Orchestra goes pop...and rock and jazz...

Rock music, jazz, Latin and other musical genres were fused with classical sounds as the Malta Arts Festival kicked off in style last weekend.

Under the baton of Sigmund Mifsud, the innovative programme entitled National Orchestra Goes Pop featured singers like Chiara and Ivan Grech from Winter Moods who performed songs by U2 and Cristina Aguilera, among others, while Pia Zammit belted out standards from the era of swing. The orchestra also played the odd soundtrack at the site of the former opera house in Valletta.

National Orchestra Goes Pop featured both established and young Maltese artistes, who were backed by a 40-piece symphony orchestra that teamed up with an extra set of saxophones, a whole rhythm section including lead and bass guitar, piano, keyboard, drum kit, auxiliary percussions and extra bass.

The event provided a platform for two new artistes: singer Tara, a graduate from the Musical Theatre and The Arts Educational Schools London and now pursuing a solo career in the UK; and composer Alexander Vella Gregory, fresh from Napier University, Edinburgh, with an original piece written for the occasion.