I. PRELUDE
At certain moments in history, the spirit of Europe speaks not through proclamations, nor through force, but through harmony — via the ineffable voice of music, which transcends divisions and reaches what politics alone cannot: the soul and the heart of women and men.
It is with this conviction, matured over years of transdisciplinary exploration and collective dialogue, that we are honoured to publish this European Manifesto. It is a call to conscience, a strategic vision, and a common path forward — crafted with the wisdom of researchers, artists, educators, and healers from across our continent.
The world to which we belong, and which we strive to shape, demands that we no longer treat music as mere ornament or entertainment. Music is not a backdrop, it is a backbone! Music is feeling, memory, resistance, and healing. It is science and sacredness, policy and poetry. And in this moment of ecological fragility, democratic fatigue, and social fragmentation, music may well be this much-needed affective and effective force that reweaves and revives the fabric of our European identity.
The Centre Européen de Musique (CEM), born from this very belief, has for years worked to demonstrate how music can act as a leverage in education, diplomacy, medicine, climate awareness, and cultural cohesion. With our partners, and most especially Europa Nostra, and the vital support of the European Heritage Hub, this Manifesto was produced during the ‘Music Now! Musica Nostra!’ Conference organised jointly by the CEM and Europa Nostra in the framework of the European Heritage Hub on 30 April in Mafra, Portugal.
This Manifesto also embraces and contributes to the dynamics expressed in a welcome letter to the new EU Commissioner responsible a.o. for Culture, Mr Glenn Micallef on 11 December 2024 by a large coalition of more than 50 organisations active in the field of music, in Europe and internationally.
It also builds upon the positive momentum generated and promoted by the MERITA Platform. Last but not least, this document embraces, endorses and reflects the key messages of the Manifesto 2025 recently published by Prometheus 21, the Federation of Professional Independent Ensembles and Performers of Historical Music of Europe which is presided by Maestro Jordi Savall.
In the tradition of our great humanist predecessors — from Erasmus to Zweig, from Maria Montessori to Yehudi Menuhin — we must now dare to think integrally. Music is not marginal; it is magnetic. It does not separate; it synchronises. It is both the heritage of our past and the horizon of our future.
We are confident that the vision and key messages of this European Manifesto will find its rightful place in the future Culture Compass of the European Union.
Let us together ensure that music is not only heard in concert halls, but also in policy frameworks, in classrooms, in care centres, at the core of society and at the heart of a Europe striving for unity and peace.
With initiatives such as the Centre Européen de Musique (CEM), a holistic project entirely dedicated to exploring, activating and amplifying all dimensions of music — not in isolation, but in true transdisciplinary communion — the silos are dissolving. The disciplines are converging. The impacts are multiplying.
This is a collective call to action, composed and sung by many voices who have not yet been sufficiently heard. It is an open appeal to all music-related institutions, organisations and actors — from national conservatories to community choirs, from orchestras to independent creators, from music educators to music therapists — to join our voices and forces in a common vision for placing Music at the heart of the European project.
Let this be a truly ecumenical Manifesto, a Manifesto which is not owned, but shared; not sectoral, but structural; not exclusive, but all-embracing.
Jorge Chaminé
Founder and President of the Centre européen de la Musique Council member of Europa Nostra
II. OUVERTURE
Music is one of the finest expressions of Europe’s soul and spirit. It embodies and communicates memory, identity, renaissance and resistance. It resonates in cathedrals and cafés, in city squares and village gatherings, during celebration and in stillness. It is everywhere.
Europe has always been enriched by the work of countless musical composers, interpreters, teachers, listeners and admirers. Music helps us to (re)discover Europe’s soul, roots and memory. It also inspires us to reimagine together and with the young generations Europe’s present and its future, based on its extremely rich and shared cultural DNA.
This European Manifesto calls for due recognition of music: as a strategic asset for society, for democracy, and for peace in our Europe.
Today, when Europe and its citizens face interconnecting and intersecting crises — environmental, social, cultural, digital, and geopolitical — we urgently need new inspiration, energies, tools and alliances. Music offers them all.
The Culture Compass, currently being co-created by the European Commission in close consultation with cultural stakeholders, is a unique opportunity. Let us mention, as examples, only few areas in which Music has proven positive impacts:
In education, music stimulates literacy, empathy and cognitive development;
In digital culture, music inspires innovation and ethical storytelling;
In healthcare, music treats trauma, supports neuro-rehabilitation,
and promotes mental wellness;
In diplomacy, music fosters mutual respect, understanding and peacebuilding;
In conflict zones, music promotes harmony and dialogue, thus helping to stop the cycle of violence.
As demonstrated above, Music is not peripheral but central to the quality of life of citizens and their communities. Therefore, Music cannot be considered as a luxury, rather as a basic need of every human being. At its essence, Music addresses every single SDG in the UN's 2030 Agenda, making it all the more essential for tackling the challenges of today and tomorrow.
