Candide, a concert version of Leonard Bernstein's musical/opera, will be the highlight of this year's summer festival organised by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, Bank of Valletta, which is sponsoring the concert, said.

Candide will be presented on July 22 at 8.30 p.m. at the newly inaugurated Valletta Waterfront.

Bank of Valletta chief officer operations Igino Xuereb presented the bank's sponsorship to Salvino Busuttil, director of Fondation de Malte, organiser of the event.

Prof. Busuttil said the production's cast included American baritone Kurt Ollmann, a Bernstein veteran who could be heard on original Bernstein recordings - as Maximilian in Candide and as Riff in Westside Story.

Mr Ollmann will, for the first time, play the roles of Pangloss and the Narrator in Candide.

The role of Maximilian will be interpreted by the young American baritone Christopher Holloway. There will also be Maltese singers interpreting male roles, namely tenor Juan Gambina in the title role of Candide, mezzo soprano Claire Massa as the Old Woman and Rosabelle Bianchi as Paquette.

Tenors Charles Vincenti and Charles Vella Zarb have multiple roles.

The national orchestra, which has performed this opera in Rome two years ago, will be joined by two Italian percussionists who form part of the well-known ensemble Ars Ludi.

An exciting and novel prospect is the collaboration between the national orchestra and the Voices Choir, led by Martina Caruana, the bank said.

All proceeds will go to a Voices' charity.

The production is produced by Mario Frendo and Davinia Galea for Fondation de Malte in collaboration with Voices and the national orchestra, which will be conducted by Michael Laus.