Schoolchildren in Formentera will have the opportunity to hear professional musicians perform live next week, when a chamber group from the Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Balears visits the island for two dedicated school concerts.

The performances will take place on Wednesday, September 23, at the Sala de Cultura in Sant Francesc, at 09:30 and 11:00, and are aimed at students from Primary and compulsory secondary education.

Two morning performances for island schools

The two concerts have been scheduled to make it easier for students from different schools across Formentera to attend.

The first performance will begin at 09:30, followed by a second session at 11:00.

Rather than presenting a full orchestral programme, the performances will feature a string quartet from the Balearic Symphony Orchestra together with Mallorcan mezzo-soprano Laura de la Fuente.

Four OSIB musicians will perform

The quartet will consist of Smerald Spahiu and Paula Marquès on violin, Raquel Cobo on viola and Lucrecia Garrigues on cello.

They will be joined by Laura de la Fuente, whose vocal performance forms an important part of the programme.

The combination of strings and voice allows the students to hear a varied selection of music in a smaller chamber setting.

A programme spanning different traditions

The repertoire has been designed to introduce students to a range of musical periods, styles and traditions from the Balearic Islands and wider Europe.

It begins with “El cant de la Sibil·la”, one of the best-known traditional musical expressions associated with Mallorca and the wider Balearic cultural heritage.

The programme then moves into opera, zarzuela, popular music and other works.

From Mascagni to Bizet

The students will hear excerpts from Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, including the Intermezzo and “Voi lo sapete, o mamma”.

The programme also includes “Aragonesa”, “Habanera” and “Toreador” from Georges Bizet's Carmen.

The combination gives the concert a strong operatic component while maintaining the educational focus of the event.

Balearic music and Spanish zarzuela

The programme also returns to regional and Spanish musical traditions.

It includes A. Mairata's “Cant a la Serra” and excerpts from El barberillo de Lavapiés.

The popular song “Roqueta, sa meva roca” is also included, connecting the programme directly with Formentera's local cultural setting.

The concert concludes with “Oda a la alegria” by Ludwig van Beethoven, based on Friedrich Schiller's poem.

Designed to introduce young people to live music

The school performances form part of the OSIB's wider educational work.

The Balearic Government says the initiative is intended to bring children and young people into direct contact with professional musicians while introducing them to a broad repertoire.

The programme is also part of the orchestra's efforts to develop new audiences and strengthen its educational role across the islands.

The orchestra is returning to Formentera

The school concerts are part of a wider OSIB visit to the island.

The Balearic Government says the orchestra had not performed in Formentera since 2024.

The return begins with a free public concert on Tuesday, September 22, at 20:00 at the same Sala de Cultura venue in Sant Francesc, organised as part of the European Day of Languages programme.

A free public concert comes first

The September 22 performance will feature the same string quartet and Laura de la Fuente.

The concert has been linked to the European Day of Languages, an annual event held on September 26 to promote linguistic diversity and language learning.

The Balearic Government says the programme is intended to highlight Catalan as part of the linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe.

The full programme for the public concert includes the same works later adapted for the school performances, creating a broader musical and cultural programme across the two days.

Bringing culture to every island

The Balearic Government has presented the Formentera programme as part of its aim to make cultural activity accessible across the entire archipelago.

Culture Minister Jaume Bauzà said the appearance of the orchestra in Formentera reflects the regional government's commitment to making classical music accessible and maintaining cultural activity across all of the islands.

The school performances add an educational dimension to that objective.

Formentera students will meet professional musicians

For many of the students attending, the concerts will provide an opportunity to experience chamber music performed by professional musicians at close range.

The educational format is intended to make the repertoire accessible to younger audiences while introducing them to different musical languages.

Rather than focusing solely on one style, the programme moves between traditional Balearic music, opera, zarzuela and well-known European works.

An opportunity to discover musical heritage

The inclusion of “El cant de la Sibil·la” and “Roqueta, sa meva roca” gives the school programme a direct connection with local and regional traditions.

At the same time, works from Cavalleria rusticana, Carmen, El barberillo de Lavapiés and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony introduce students to pieces from a wider European repertoire.

The result is a programme designed to show how different musical traditions can coexist within a single performance.

Part of the orchestra's public-service role

The OSIB is the professional symphony orchestra of the Balearic Islands and has an established role that extends beyond its main concert season.

Its educational activities are designed to support musical education and audience development, while performances outside Mallorca help maintain the orchestra's presence across the archipelago.

The September programme in Formentera combines both objectives.

Event details

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Venue: Sala de Cultura, Sant Francesc de Formentera

School performances: 09:30 and 11:00

Audience: Primary and ESO students

Performers: OSIB string quartet and mezzo-soprano Laura de la Fuente

String quartet: Smerald Spahiu, Paula Marquès, Raquel Cobo and Lucrecia Garrigues

Programme includes: “El cant de la Sibil·la”, works from Cavalleria rusticana and Carmen, “Cant a la Serra”, El barberillo de Lavapiés, “Roqueta, sa meva roca” and “Oda a la alegria”.

A two-day musical programme in Formentera

The school concerts on September 23 will follow the orchestra's free public appearance the previous evening.

Together, the two dates create an opportunity for both the general public and the island's younger residents to experience live performances by OSIB musicians.

For Formentera, the programme also marks the orchestra's return after a two-year absence.

A return that puts education at the centre

The September 23 performances are not simply additional concerts.

They form part of a wider effort to bring professional music directly into the lives of children and teenagers on the island, while introducing them to Balearic, Spanish and European musical traditions.

With two morning performances at the Sala de Cultura, Formentera's schools will have a dedicated opportunity to experience the orchestra's educational programme in person.