III. THE CALL
We advocate for a Europe where
Music strengthens social inclusion (e.g. through choirs that welcome migrants and bridge generations);
Music is embedded in education, from early years to lifelong learning;
Music inspires ecological awareness (e.g. through soundscapes that communicate environmental change);
Music enacts democracy and freedom (e.g. through performances in contested public spaces);
Music empowers creativity and innovation (e.g. through compositions made with ethical AI tools);
Music supports public health (e.g. through live music in hospitals and rhythm-based therapy);
Music unites faiths and philosophies (e.g. through concert programmes shared across religious traditions).
This vision is already put in practice by musicians, civil society organisations (associations and foundations), networks and some public authorities. Now this commitment must be scaled up through the vital leadership and support of the European Union Institutions.
Let us therefore:
Recognise music as a priority within EU’s cultural policy and action;
Fully embed music into the upcoming Culture Compass and related strategic policy frameworks;
Address urgent challenges that musicians are facing today, such as fair remuneration, mobility, AI regulation and sustainability;
Allocate adequate funding for music through the existing programmes (e.g. Creative Europe, Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, ESF+, and ERDF) and in the next Multiannual Financial Framework;
Amplify existing structures and/or establish new structures for European collaboration, research and mobility related to music.
IV. CODA
This Manifesto ends with a tribute.
A vibrant and fraternal homage to those who embodied, with rare intensity, the conviction that Music is much more than a leisure art: it is an inner necessity, a requirement of being, a path of transformation.
They have left us, but their presence remains, immense, tutelary, in the very foundations of the Centre Européen de Musique. We especially wish to remember:
Claudio Abbado, the bearer of an ethical and poetic spirit, for whom the orchestra was a model of society
Teresa Berganza, our founding vice-president, who combined the nobility of her singing with the passion of her heart.
Marie-Françoise Bucquet, whose piano delved into the depths of the soul without ever losing sight of the horizon of light.
Aldo Ciccolini, an alchemist of sound, for whom every note was an act of love.
Yehudi Menuhin, a brotherly awareness of music as a bridge between peoples and the pains of the century.
Mstislav Rostropovitch, freedom fighter, whose cello was a cry from the soul and a hymn to human dignity.
And most recently we had to bid farewell to Alfred Brendel, an immense poet of the keyboard and of thought, a precious member of the Honorary Committee of the CEM, whose tender irony and unique musical intelligence will continue to nourish our collective ambition.
They are no longer with us, physically. But they continue to inhabit and guide our vision. They remain with us every step of the way. Because they lived - and made live - Music that is not satisfied to be beautiful, but seeks to do good. Music that questions, connects and uplifts. Music that heals, resists and enlightens.
It is also in their name that we join our voices to resonate and amplify THIS VITAL CALL FOR MUSIC NOW. MUSICA NOSTRA.
V. ANNEX
In support of our Call, here are some examples for desirable concrete actions at various level of governance
Celebrating Europe’s Cultural Heritage
● Connect and share Europe's tangible and intangible musical legacy
Example: Use the Network of Houses and Museums of European Musicians as a partner for the enhancement of cultural heritage through the MERITA Platform
Disciplines: Musicology, heritage conservation, management, research, interpretation and communication
Diversity and Inclusion
● Support all genres, communities, languages and traditions
Example: Music4Rom (EU-funded project led by the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation) showcasing Roma heritage in European classical roots
Disciplines: Ethnomusicology, anthropology, social justice
Freedom and Democracy
● Defend artistic freedom and media plurality
Example: Ukrainian artists using music as tool for peaceful resistance
Disciplines: Law, journalism, international policy
Education for All
● Integrate music in curricula across all stages of education
Example: Transnational music learning via Erasmus+ tools
Disciplines: Pedagogy, IT, curriculum development
Health and Wellbeing
● Include music in national health plans
Example: Music therapy for Parkinson’s or dementia patients
Disciplines: Neuroscience, psychology, geriatrics
Social Justice for Music Workers
● Guarantee musicians fair wages and due mobility
Example: EU-wide framework for musician labour standards and MERITA project on artists mobility, career development and recognition of fair pay
Disciplines:Labour law, cultural economics
Mobility and Access
● Facilitate a cultural transport infrastructure
Example: Touring circuits for harder-to-reach areas
Disciplines: Regional development, logistics Digital Justice
● Ensure visibility of diverse European music online
● Regulate AI in music with creators’ rights in min
Example: Establish quotas for minority-language music
Disciplines: Digital ethics, copyright law
Green Transition
● Encourage festivals, concert halls and music producers to be eco-responsible
Example: Carbon-neutral touring models (e.g. the MERITA CO2 Calculator — an app enabling event organisers to measure and reduce environmental impact)
Disciplines: Sustainable events, eco-design
Data and Policy
● Create a European Music Observatory
Example: Music streaming data informing health and youth policy
Disciplines:Cultural data, policy innovation
The full Manifesto is available at the European Heritage Hub website and it can be downloaded as an attachment for further reference.
