For the first time in its 48-year history, the Deià International Music Festival will hold concerts on all four of the main Balearic islands, with a grand finale in Formentera in November.
A festival with history
The festival was founded in 1978 by the American Patrick Meadows and has grown into one of the most respected classical music events in the Mediterranean. The pianist, composer and conductor Alfredo Oyágüez has led its evolution in recent years, introducing new formats while keeping the intimate atmosphere that defines it.
50 concerts
This year’s programme includes around 50 concerts in venues including:
- Son Marroig, Deià — the festival’s historic home, overlooking the sea;
- Sineu;
- Sa Bassa Rotja, Porreres;
- Palau March, Palma;
- the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró, Palma;
- new venues in Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
Highlights
- Tríptic Trio — Cati Reus (violin), Rosa Cañellas (cello) and Dina Nedeltcheva (piano) — in a Shostakovich programme titled From Love to War.
- Soprano Neivi Martínez with Alfredo Oyágüez at the piano in Divine Madness, a programme of songs and opera arias.
- Duo DMol from Argentina, with contemporary tango for violin, electronics and piano.
- Pere Bujosa’s Classical Jazz Trio in Illes sonores.
- A Miró series inspired by the music the artist loved, ending with a pianist improvising live in response to projected works by Miró.
Music and dinner
At Sa Bassa Rotja, five concerts are paired with dinner, at reduced prices designed to attract families and younger audiences. The popular “Wine and Music” evenings in Palma’s Santa Catalina also return.
Music in schools
In Formentera, the festival is working with the island council on concerts for schools, with a final morning combining folk music and cinema to spark children’s curiosity about music and storytelling.
Looking ahead
Many of the venues hold around 150 people, allowing audiences to meet the musicians after the concerts. Oyágüez is already planning ahead: next year’s edition will be dedicated to Beethoven, and the festival’s 50th anniversary comes the year after.
