Taking on the Italians in general and the Bolognese in particular on home ground gastronomically was already a feat. So when Malta International Airport decided to hold a concert by soprano Lydia Caruana under the direction of Gozitan composer/conductor Joseph Vella and including works by Zebbug-born Nicolò Isouard (1775-1818) and Mro Vella, among others, one would have thought they were pressing their luck a bit too far.

What's more, MIA chose as venue the Mozart Hall at the Bologna Philharmonic Academy. The great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself had been hosted in this concert hall, as had also been Mascagni, Puccini and Respighi. World renowned Riccardo Muti also used to rehearse there.

Whatever made MIA choose the venue for the concert, the event was a success from beginning to end, judging by the warmth expressed by the audience, the big bulk of it Italians.

The 80-minute long concert included 10 pieces, including two compositions by Prof. Vella himself, one of them, an elegy for violoncello solo and orchestra, featuring Simon Abdilla Joslin on the violoncello.

Ms Caruana sang in seven of the 10 pieces, apart from the encore, for which the soprano chose Non Ti Scordar Di Me.

It was a fitting end to a successful promotion tour. Ms Caruana couldn't have made a more appropriate plea.