Headphones adjusted, the conductor raises his arms. Strings twist and turn, the sound swells; electronic vocals ride the crest of the wave. The beat drops. Then, as lights flash across the Royal Albert Hall, glockenspiels duet over a keyboard motif. The short phrase is repeated, with metronome precision, for several minutes – but it’s not Reich or Glass, it’s Fatboy Slim and Eric Prydz.
When the BBC Proms hosted an Ibiza-themed programme in 2015, it wasn’t the gimmick that it first appeared: not only does an instrumental performance of dance music – a largely electronic genre – require impressive technical skill, the Prom recognised the continuing cultural mystique associated with the Balearic island. Over the past two decades, Ibiza has become renowned for its nightclubs that attract the world’s best DJs; yet music spills out beyond the turntables, with recitals in medieval churches, along cobbled streets and within glassy galleries.
The sun smiles down on Dalt Vila, the oldest part of Ibiza Town. The Unesco heritage site buzzes in the high season; tourists sip sangria in the shade overlooking the yacht-filled port. I follow a swallowtail butterfly up the hill, watching it gather nectar on a cascading window box. Brahms’s Piano Quintet filters through from a cloister’s inner courtyard.
This is the location of Ibiza Conciertos, an annual chamber music festival hosted by German violinist Linus Roth. Inside, the musicians rehearse for the evening’s concert – all performances take place at 9pm, when the night is still young on the White Isle. ‘I love Ibiza with all my heart,’ says Roth, whose series is in its sixth year. ‘It’s much more than just the clubbing.’
Roth – best known in the UK for his Weinberg Wigmore Hall cycle and recordings – is a visiting professor at Madrid’s Reina Sofía School Of Music, where several festival musicians are currently studying. ‘Including the next generation is important,’ he says, ‘as well as local artists.’ In 2023, Ibizan Rocío Osuna danced traditional flamenco as part of a fandango-inspired programme featuring Viardot’s Morceaux Nos 1, 2 & 4 and Boccherini’s Quintet for strings and guitar.
Roth’s feeling for Ibiza began in 2010, when he was invited to give recitals on the island. The audience loved him, and he returned year after year, eventually launching his own festival in 2018. The focus is on chamber music classics – the likes of Brahms, Mozart and the Schumanns are all there – but Roth also likes to add a little glitter. Last summer, it was a new arrangement of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for violin and guitar, which he performed with Petrit Çeku.
Having relied on agriculture and the production of salt (leading to the ‘white island’ nickname), Ibiza’s popularity as a tourist destination grew in the 1960s – then exploded in the 1990s with the arrival of cheap flights. DJs such as Alfredo Fiorito, who had emigrated to Ibiza from Argentina, were developing what would become the Balearic beat. This merged with the UK rave scene, acid house and social changes during the second summer of love. Meanwhile, San Carlos, a village in the north east of the island known as a hippy enclave, became the surprising centre for the Ibiza International Music Festival and Ibiza International Piano Competition. Since 1987, the organisers have held 25 editions.
While watching a DJ spin decks is enough for punters prepared to pay exorbitant fees for clubs like Pacha and Amnesia, nothing is more exciting than seeing an orchestra on stage. The Ibiza Prom tapped into the sensory aspects of live music, in a similar way to play-along film concerts. The Ibiza Orchestra Experience sees a 26-strong ensemble play arrangements by Daft Punk, Prodigy and Massive Attack, touring from Aberdeen to Winchester (in 2024). There’s no animosity: dance acts like Basement Jaxx have supported previous tours, following their 2011 album with Metropole Orkest.
That seems to be a common thread throughout music in Ibiza. ‘I like to bring together people who might not have worked in partnership before,’ says Roth. ‘It’s like tapas: the strength of the meal comes from the combination of dishes.’
This year’s Ibiza Conciertos festival runs from 23-27 August, featuring appearances by violist Nils Mönkemeyer and pianist William Youn; a new project bringing together DJ Cesar Merveille, electronics by Julien Quentin and classical music performed by Linus Roth; Vivaldi's Four Seasons, back by popular demand; and young artist showcases and masterclasses. Further info: ibizaconciertos.com
Photo © Dan Carabas