Fundación Albéniz

Fundación Albéniz is a private, non-profit institution created in 1987 by Paloma O’Shea to offer a legal and institutional framework to the Reina Sofía School of Music, inaugurated in 1991. In addition to the School, Fundación Albéniz organises since 1972 the Santander International Piano Competition Paloma O'Shea and, since 2001, the Santander Encounter of Music and Academy.

The statutory goals of Fundación Albéniz – to promote music as well as music education – are based on the beneficial nature of music as an element of personal transformation and social cohesion, and they are embodied in all its programmes: the School, the Encounter and the Competition aim to support young musicians in their development and bring music closer to society.

Throughout the last 30 years since its creation, Fundación Albéniz has enabled the first professional steps of more than 1,500 young musicians and has made music available to hundreds of thousands of people.