The My turn to play! project is coming to Bilbao thanks to Fundación Occident and the Maria Canals Competition, with new editions in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville

"140 children between 6 and 8 years of age will receive a grant to study piano in the 2024-2025 school year. "

Fundación Occident, in collaboration with the Maria Canals International Music Competition Association, is launching a new edition of its My Turn to Play! project, which will be held in Bilbao for the first time, and return to Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. This initiative aims to continue discovering and promoting musical talent, specifically with the piano, among children in vulnerable situations. 

The My turn to play! project offers a unique experience for children: a 3-year grant to receive musical training on the piano. This is how 140 children between 6 and 8 years old will start and pursue their musical journey, by getting a grant from the Fundación Occident to study piano during the 2024-2025 school year in their respective cities.

This year, Bilbao will be the new city where dozens of children will be able to enjoy this unique initiative. Specifically, on 11 October, a piano will be set up in the Civic Center of the Otxarkoaga neighbourhood so that children can take part freely in an environment that celebrates music and artistic expression. Plus, My turn to play! will be held yet again this year in the neighbourhoods of La Verneda and Ciutat Meridiana (Barcelona), Usera (Madrid) and Macarena (Seville).

The initiative is again being launched at the start of the school year, when a grand piano is placed a busy place in the aforementioned districts. Public schools are encouraged to visit with their first-year primary school students to learn, listen to and, above all, play this instrument, thus giving children a chance to experience music close-up. In a coordinated effort with the schools, first-year students are selected from each of the educational centres, who will then receive piano classes for the next three years.

The collaboration between Fundación Occident and the Maria Canals Competition relies on the educational fabric, as well as on the leading civic centres in each of the neighbourhoods where the project is carried out. 

A consolidated programme with nearly 1,000 grants awarded

Since its inception in 2015, My turn to play! has handed out over 800 piano learning grants, and this year that number will reach 960. The grant recipients include Álvaro Esteve, a 14-year-old boy who lives in Ciutat Meridiana (Barcelona) and who started his musical training thanks to one of the scholarships awarded by the programme. Today, Esteve is one of the up-and-coming piano talents, a clear example of the positive impact that this project has on disadvantaged communities.

Ignacio Gallardo-Bravo Carreras, Managing Director of Fundación Occident, said: “We are excited that the My turn to play! project is continuing to grow and making its way to Bilbao this year, a city with a rich cultural tradition. We are convinced that music has a transformative power, and that initiatives like this one awaken an interest in art, contributing to the personal development of young people and their communities.”

Jordi Vivancos, director of the Maria Canals Competition, says “The practice of the piano, beyond learning music and values related to effort and commitment, is a great tool to promote social integration and to empower children and their families.”

The collaboration between Fundación Occident and the Maria Canals Competition reinforces both institutions' commitment to cultural and artistic development in Spain. The Maria Canals Competition Association, with over 60 years of experience promoting classical music through its international piano competition, contributes its valuable experience in organising musical activities aimed at various audiences. For its part, Fundación Occident, which is committed to social and cultural well-being, is promoting this project in an effort to create a positive impact on local communities.