"This is something that the parents, students and professionals at the center had been asking the government team for a long time. It will mean that students will not have to leave Zaragoza to study these professional-level courses, but will be able to complete ten years of training here, at the same center. It will allow us to further develop talent, retain it and multiply the opportunities available. They are students today, but I have no doubt that in a few years they will be outstanding professionals who will delight us with their art," Chueca said.
The rollout will be gradual, meaning that students will only be able to complete all six years of this new training program from the 2032-2033 academic year. Launching it will require hiring two additional teachers, who will join the current staff, and the center is expected to grow from its current 290 students to 330. Students at the conservatory currently study up to 14 different specialties, although it remains to be seen which ones will be offered by the future professional center.
A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CONCERTS AT LAS ARMAS
The future professional center will also be used to create permanent musical ensembles, such as a symphony orchestra, various chamber groups — string or saxophone quartets, for example — and a string orchestra. The idea is for these groups to offer concerts and recitals in venues such as civic centers, with Las Armas playing a particularly prominent role, and to take part in various municipal events.
"With this new step, what we will achieve is to further promote and develop the talent we have, so that Zaragoza becomes known beyond the city precisely for this. This is one of those projects that emerge from listening to residents and to other people's concerns," the mayor said.
The future professional center will remain municipally owned, and students completing elementary-level instruction will have to pass an entrance exam to move on to professional-level studies.
