Malta's top tenor 'hurt' by blackmail charges

Top opera singers Joseph Calleja and Tatiana Lisnic are "disappointed and hurt" that they have been accused by their former agents of blackmail and of acting unprofessionally, according to their new representatives, NnG Promotions Ltd.

Such allegations are unworthy of any promotion agency, NnG said.

The tenors are embroiled in a tug-of-war with Renaissance Productions Ltd after the couple argued that a DVD recording of their Mdina concert last month was in breach of contract.

NnG's statement came in the wake of a judicial protest filed last week by the singer's former representatives in reply to another filed earlier by the couple.

Mr Calleja and Ms Lisnic said they never contracted RPL to have a DVD of the Mdina concert produced and distributed. They only agreed that the concert would be aired twice on the local media following approval of the version to be broadcast by the singers themselves for artistic reasons.

NnG accused RPL of disclosing private and confidential negotiations for the artistes' fee structure following the unilateral and substantial increase in seating capacity "to the detriment of the paying public".

Insisting that at no point did Mr Calleja or Ms Lisnic threaten to renegade their contractual commitments, NnG said that last April the couple gave notice that they were reconsidering their representation by RPL. Mr Calleja terminated his contractual relationship with RPL last month, it said.

Mr Calleja and Ms Lisnic, NnG added, have decided not to pursue the matter further and will not be taking any legal action against RPL directors Anton Tabone and Amabile Zammit over what they consider to be slanderous comments and statements in their regard.

The opera singers are satisfied that RPL and PBS have withdrawn the advert offering for sale DVDs of the July 7 concert and look forward to performing again in Malta, NnG said.