The Ibiza Town Hall will celebrate this December the centenary of the Banda Ciudad de Eivissa, the oldest musical group on the island. To commemorate this event, next Tuesday, December 9, at 9 pm, the Pereyra Theater will host an exceptional concert that recaptures the spirit of the first recital given by the band on December 19, 1925 under the direction of Florenci Durany.
One hundred years of music
The show, entitled Cien años de banda, proposes a musical and emotional journey through the most representative stages of the band. The evening will be conducted by
The Councilor for Culture and Heritage of the City of Eivissa, Carmen Domínguez, highlighted the relevance of this celebration, stressing that the Banda Ciudad de Eivissa is “an essential part of the collective memory of the capital of Ibiza”. Domínguez pointed out that this institution has been a space of learning, coexistence and development for hundreds of musicians for a century, and that the recital is a recognition of their legacy and perseverance.
A century of trajectory and rebirth
The Municipal Band was born at a time when the musical groups of the island were irregular, soon becoming an essential element to guarantee concerts and cultural activities in the city. Over the decades, the group consolidated itself as a meeting point for musicians trained in the Municipal School of Music and other educational projects.
After the retirement of Victorí Planells in 1980, the band went through a period of instability that culminated in its disappearance in 1983. Seven years later, in 1990, the Eivissa Town Hall promoted its re-foundation with the support of the Patronato Municipal de Música, integrating veteran and young musicians.
Over time, the incorporation of a string section gave rise to the current Banda Sinfónica Ciudad de Eivissa. During the last three and a half decades, it has been conducted by Manuel Ramon Mas, Adolfo Villalonga, Miguel Ángel Aguiló, Vicente Mendoza and, currently, Damián Boluda, as well as numerous guest conductors.
In this period, the group has grown in number, quality and programming, offering between 10 and 12 concerts a year and consolidating cultural proposals such as the Concerts of the Earth, the children’s recitals and the traditional performances of Easter and Santa Cecilia. The centenary concert has counted with the historical advice of the musical researcherPere Prieto, a member of the band since 1992.
A program that covers its entire evolution
For this occasion, the band has prepared a program that summarizes its musical trajectory. The recital will open with
The concert will include fragments of zarzuela as significant as the intermission of La boda de Luis Alonso, by Gerónimo Giménez, and a selection of La leyenda del beso, by R. Soutullo and J. Vert, a work linked to the 1990 refoundation. The evening will culminate with Roqueta sa mi roca, by Joan Gamisans, a piece deeply rooted in the musical identity of the city.
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