Valletta Baroque Festival Opens January 11 in Malta
In Malta, the 11th edition of the Valletta Baroque Festival begins, today, January 11, until January 29, 2023.
the Valletta Baroque Festival is a unique event because its main venue, Teatru Manoel, is one of the oldest working theaters in the world. This prestigious two-week festival, organized by Festivals Malta, features some of the best soloists and ensembles in the baroque music scene, under the artistic direction of Kenneth Zammit Tabona, the Valletta Baroque Festival shows the diversity enormous of the true meaning of “baroque”. ” and is very dear to the Maltese.
The opening concert ‘The Dettingen Te Deum and other Handelian hits’, which will be performed by the Valletta Baroque Ensemble and Kor Malta under the musical direction of Christian Curnyn in the Co-Cathedral of St. John in the City Valletta, will set the tone for the festival. . The festival will close with the world premiere of a mass by the Italo-Maltese composer Girolamo Abos at the Jesuit Church in Valletta which will be staged by The Monteverdi Project and Cantar Lontano, under the musical direction of Marco Mencoboni.
The festival has a wonderful line-up, including: Mahan Esfahani, Charlie Siem, Gabetta Consort with Valer Barna-Sabadus, Vasillis Varvaresos, Avi Avital, and many more. After last year’s success, this year’s edition will also see the return of The Rock Troupers & the Valletta Baroque Ensemble with their BaRock project at the Manoel Theatre.
The Minister for National Heritage, Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici stated that “this prestigious festival presents a diverse program of 36 concerts that will take place in 20 different places around Maltaincluding the Berga de Provence, the Grand Salon, the Co-Cathedral of San Juan, the Manoel Theatre, and others.”
Minister Bonnici said that, “The Valletta Baroque Festival will host among the most prestigious artists and ensembles of baroque music in our country.”
“This clearly shows how dynamic culture is and how it creates various opportunities that cover all niches of the creative economy.”
The Chairman of Festivals Malta, Aaron Zahra, stated: “The Valletta Baroque Festival is a magnet for cultural tourism, as it attracts patrons from all over Europe, who come to Malta to undergo the wonderful holistic baroque experience it offers the festival, which is what makes it unique. This is an integral part of our mission – to establish Malta as a European festival destination.”
This is the 2nd edition that Festivals Malta is producing since the festival was added to the agency’s portfolio of events in 2021. “The Valletta Baroque Festival really complements our portfolio of high quality cultural festivals and gives us another opportunity to continue raising the bar. as the national agency for festivals in Malta,” said Annabelle Stivala, Chief Executive of Festivals Malta.
The Artistic Director, Kenneth Zammit Tabona, stated that this year’s edition includes several genres, giving a unique interpretation of early music. He explained that the festival includes rock and jazz, 20th century and contemporary orchestral compositions.
Tickets and more information are available at festivals.mt.
About Malta
The sunny islands of Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, are home to the most remarkable concentration of intact built heritage, including the highest density of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any nation-state everywhere. Valletta, built by the proud Knights of St. John, is one of the UNESCO sites and the European Capital of Culture for 2018. Malta’s stone heritage ranges from the oldest freestanding stone architecture in the world, to one from the British Empire. the most formidable defensive systems, and includes a rich mix of domestic, religious and military architecture from the ancient, medieval and early modern periods. With great sunny weather, attractive beaches, a thriving nightlife and 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is plenty to see and do.
For more information about Malta, go to visitmalta.com.