Simon Schembri to play Rodrigo's guitar concerto

Guitarist Simon Schembri, who is based in France, will be taking part in a joint concert by the Manoel Theatre and the National Orchestra.

The concert will be presented on November 8 at the Manoel Theatre, in Valletta, at 7.30pm.

Mro Schembri will play what is considered to be the most popular guitar concerto ever written, Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, inspired by one of Spain's royal residences. It dates back to 1939 and is so popular that its slow central movement ended up in a myriad arrangements for all kinds of instrumental (and vocal) combinations.

Completely different is the second of Maurio Giuliani's three guitar concertos, the one in A, written well into the last phase of the first golden age of the guitar.

The National Orchestra, directed by Michael Laus, will open and close the concert with two orchestral suites - Respighi's Gli Uccelli (The Birds) and Stravinsky's Pulcinella.

Mro Schembri is one of Malta's best musical ambassadors abroad. Apart from teaching in France and performing widely there, he has appeared in several other countries. He is a lifetime member of the Academie Albert Einstein and was awarded the gold medals of the Yehudi Menuhin and George Cziffra Foundations.

He is a laureate of the Guitar Foundation of America and also member of the International American Foundation Of Young Concert Artists.

Mro Schembri studied mainly under the renowned Alexandre Lagoya in Paris and possesses the Concert Artist's degree from the Royal College of Music and was awarded first prize (interpretation) by the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris.

Booking is open at the Manoel Theatre's booking office.

www.teatrumanoel.com