Piano Festival starts today at Manoel Theatre's Isouard Hall

The week-long Piano Festival Valletta 2010, consisting in a series of piano master-classes, lectures and recitals, open as at the Manoel Theatre's Isouard Hall today.

Festival director Alexei Galea said the main aim of the event was not only to create opportunities for young Maltese pianists to study with Russian pianist Yuri Didenko and play in the participants' concert but also to promote the art of piano playing in all its facets.

"Although, in the music world, it is a cliché that one learns a great deal from watching other people's lessons and that it is essential for young performers to play in public, it is still very difficult for young musicians to find opportunities to play in public and to listen to other students' lessons", he said.

The festival will also include three lectures by Prof. Didenko himself, John Galea and Diana Vlasenko.

The festival is being organised in conjunction with the Mediterranean Institute, University of Malta.