Five concerts planned for Bir Miftuħ Music Festival

Five concerts featuring international and Maltese artists will be staged as part of the Bir Miftuħ International Music Festival organised by Din l-Art Ħelwa.

Bookings for the festival, which will take place between May 9 and June 26, is now open.

The first concert, on May 9, will consist of a Baroque recital by the ensemble Il Sogno. Sponsored by the Belgian Embassy, the programme will feature works by Vivaldi, Handel, Locatelli, Hasse and Conti.

The second concert on May 22 will present music from Austria and will be made possible by courtesy of the Austrian Embassy in Malta in collaboration with Malta International Airport plc. Two groups of young and gifted Austrian musicians, the SMS String Quartet and the ensemble Pianoflauti will feature works by Haydn, Schubert and Mendelssohn, among other composers, together with guest artist Baritone Benno Schollum.

A flute and accordion concert by the duo Arcadio Baracchi and Ivano Battiston will take place on June 6. This third concert will consist of an "unusual" flute and accordion recital sponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute. Their repertoire will include works by Bartok/Battiston, M. Panni, J.S. Bach, I. Battiston and Piazzolla/Battiston.

The fourth concert, sponsored by the German Embassy, will be held on June 19. It will be a violin, viola and cello recital by the ProMuzika Helsinki. The two main works will be Bach - Art of the Fugue - and Mozart - String Trio in E-flat Major.

The final event on June 26 will be a vocal and harp concert by soprano Marie-Pierre Wattie and harpist Anne Marie Camilleri Podestá. The concert is sponsored by the French Embassy and the Alliance Francaise. The programme covers works by Fauré, Debussy, Poulenc, Guinod, Berlioz and Duparc.

All concerts start at 8 p.m. Tickets for each concert cost €20 per person, including refreshments after the performance. All funds raised are in aid of Din l-Art Ħelwa's restoration programme.

For more information call 2122 5952/2122 0358 Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and noon or visit the offices of Din l-Art Ħelwa at 133, Melita Street, Valletta.

www.dinlarthelwa.org