2nd April Opening Concert

Dimitry Sitkovertsy & the Purcell School Chamber Soloists

St Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral, 8pm 

 

Formed in 2024 to celebrate the Purcell School of Music’s collaboration with The Malta Spring Festival and the great violinist and conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky the Purcell School Chamber Soloists is a string ensemble formed by a group of outstanding young musicians, mostly in their final year at the prestigious Purcell School based in London.  

 

Programme:

Henry Purcell | Fantasia in D Minor In Nomine 15

Grazyna Bacewicz | Quartet for 4 violins 

Luigi Boccherini | Musica Notturna delle strade di Madrid

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy | Octet 

 

Dmitry Sitkovetsky, leader 

 

5th April  |  Piano Recital

Teatru Manoel, 8pm

​

Recently graduated with a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, tonight’s performance will be Rachel Gauci’s debut recital at the Teatru Manoel. Rachel has performed in the UK, Austria and France and has been praised for her rich warm tone and emotional expression.

 

Programme:

Olivier Messiaen | Vingt Regards sur l'enfant Jésus

I. Regard du Père 

III. L'échange 

XIII. Noël 

XIX. Je dors, mais mon cœur vielle

XVIII. Regard de l'onction terrible

Franz Liszt | Années de pèlerinage. Première année: Suisse, S.160 

1. Chapelle de Guillaume Tell

8. Le mal du pays

9. Les Cloches de Genève: Nocturne

6. Vallée d’Obermann

 

6th April  |  Ensemble Télémaque

Teatru Manoel, 8pm 

 

The Mediterranean region boasts a deeply entrenched musical heritage that thrives regardless of the diverse cultural and linguistic landscapes along its shores. This enduring tradition transcends time, leaving an indelible mark on the essence of individuals hailing from these locales. Here we shall be listening to the music of three contemporary mediterranean composers from Corsica, Sardinia and Malta followed by Luciano Berio’s acclaimed Folk Songs.

 

Programme:

Jérôme Casalonga | Nuraghe for launeddas & ensemble 

Karl Fiorini | Fighting for Hope for mandolin et ensemble 

Maria Vincenza Cabizza | 8 : Il ballo delle occiate for Launeddas, mandolin & ensemble 

Luciano Berio | Folk Songs (1964) for Soprano and ensemble

 

Vincent Beer-Demander, mandolin

Michele Deiana, launeddas

Laura Delogu, soprano

Raoul Lay, conductor 

 

9th April  |  Rising Stars Concert I

Malta Society of Arts, 8pm

 

The School of Music Saxophone Quartet

The School of Music Little Big Band

 

10th April  |  Rising Stars Concert II

Malta Society of Arts, 8pm 

 

Born in 2007 Kellyann Spiteri is currently majoring in Music at Visual and Performing Arts School and the Malta School of Music. She has performed in most major national festivals and won numerous local competitions. 

 

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach | Prelude and Fugue No. 24

Ludwig van Beethoven | Sonata Op. 31 no.1 [mov. 1] & no.2 [mov. 1]

Frederick Chopin | Nocturne op. 72 no. 1, Ballade no. 2 in F op. 38

Alexander Scriabin | Etudes op. 8 nos. 3 & 5

Margaret Bonds | Troubled Water 

 

Kellyann Spiteri, piano 

 

11th April  |  Contemporary Dance

Casino Maltese, 8pm & 9pm 

 

Alba dal Collo, choreographer, dancer, singer and multi-instrumentalist has created a contemporary dance performance based on Petra Kelly, Fighting for Hope and seeks to evoke the essence of her transformative book. The performance, through movement and sound, invites the audience to delve into Petra Kelly’s world and her life advocating for a sustainable and peaceful future.

 

Programme:

 

Ryuichi Sakamoto | Oppenheimer’s Aria - Rain - Forbidden Colours

Max Richter | On the Nature of Daylight

Kate Bush | Breathing

Pete Seeger | Where have all the flowers gone

 

Alba dal Collo, piano, voice & dance 

Giovanni Inglese, cello

 

12th April  |  Anecdotes of Maltese early Jazz

Teatru Manoel, 8pm 

 

Anecdotes of Maltese Early Jazz weaves together live music with film, offering a captivating blend. Researched by Ġużè Camilleri and produced by Nix Mangiari, these compelling stories are presented in collaboration with Sugu. This concert portrays an extract from Camilleri’s research, together with musical arrangements and stories consisting of original compositions written by Maltese jazz pioneers, arranged for quintet by Dominic Galea. The stories presented are excerpts from for an upcoming documentary entitled Strait Street to Abbey Road.  Adapted for screen and directed by Cedric Vella, this feature film is based on Tony’s biography by Ġużè Camilleri. 

 

Selected numbers will be launched in vinyl format and can be purchased after the event. Pre-order is also available through the following link: www.guzecamilleri.mt/anecdotes-of-maltese-early-jazz 

 

Ġużè Camilleri, drums

Dominic Galea, piano 

Anthony Saliba, double bass

Florent Hinschberger, trumpet

Walter Vella, flute & saxophone

 

13th April Closing Concert  |  Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

Teatru Manoel, 8pm 

 

The Malta Philharmonic under the baton of the esteemed Danish conductor Anne Marie Granau will close the 18th Malta Spring Festival with a grand finale programme of well-known masterpieces from the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries, while marking Giacomo Puccini’s centenary from his demise. 

 

Programme:

Carl Nielsen | Helios Overture

Franz Liszt | Piano concerto no. 2 

Giacomo Puccini | Nessun Dorma - Recondita Armonia - Donna non vidi mai

Igor Stravinsky | Firebird Suite [1919] 

 

Dinara Klinton, piano

Alan Sciberras, tenor 

Anne Marie Granau, conductor