Third installment of a new season at the Principal Theatre of Inca, home of the Orquestra de Cambra de Mallorca, which we were able to hear once again at the church of Llubí. A program that was already quite appealing in itself, with a degree of difficulty that made it an added value and with an undisputed figure, Eduardo Ríos, violinist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, as the soloist commissioned for the occasion to bring to life the Violin Concerto in D major, op. 6. One of the most convoluted concertos and the only one Ludwig van Beethoven composed for the instrument. A composition that, like so many others, carries its legend attached. Premiered by Franz Clement, he received the score very shortly before the concert, and performed it as if it were almost a first reading, but, moreover, he added a sonata of his own as a cadenza played on a single string and with the violin upside down. So difficult was the execution of the concerto that the virtuosos of the time decided it was unplayable, until, thirty-six years after its premiere, at the age of thirteen, and with Felix Mendelssohn conducting, Josef Joachim placed it on the pedestal it deserved and from which it has never descended again.

Third installment of a new season at the Principal Theatre of Inca, home of the Orquestra de Cambra de Mallorca, which we were able to hear once again at the church of Llubí. A program that was already quite appealing in itself, with a degree of difficulty that made it an added value and with an undisputed figure, Eduardo Ríos, violinist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, as the soloist commissioned for the occasion to bring to life the Violin Concerto in D major, op. 6. One of the most convoluted concertos and the only one Ludwig van Beethoven composed for the instrument. A composition that, like so many others, carries its legend attached. Premiered by Franz Clement, he received the score very shortly before the concert, and performed it as if it were almost a first reading, but, moreover, he added a sonata of his own as a cadenza played on a single string and with the violin upside down. So difficult was the execution of the concerto that the virtuosos of the time decided it was unplayable, until, thirty-six years after its premiere, at the age of thirteen, and with Felix Mendelssohn conducting, Josef Joachim placed it on the pedestal it deserved and from which it has never descended again.

Vilafranca de Bonany will kick off the Book Week in the municipality with the celebration of the II Poetic Marathon, which will take place on Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, at Restaurant d’Eliss (Ctra. Palma, 29).

It has been one of the questions the sector has asked itself since the Palma City Council announced its intention to bid for the title of European Capital of Culture: how will a title designed to attract more visitors to such a tourist city as Palma benefit the cultural fabric? And now the international experts who have evaluated the project have answered it: “It is clear that Palma is not looking to increase the volume of cultural programming or attract more visitors, as in both cases they have enough [...] and even understanding the local circumstances and needs, the jury wonders if the title of European Capital of Culture is the best platform to advance the city's aspirations.” This is how the report, made public this Monday, concludes, with which the committee, chaired by Tanja Mlaker, argues the decision to discard Palma from the candidates to obtain the title for the year 2031.

Every Thursday afternoon, sa Pobla would stop in front of the television. On the screen, there were the festivals, the news, the neighbors, the familiar faces. It was the town looking at itself.

Palma's cinemas haven't always been promoted with digitally printed posters or illuminated screens. For decades, large hand-painted posters announcing the week's new releases adorned the facades of many theaters. Behind many of those monumental images was the same name: Rafael Ruiz. Now, his work is being brought back to mind with the exhibition Palma, city of cinemaswhich can be seen at the Misericordia cultural center. Among other historical documents, the exhibition includes original material from the poster artist and the documentary The ephemeral dreamDirected by Toni Bestard.

Among the Spanish cities still vying to be European Capital of Culture 2031 – Cáceres, Las Palmas, Oviedo and Granada – is the project promoted by the Palma City Council, under the slogan Mediterranean in motionAlthough Palma 2031 has been eliminated, there are numerous differences. The Councilor for Culture of Corte, Javier Bonet, pointed to two of them at the press conference he gave on March 18, five days after learning that Palma 2031 would not advance to the next phase. The first difference concerned experience and time. "All four had applied for the title on previous occasions," explained the deputy mayor, "and that means they have been working for 10 to 15 years." The other major difference, according to Bonet, is the budget allocated to the competition so far.

