Italian, Spanish singers for grand Puccini concert

A grand concert will be held on Saturday to mark the 150th anniversary since the birth of the acclaimed Italian composer Giacomo Puccini.

The performers will include Italian soprano Maria Pia Ionata, established as one of the best Puccinian sopranos, and Spanish tenor Ignacio Encinas, featured, like Ms Ionata, in the most opera houses around the globe.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will be under the direction of artistic director and mentor Joseph Debrincat who is an established name on the local musical scene and in Puccinian studies.

Some of the famous arias and duets from masterpieces such as Manon Lescaut, La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Turandot will be performed. The concert will also include a number of lesser known orchestral works, some of which will be performed here for the first time.

Organised by the Classique Foundation of Gozo, the concert will be held next Saturday at 7.30 p.m. at the Aurora Opera House, Victoria.

Tickets sell for €10 seats can be reserved from the Aurora (7955 1871) and from Anthony D'Amato (2123 4348). For more details e-mail: info@classique.org.