Stradivari concerts at Mdina and Bidnija

The Stradivari Season is presenting two classical concerts this week as part of the International Summer Festival.

Piano virtuoso Panagiotis Trochopoulos will be showcasing works arranged by Horowitz and Volodos, displaying stunning piano technique at the Vilhena Palace Courtyard in Mdina on Wednesday at 8 p.m. The programme includes pieces by Schumann, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn and Mozart.

A graduate of the Moscow State Conservatory, Trochopoulos has performed in Greece, Austria, Germany, Russia, USA and Italy. His programmes include the most difficult works written for the piano from an extensive repertoire that consists of works from the Romantic literature. He performed with various international orchestras and has received several awards.

The eighth concert of the International Summer Festival is set to be an exceptional one. A grand garden charity concert on Saturday at 8 p.m. will be held at Ras Rihana in Bidnija courtesy of Chev. Maurice Mizzi. The charity concert will be presented by the Malta Opera Company with the guest participation of Panagiotis Trochopoulos, young violinist David Ellul, James Grech and Alan Chircop. The concert, which is in aid of Malta Cancer Foundation, will be followed by a reception.

The International Summer Festival presented by the Stradivari Season is being held within the framework of the Summer Cultural Activities Series 2004. This series, which ranges from music and dance to film, theatre and master classes in expressive theatre and workshops in lighting design, is organised by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and sponsored by HSBC Bank Malta plc.

Ticket prices for the piano virtuoso concert start from Lm3, while a limited number of tickets are still available for the garden charity concert at Lm15 (single) or Lm25 (couple). Reservations can be made on 9945-7126, 7926-2391 or 9986-4967, or by e-mail: stradivari@global.net.mt.

Tickets can be purchased from the Manoel Theatre Shop (tel: 2122-8800). Golden Circle tickets at Lm15 (including a glass of wine and return transport for tourists from hotels) are available at Diamonds International in Valletta (tel. 2122-0200).