ALBERTO FABRA PART

The latest edition of the International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia" marks a new milestone on the competition's long and fruitful path over its more than one-hundred-year history. This long journey, the product of the efforts of many thousands of musicians who have put their all into each of their performances, has made famous this magnificent musical summit which Valencia takes great pride in hosting year after year.

The ongoing tradition of music in our region can be seen in the constant work of the members of the numerous music associations in our towns and cities who train to improve and fulfill new artistic goals through continual study and practice, revealing a dedication which says much about their tenacity and will to move forward.

These great efforts bear fruit, an excellent sample of which can be admired on the days of the Contest, when the participating bands will demonstrate their skill. Many people will attend the competition to accompany the musicians, listen carefully to their performances and reward their work with applause. Some of the bands taking part, the best, will receive prizes that are proof of their excellence, but all them, without exception, will merit our thanks and recognition. The International Wind Band Contest "City of Valencia" will, once again, take center stage and become a place where musicians of all ages and from all backgrounds come together to create a once-in-a-lifetime event.

I would like to take this opportunity to send a warm welcome to the participating bands, their musicians and conductors, and to the many thousands of people who support them every day. I wish them all the best for this edition of the Contest and the future.

Alberto Fabra Part
President of the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencia Regional Government)