It was formerly called the House of Comedies, and the current building was constructed in the 19th century. But Palma's Principal Theatre stands on the same site where performances were already taking place in the 17th century. For 359 years, comedies have been staged in the same location, next to the former stream that gives its name to the street where it is located. As we approach World Theatre Day, as we do every March 27th, we explore the history of this stage.

Return to the Gran Teatre del Liceu Manon Lescaut, by Puccini, and it does so with a truly unbeatable headliner: the splendid Asmik Grigorian, whose production is directed by Àlex Ollé and conducted from the pit by Josep Pons. This is the second musical version of Antoine François Prévost's novel, which was originally titled The story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut, The maestro from Lucca achieved his first major public success. A success that the Ricordi management, apart from his boss and the boss, weren't entirely convinced about, since it was the same story that Jules Massenet had staged ten years earlier with considerable acclaim. Although there are still those who say that Manon There's only one, and they're not referring to the one we're discussing; undoubtedly, this one has already earned its place among those that haven't been left out of the major circuits. Manon The Grigorian chant is an added value, both in terms of the dramatic aspect, which is essential in this case, and the vocal aspect, with an excellent, flawless performance.

The inexhaustible, the groundbreaking, the irreducible, the ever-heterogeneous and, above all, the passionate and exciting Biel Mezquida (Castellón de la Plana, 1947) has been recognized with the 58th Catalan Letters Honorary Award. "Biel Mesquida's works are baroque monuments that exude passion and embody Mesquidian lessons at their peak: 'Good literature inspires reading and writing,'" the jury stated, considering him "a free, active author and defender of the values ​​that make us passionate human beings in dark times." "It is language, profound and connected to life and the historical moment," said Xavier Antich, president of Òmnium Cultural, at the announcement made at the Nau Bostik in Barcelona. The award ceremony will be held on June 8 at the Palau de la Música Catalana, and he will receive 20,000 euros.

"A method to reconcile the city with tourism through culture." This is the summary of the project with which Palma was vying for the title of European Capital of Culture 2031 until last Friday, when the Ministry of Culture announced the four cities that would advance to the next phase, among which Palma was not included. Among the arguments that, according to Bonet, may have influenced the jury's decision are Palma's "restrained investment" compared to the finalists—82,800 euros between 2025 and 2026, unlike Cáceres' 750,000 or Las Palmas' nearly two million—and the fact that it was the first time Palma had seen itself in Palma.

Palma will not be the European Capital of Culture in 2031. The cities selected by the international committee of experts are Cáceres, Granada, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and Oviedo, as announced this Friday by Tanja Mlaker, president of the committee. Palma was excluded. The committee is made up of ten independent experts: eight appointed by the European institutions involved in the European Capital of Culture program and two appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. The members evaluated the nine submitted applications, including those from Burgos, Palma, Jerez de la Frontera, Potries, and Toledo. Mlaker highlighted the "passion and commitment" of all the participating cities and noted that the finalists have nine months to refine their proposals. The committee will meet again in December to decide which city will be awarded the title.

There was a time when one of the most common criticisms in the cultural sector was that many people "lived off subsidies." Having moved beyond that debate and once it was understood and accepted that the cultural sector, like agriculture or industry, needs public investment, numerous grants from various institutions have been consolidated in the Balearic Islands over the last decade. And while these have contributed to the professionalization of the sector, the debates surrounding their operation and the resulting cultural fabric are quite diverse: from the transformation of many creators into managers, to the design of cultural programs and activities based on grant requirements, among others. Broadly speaking, Balearic institutions offer two types of cultural grants: competitive grants, where receiving the aid depends on meeting a series of requirements and which several cultural agents can apply for, and designated grants, which are awarded to specific agents based on their merits. In both cases there have been significant changes in recent years, especially noticeable with regard to the latter, the designated grants.

