For one week in May, musicians from our Cosmo Philharmonic Orchestra, together with members of our Advanced Jazz Ensemble and Advanced Guitar Ensemble, travelled to Madrid for a music exchange with the Symphonic Orchestra at SEK El Castillo International School.

Since November 2025, students from both schools had been preparing a varied and ambitious programme, including:

Vivaldi’s “Spring” from The Four Seasons for violin solo and orchestra
An arrangement of Smetana’s The Moldau
Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2 from the Jazz Suite
Dvořák’s Slavonic Dance No. 8 in an arrangement for student orchestra
“Tear in My Heart” by Twenty One Pilots, in a symphonic rock arrangement by Paul Crisan, Head of Music at SEK
An arrangement of the Mission: Impossible theme

Our Jazz Band added jazz standards and contemporary crossover repertoire to the programme, performing “The Girl from Ipanema” as well as pieces by the genre-defying jazz/classical artist Laufey.

Over the course of the week, students rehearsed for eight to ten hours a day and performed two full concerts: one at the SEK El Castillo campus and one at the SEK Ciudalcampo campus.

The exchange offered students the opportunity to grow musically, work intensively with peers from another international school and experience how shared artistic practice can create meaningful connections across cultures.

Beyond the rehearsal room and concert stage, the trip also included a rich cultural programme.

Students visited the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, exploring the intersection of politics, history, art and culture on a self-guided tour. They also attended a Flamenco show in downtown Madrid.

After the final performance, students enjoyed around four hours of free time in Madrid’s city centre in small groups, planning their own activities such as shopping, food markets and sightseeing.

Accommodation was provided either with host families or in school dormitories at our partner school. Students also participated in Spanish lessons, further deepening the intercultural exchange.

We are already looking forward to welcoming SEK students to BCS to complete the exchange.

Experiencing how making music together builds meaningful connections across cultures was a highlight for everyone involved.

To learn more about our music programme and Advanced Music Ensembles, with rehearsals on Tuesday afternoons from 16:30 to 18:00, please visit our Music, Dance & Theatre page.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Friends of Music e.V., whose generous support made this unforgettable trip possible.