Although the official date of our fifth anniversary was in October 2024, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to celebrate it with an event worthy of the occasion. And what could be more special than returning to our roots, to the place where we took our first steps and strengthened our personal bonds? In this article on the Lítore blog, we share all the details of this very special gathering in Palma, our home.
On Tuesday, March 4, we landed in Palma, ready for an intense week full of rehearsals and reunions. The goals were twofold: the concert celebrating our fifth anniversary, on Friday, March 7, at the Church of Sant Felip Neri, Palma; and two talks as guest artists at the Conservatori Superior de les Illes Balears on chamber music and group dynamics.
On Wednesday, March 5, we resumed rehearsals with the goal of preparing the concert program, in which we decided to include pieces that have been significant to us over the years and connect them with our experiences. However, two of them were new repertoire for us: on one hand, we wanted to dedicate Old Hungarian Dances by Ferenc Farkas to the memory of our dear Henrie Adams, guest conductor of the saxophone ensemble of the Mallorca Saxophone Studio. Henrie was a highly influential musical and personal figure for us during our student years in Mallorca, and with this suite, we wanted to remember the time we shared with him and his characteristic sense of humor.
The second new addition to the program was perhaps the most meaningful for us, as our esteemed professor and friend Xabier Casal performed the solo part of an arrangement for saxophone quintet of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor.
The rehearsal days flew by, filled with reunions, ensaïmadas at Can Joan de S’Aigo, and nostalgic conversations. The rest of the pieces we prepared for the concert were classics from our repertoire, such as Der blutige Schaffner by Robin Hoffmann or Fantasy Etudes by William Albright, along with a piece we were eager to revisit: Suix by Javier Girotto. The concert was truly special, with a warm audience full of friends, teachers, and family members. Thank you, Xabi, for playing with us and sharing the stage once again. We hope to do it many more times in the future!
On Saturday, March 8, we conducted two workshops at the Conservatori Superior de Música de les Illes Balears, open to all students and faculty. In the first one, we shared our experience in chamber music and group management.
After this talk, we collaborated with physiotherapist and stage director Carles Expósito to present a workshop in which we explained our project Beyond Music. In it, we carried out various group connection exercises with the students and reflected on the importance of this type of work in bringing chamber music to the highest level. Thank you to CSMIB for inviting us and hosting our gathering!
On Saturday afternoon, we enjoyed the company of friends and the local cuisine, which we miss so much. We want to thank Germán, Toni, and Raquel for hosting us in their homes, and Ángela and Jaime’s parents for traveling to Palma to support us. It was a very special reunion, without a doubt. We hope to return very soon. Thank you, Mallorca!
Comments