos of the Diputación de Albacete has hosted the opening of the first national congress of the Spanish Confederation of Musical Societies (CESM), which will run until Sunday, bringing together representatives from 14 federations across Spain.
The Deputy for Culture, Miguel Zamora, welcomed participants to the event, which focuses on the present and future of amateur musical societies, highlighting the educational, cultural, and social dimensions of bands.
The congress is organised by the CESM and the Castilian-Manchegan Federation of Musical Societies, with support from the Diputación de Albacete and the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. It is integrated with the second regional congress of music bands and carries the theme “Present and future of amateur musical societies,” alongside the message “A country that sounds united.”
During his speech, Zamora emphasised the value of bands beyond musical performance and professional training. Drawing from his own experiences as a student, he noted that education in music schools, bands, and conservatories provides lifelong lessons, stating that musical training extends “not only to professionalism but also to a way of seeing life, to values acquired through culture, music, and musical bands.”
Zamora also acknowledged the role of amateur musical societies in enhancing the social fabric of communities, noting the personal relationships they foster and the cultural participation opportunities they provide. He remarked on the “life opportunities” that bands create for towns and recognised their importance as a starting point for those who later pursue professional careers in music.
The technical programme of the congress includes ten lectures, three round tables, and contributions from 25 specialists. Over the three days, discussions will cover topics related to conducting and composing for bands, musical heritage, music schools, association management, and the legal and administrative aspects of their activities. Issues such as digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and generational change will also be addressed, along with the exchange of experiences among leaders of musical societies, performers, educators, cultural managers, and researchers.
Additionally, the event will feature a professional space for sector companies. Among the planned outputs is the creation of the Albacete Declaration, a document aimed at gathering conclusions and proposals from participants regarding the protection of musical heritage, education and training, sustainability of societies, and collaboration between federations.
Saturday's programme includes the Gala of Music of the Diputación de Albacete, scheduled for 18:30 at the Teatro de la Paz. This event will recognise outstanding students from local academies and present four awards for best musical practices in the categories of innovation, inclusion, solidarity, and community. At 20:00, the same venue will host the Regional Symphonic Band of Castilla-La Mancha, followed by the sessions of the second regional congress of music bands on Sunday, which will conclude with the final concert by the Municipal Symphonic Band of Albacete at the Teatro Circo, where they will receive an honorary mention for their trajectory.
