Diego Dueñas Redondo, new manager of the Orquesta de Extremadura Foundation

The Governing Council of the Junta de Extremadura has appointed Diego Dueñas Redondo as the head of the General Management of the Fundación Orquesta de Extremadura, marking a change in leadership for the regional musical institution. The appointment is formalized through Decree 178/2026, dated October 27, published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura number 208, dated October 28, 2026, with official reference 2026040228. The same session of the Governing Council approved the dismissal of the previous head, Hae Won Oh Kim, through Decree 177/2026.

The Fundación Orquesta de Extremadura is constituted, as stated in the decree itself, as a private non-profit foundation organization and a permanent part of the regional public sector. Its configuration responds to the objective of acting as an instrument for the dissemination of musical culture in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura.

The change of leadership in the General Management affects the entity’s highest executive instance, thereby directly impacting the artistic programming and the ordinary management of the regional orchestra.

A succession proposed by the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees of the Fundación Orquesta de Extremadura, in a session held on October 21, 2026, agreed to propose to the Governing Council both the dismissal of Hae Won Oh Kim and the appointment of Diego Dueñas Redondo. The executive body deliberated on both proposals in its meeting on October 27, 2026, the same day the decrees were signed in Mérida.

Decree 177/2026 provides for the dismissal of Hae Won Oh Kim with express gratitude for the services rendered. Her appointment had occurred via Decree 1/2024, dated January 9, meaning her tenure at the head of the foundation’s management lasted slightly less than three years.

Statutes and status as a senior official

Article 27.1 of the Statutes of the foundation establishes that the head of the General Management is appointed and dismissed by the Governing Council upon the proposal of the Board of Trustees, and that they exercise the executive functions of the institution’s top management.

Law 1/2014, of February 18, regulating the statute of public officials of the Government and the Administration of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, determines in its article 3.a) that those who assume the top management of agencies, companies, foundations, and other entities of the regional public sector are considered senior officials. Article 13 requires that the appointment be made by decree of the Governing Council, while article 14.1 stipulates that the remuneration shall be that provided for in the statutes or in the proposal agreement, in no case exceeding that established for the general directors of the regional Administration.

Decree 111/2026, of May 26, which establishes the organic structure of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports, assigns the foundation to the General Secretariat of Culture. Both decrees are further supported by articles 23.o) and 90.2 of Law 1/2002, of February 28, on the Government and Administration of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura.

Entry into force and signature

• Decree 178/2026 enters into force the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of Extremadura.
• Decree 177/2026 enters into force on the day of its publication.
• Both texts were signed in Mérida on October 27, 2026, by the president of the Junta de Extremadura, María Guardiola Martín, and by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports, Laureano León Rodríguez.

The appointment places Diego Dueñas Redondo at the head of the executive direction of the regional orchestra, a role upon which the institution’s programming and daily management depend. The transition is resolved through two decrees processed simultaneously—one for the dismissal and one for the new appointment—approved in the same session of the Governing Council.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, number 208, of October 28, 2026, Section I (official reference: 2026040228).