Classical music in Mallorca on a philharmonic or symphonic level was made possible thanks to the love affair of a Korean composer and a young señorita from Mallorca. Eak-Tai Ahn, or more correctly Ahn Eak-Tai, the Korean composer founded the Orquestra Simfònica de Mallorca in 1947, the year after he married Dolores Talavera, his translator, and settled with her in Mallorca. Ahn had previously worked closely with Richard Strauss in Vienna, and with the Philharmonic orchestras in Philadelphia, New York, Berlin, Dublin and Rome, to name but a few.

The Orquestra Simfònica de Balears ‘Ciutat de Palma’, as it was renamed since, will perform tomorrow, January 13th, at 20h30, at the Auditorium de Palma, in a concert with works by four Russian composers: Mikhail Glinka, Dmitri Shostakovich, Alexander Borodin and Aram Ilyich Khachaturian. The concert will be directed by the OSB’s conductor, Salvador Brotons. Admission fees range from 19 € to 27 €. Students and Carnet Jove holders can gain access at a reduced fee of 6 €.

Another concert will be given on Wednesday, January 26th, at 20h30, at the Teatre Principal de Palma. Then, a lighthearted Zarzuela (Luisa Fernanda, by Spanish composer, Federico Moreno Torraba, 1891-1982) will be performed in its concert version, with the accompaniment of the Cor Fundació Teatre Principal de Palma. The Orchestra will be directed by guest conductor, Luis Remartínez. Admission fees range from 10 € to 27 €. Students and Carnet Jove holders can enjoy the Zarzuela concert at a reduced admission fee of 6 €.

For information on future performances of Mallorca’s very own symphony orchestra please check the simfonicadebalears website and click on one or two of the programme leaflet icons on the bottom of the home page for a pdf download (in Catalan only).

The photo (top) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of artescenic.es and the photographer. The image (bottom) was also borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of yayosalvaclasicos.blogspot.com. It shows the cover of a vinyl LP record of the Luisa Fernanda Zarzuela, on the Alhambra label.

Muchas gracias.