A musical hurricane has been stirring the people of Menorca for 50 years, captivating them at local festivals and celebrations. Like an intense tramontana wind, the small orchestra, born in the mid-70s in the island's smallest village, Migjorn Gran, continues to make its presence felt in squares, venues, and football fields. With over 5,000 concerts under their belt, the Orquesta Huracán (keyboardist Miquel Pascual, his inseparable Pere Sales, and vocalists Rudy Velasco and Antoni Rodrigo) is a force to be reckoned with. PopiTheir population has grown in parallel with tourism, which was still in its infancy at the time, and has now doubled in half a century. They are living cultural testaments to the authentic, uncrowded Menorca that many still long for today.

We could give many examples that confirm the truth of the title, but just the last three operas I've seen these past few days immediately dispel any doubt. First was the Gotterdämerung Wagner's opera, where it becomes clear that the tragic and central protagonist is Brünhilde. And she is none other than Senta, who heads the cast of The Flying Dutchmanwhich we were able to enjoy at the Principal Theatre of Ciudad. To round off the week, at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the one who carries the banner is the one who gives the work its title, The Mona Lisa. A composition, the only known one by Amilcare Ponchielli, yet still an indisputable masterpiece that requires six top-level voices to reach its full potential, as was the case in the production between the Liceu and the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, with stage direction by Romain Gilbert. Based on a drama by Victor Hugo, Angelo, tyrant of Padoue, to which Arrigo Boito, author of the librettos for Verdi's last and among his most highly regarded operas, under the pseudonym Tobia Gorrio, moved to Venice. An aspect that Gilbert has configured with complete and absolute fidelity, adding a few touches of the conmedia dell'arte, with the inclusion of Harlequin, Pantalone and Columbine, in addition to some narrative liberties, such as, among others, the final appearance of The Blind Woman, by Violeta Urmana, who still retains many of her qualities and, above all, the skill to accurately depict the essential characteristics of the character.

Many readers have probably never heard of cultural rights. And upon hearing them mentioned, they might assume they pertain to those within the cultural sector, having nothing to do with them. As with concepts like heteropatriarchy or gentrification, it seems that cultural rights have only recently entered the public discourse and are perceived as affecting only a few very specific areas, when in reality they have a structural dimension and are already enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed in 1948, specifically regarding the cultural life of the community and the enjoyment of the arts. Even so, these rights are far from being guaranteed in the Balearic Islands.

The City Hall's plenary hall hosted the official ceremony for the 2025 Ciutat de Palma Awards this Thursday, recognizing works in visual arts, narrative, poetry, comics, music, performing arts, audiovisuals, journalism, gastronomy, research, and architecture. The ceremony replaced the gala scheduled for January 20th at the Teatre Principal, which was cancelled following the Adamuz train accident. The event was presided over by the mayor, Jaime Martínez, and was also attended by institutional representatives, members of the cultural sector, award winners, and jury members. After the speeches and the presentation of awards, the group moved to the Casal Solleric to inaugurate the exhibition of the finalists for the Antoni Gelabert Prize and the exhibition. Chapter, by Andrea Canepa.

The cloister of the Sant Domingo de Pollença convent was transformed this Sunday into a space filled with memory, images and music with the opening of the exhibition Javier Inés, the young photographer (1956-1991)An exhibition that celebrates the figure of a creator ahead of his time, rediscovered decades after his death.

Last night, the Montuïri Town Council unanimously approved awarding the honorary title of Mayor of Puig 2026 to Maria Antònia Rigo Gallard for her career and contribution to the educational, social, civic, and cultural improvement of the municipality. Maria Antònia Rigo is a teacher with a renowned passion for teaching and the pursuit of new pedagogical approaches in schools. She has been the principal of the CEIP Climent Serra i Servera school in Porreres, where she currently teaches. However, her impact on Montuïri extends far beyond the classroom: the official document highlights her "unparalleled dedication and commitment to numerous local associations." This award, traditionally presented by the Town Council on behalf of all citizens, recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the betterment of the municipality throughout their lives.