Sabadell loses its most iconic music school: CEME will be turned into housing

The historic CEME de Sabadell closes after 37 years. The building will be converted into housing. A municipal decision marks the end of a cultural era. Families and musicians are left without their space. The change is now irreversible.

Sabadell's cultural heartbeat takes an unexpected blow: the Centro de Estudios Musicales Especializados (CEME), a reference point for almost four decades, will cease to exist to make way for housing. The decision by the City Council, which authorises the change of use and a complete renovation of the building on Espirall street, brings to a close an era that shaped generations of musicians and families in the heart of the city.

The news comes after months of uncertainty. The final closure of CEME, scheduled for June 2025, is due to the school's inability to purchase the property, a condition imposed by the owner. The property market and pressure on the city centre have ultimately suffocated a pedagogical project that, for years, filled the area with life and talent.

The building, which for 37 years was a hub of creativity and learning, will be transformed into a single-family residence. The local Junta de Gobierno gave the green light for partial demolition and the conversion of the space, thus erasing the last traces of an institution that only the Conservatory surpassed in musical influence in Sabadell.

The closure leaves around 200 students and a community of teachers and families without their usual meeting place. CEME not only offered modern music classes and pioneering programmes like "Mini Músics", but also promoted music therapy and the integration of English into music education. Its cross-disciplinary approach made it a breeding ground for bands, orchestras, and cultural projects in the city.

The farewell has not gone unnoticed. Impromptu concerts and gatherings on Espirall street have served as a tribute to a story that now comes to an end. The change of use approved by the council seals the building's fate: soon, the signs and memories of CEME will be only part of Sabadell's collective memory.

CEME was much more than a music school. It was founded in the eighties as a response to the demand for alternative and flexible artistic education, at a time when public provision was limited. Its commitment to pedagogical innovation and closeness to students made it a reference point for families seeking something different. Over the years, the centre adapted to social and cultural changes, always maintaining its essence as an open and creative space. Its legacy lives on in the hundreds of musicians and professionals who passed through its classrooms and who today are an active part of Sabadell's cultural life.