Malta Arts Festival launched

The fifth edition of the Malta Arts Festival was launched today, with an extensive programme of events between Julyy 1 and 23.

Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco said at the launch that the programme will feature music to theatre, dance and visual arts.

More than 250 Maltese and foreign artists are expected to appear on the festival’s platform in a three-week extravaganza of artistic events scheduled to take place in different venues around the Island.

The Festival kicks off on July 1 with The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of world-renowned conductor Wayne Marshall. The programme includes Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and George Gershwin’s famous Piano Concerto in F with the conductor playing the solo part.

Two concerts will celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the birth of two much-loved composers; Schumann and Chopin. Cellist Enrico Dindo performs Chopin’s Cello Sonata, whilst Maltese Soprano Gillian Zammit and U.S. tenor Clifford Bechtel are proposing a delicacy for music lovers, with a programme of songs and duets by Schumann and Chopin, accompanied by Maltese pianist Rosetta de Battista.

On the eve of the Wold Cup Final, the Festival thought of keeping its audiences entertained with the return to the its platform of Maltese virtuoso violinist Carmine Lauri in a violin and piano recital with Simon Hester.

A highlight for this year’s edition will be two-evening Stravinsky Project in collaboration with the Ars Ludi Percussion Ensemble with two programmes, including the spectacular Les Noces impressively scored for choir, solos, percussions and four pianos, and the famous Histoire du Soldat. Other music performances include the Carnyx Brass Trio from the UK featuring Maltese Horn player Etienne Cutajar and the New Choral Singers under the direction of Robert Calleja.

The European Union Baroque Orchestra will also make its first appearance in the Maltese Islands since Malta’s accession to the EU with two concerts of Baroque Music entitled Maladies and Melodies.

Dance features with two French productions. Choreographer Martin Pisani together with her ensemble La Compagnie du Solitaire will present her iconic dance performance Sans, while La Companie Julien Lestel, following their huge success in last year’s edition, return with their latest production Costance, a performance based on D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The Italian theatre ensemble Laboratorio di Castaldo will add humour to the Festival with their contemporary theatre piece Katharsis, while Shakespeare lovers can enjoy the Bard’s comic masterpiece A Midsummer Night’s Dream by the Shakespeare’s Globe Touring Company.

The Malta Arts Festival is to include as part of its 2010 programme of events The Hulda Festival: A Journey into Art and Science, a unique cultural initiative on board the M/S Hulda. The 100-year old sailing boat, built in 1905, is home for this particular art-meets-science project, which between March 2009 and November 2010 is visiting Stockholm, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bordeaux, Lisbon, Barcelona, Naples, Malta, Thessalonica and Istanbul as part of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture programme of events. The Hulda Festival benefits from a partnership of some of the most prestigious art or science institutions based in these 10 cities. In Malta, the Hulda Festival is presented as part of the Malta Arts Festival in collaboration with the Malta Council for Science and Technology. The boat houses an exhibition of scientific sculptures by the Turkish-Swedish artist Ilhan Koman.

For this year’s edition, the artistic direction has commissioned Maltese theatre ensemble Theatre Anon to produce a new work especially designed for the Malta Arts Festival. Theatre Anon will perform Ospizio, a site-specific theatre production with a cast of over 50 Maltese performers. The event will run for six nights at the Ospizio in Floriana. The production is definitely one of the important highlights of this edition of the Festival. Theatre Anon are renowned for their spectacular and refined performance and considered as a major theatrical realty in Malta. The performance is directed by Paul Portelli.

A new idea is being introduced this year under the name SPACESIspazi. Artists are assigned disused buildings, transforming them temporarily into creative spaces. The project is curated by Lisa Gwen Baldacchino and will take place in Strait Street in Valletta. The Art and Wine Festival Strada will again feature this year, giving the Malta Arts Festival that special touch. Strada is set once again to bring to patrons a relaxed atmosphere where wine, food, and art can be enjoyed until late.

The programme aims at highlighting Maltese identity within a wider Mediterranean and European context as well as promoting diversity in order to ensure development of the arts scene. Particular attention is given this year to present on the festival stages more popular events that appeal to a broad audience with different styles and tastes for all. While retaining the reputation of quality the festival has established over the past four years, this year’s programme aims at reaching a broader audience.

The festival's artistic director is Mario Frendo.

PROGRAMME

Opening Night

Wayne Marshall conducts the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor & Soloist: Wayne Marshall

Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

Orchestra Leader: Marcelline Agius

Programme includes works by Gershwin and Bernstein.

