UHM concert

The Union Haddiema Maghqudin should be publicly lauded for their effort in organising a perfect evening at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta yesterday week.

Mro Alan Chircop conducted the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra confidently and flawlessly. We had not seen such a big orchestra performing to a packed auditorium for a very long time.

Sophia Grech, a mezzo-soprano of international acclaim, who made her debut in 1995 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, enchanted us with her beautiful voice.

To top it all, child prodigy Masha Diatchenko, who was born in Rome in 1994, and is the seventh generation in a family of musicians, gave us a solo performance. She started playing the piano and the violin when she was four, under the guidance of her parents - who are both musicians.

Now 11 years old, she studies at the 'Art Music' Academy in Rome with her father Mro Sergei Diatchenko.

At the moment, she plays a Pietro Guarnieri Veneziano violin, dated 1740, which once belonged to Vivaldi. She perfectly played the Carmen Fantasie for Violin and Orchestra based on themes from Bizet's Carmen. This she did from memory.

Our sincere thanks go to Gejtu Vella, UHM president, Gejtu Tanti, general secretary, and Jesmond Bonello, secretary, public entities section, for their effort which undoubtedly was combined with that of others resulting in such a perfect performance.