The Francisco Casanovas Association has passed the 400-member mark in less than a year since it was founded in April 2025 following events to mark the 125th anniversary of Maestro Casanovas’s birth.
Led by honorary president Maestro Zubin Mehta, the association has built a strong base in Torrevieja and surrounding towns, while also attracting members from across Spain and overseas, reflecting the lasting international appeal of Maestro Casanovas.
Its growing profile has been supported by the travelling exhibition A Life Like a Movie, curated by Juan Francisco Cayuelas, which has visited several locations across Spain. Its latest stop was Barcelona, the birthplace of Maestro Casanovas, where it was displayed at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC). There are also plans for the exhibition to travel to Italy or India in the future.
Alongside the exhibition, the association runs the inclusive Francisco Casanovas Music Course, which now has almost 70 students. It also supports two flagship ensembles: the Casanovas Flute Orchestra, believed to be one of the largest flute orchestras in Spain, and the Casanovas Orchestra, which recently filled Torrevieja Municipal Theatre for its first two Family Concerts.
Among the association’s honorary members are Maestro Casanovas’s grandchildren and Amalia Batalla, a former pupil of the Maestro and sculptor, who is creating and donating a bust in his honour.
The Casanovas Orchestra continues the legacy of the original ensemble founded by Maestro Casanovas in the late 1920s. It is represented by ambassador Enrico De Barbieri and honorary conductor Maestro Enrique García Asensio, who last October gave a lecture at the Casino of Torrevieja and joined the orchestra for its debut concerts.