Date: Thursday 1 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: Mediterranean Conference Centre - Valletta

Entrance: Free

SPACESspazji

A visual Arts Project

Artists: Sean Gabriel Ellul, Fabrizio Ellul, Ruth Bianco, Anton Grech and James Micallef Grimaud

Curator: Lisa Gwen Baldacchino

Date: 2-23 July

Opening Times: 10:00-19:00

Venue: Strait Street - Valletta

Katharsis: De Cura Animae Suae

A Modern Mystery Play - Laboratorio Di Castaldo Theatre Ensemble

Actors: Domenico Castaldo, Katia Capato, Marta Laneri, Francesca Netto, Claudio Andres Santana Borquez

Dir: Domenico Castaldo

Date: Friday 2 July

Saturday 3 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: Auberge d'Italie - Valletta

Entrance: Free

Strada

Wine & Arts Festival

Date: Friday 2 July

Saturday 3 July

Sunday 4 July

Time: 19:00 onwards

Venue: Strait and South Streets Valletta

The Hulda Festival

A Journey into Art and Science

Part of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Programme

Project coordinated by MCST

A 100-year old sailng boat exhibitiing on board scientific sculptures by the Turkish-Swedish artist Ilhan Koman (1921-1986).

Art and Science Youth workshops will be organized by Il-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija (Malta Council for Science and Technology): between 3 - 13 July 2010 - Hulda Tent.

Contact MCST for information and booking at martina.castillo@gov.mt / Anthea Fabri: anthea.fabri@gov.mt, or phone +356 21660340

Date 3-13 July

Venue: Grand Harbour Marina - Birgu

Opening times: 10:00-13:00

17:00-22:00

Entrance: Free

A Romantic Universe: Chopin & Schumann Cello and Piano Recital

Celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of Schumann and Chopin

Enrico Dindo Cello

Monica Cattarossi Piano

Programme includes works by Schumann and Chopin's Cello and Piano Sonatas:

Date: Sunday 4 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: President's Palace Courtyard - Valletta

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

Ospizio

A Site-Specific Theatre Project by Theatre Anon

A Malta Arts Festival commission

Date: Monday 5 July

Thursday 8 July

Friday 9 July

Monday 12 July

Tuesday 13 July

Wednesday 14 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: Ospizio - Floriana

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

Sans

La Compagnie du Solitaire

Choreography: Martine Pisani

Performers: Theo Kooijman, Laurent Pichaud, Olivier Schram

Date: Tuesday 6 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: MITP Theatre - Valletta

Tickets: Free

Carnyx Brass Trio

Paul Archibald Trumpet

Etienne Cutajar Horn

John Kenny Trombone

Programme includes works by Britten, Etienne Rolin, Toru Takemitsu, John Kenny, Peter Longworth, Bach, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Poulenc

Date: Thursday 8 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: President's Palace Courtyard - Valletta

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

The Poet Speaks

Songs and Duets of Schumann and Chopin

Celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of Schumann and Chopin

Gillian Zammit Soprano

Clifford Bechtel Tenor

Rosetta de Battista Piano

Programme includes lieder by Schumann and Chopin:

Date: Friday 9 July

Time: 20:30

Venue: Auberge de Castille Courtyard- Valletta

Tickets: Free

Carmine Lauri in Recital

Violin and Piano Recital

Carmine Lauri Violin

Simon Hester Piano

Programme includes music by Handel, Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg, Sarasate, and Wieniawski

Date: Thursday 8 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: President's Palace Courtyard - Valletta

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

The Stranvinsky Project

in collaboration with Arts Ludi Percussion Ensemble

Concert 1 (13 July)

Slavonic Folk Scenes

Arts Ludi Percussion Ensemble

Ready-Made Vocal Ensemble

Musical Director: Gianluca Ruggeri

Programme includes Stravinsky's Les Noces scored for solos, mixed chorus, 4 pianos and percussion.

Date: Tuesday 13 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: President's Palace Courtyard - Valletta

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

Concert 2 (14 July)

Igor the Story-Teller

Musical Director: Gianluca Ruggeri

Programme includes Stravinsky's Histoire Du Soldat

Date: Wednesday 14 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: President's Palace Courtyard - Valletta

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

Songs for Summer

The New Choral Singers

Programme includes works by Brahms, Copland, Des Pres, Finzi, Pace, Passereau, and Saint-Saëns

Date: Sunday 18 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: President's Palace Courtyard - Valletta

Tickets: Free

Constance

inspired by D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover

La Compagnie Julien Lestel

Choreography: Julien Lestel, Assistant Choreographer: Gilles Porte, Costumes: Patrick Murru, Lights: Max Haas, Music by Philip Glass

Date: Monday 19 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: Argotti Gardens - Floriana

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

"Maladies and Melodies"

The European Union Baroque Orchestra

Direction and Harpsichord Lars Ulrik Mortensen

Concertmaster Huw Daniel

Programme 1 (20 July) includes music by Zelenka, Locatelli, Albinoni, Vivaldi, and Muffat .

Date: Tuesday 20 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: President's Palace Courtyard - Valletta

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

Programme 2 (21 July) includes music by Handel, Albinoni, Biber, Charpentier, and Handel

Date: Wednesday 21 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: President's Palace Courtyard - Valletta

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Date: Thursday 22 July

Friday 23 July

Time: 21:00

Venue: Argotti Gardens - Floriana

Tickets: €15, concessions €10

Concession: for students and senior citizens upon presentation of relevant identification to be presented at the door.

Free admission to all events for children aged 12 or under.