Until Saturday, August 2
Various venues

The programme for Malta’s largest arts festival presents artists from Croatia, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, South Africa and Russia, who will join some of the best Maltese artists in 18 performances and a separate programme of workshops and masterclasses. Most of these events will be held in some of the island’s most prestigious historical venues, including the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Pjazza Teatru Rjal and Fort St Elmo.

The festival kicked off with 2Cellos, where two young Croatian cellists took cello playing to a new level in a live performance.

Fort St Elmo will set the scene for Hide and Seek, the new dance production by Ivan Perez. The other main dance event of the programme, a triple bill of duets featuring works by emerging Maltese practitioners and established international artists, will be held at Pjazza Teatru Rjal.

Two events are sure to be a hit with families. Fecha de Caducidad is a circus from Spain which will bring together moments of poetic beauty, risk and tragically funny circus combined with elements of physical theatre and dance to create a visually stunning and emotionally charged show. Ir-Ritorn, a production based on Homer’s Odyssey by Teatru Anon, originally a Żigużajg commission, promises to be a quirky good old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure. Both performances are free for children 12 years and under.

Ruben Zahra and Windstreken Ensemble present a concert which portrays a unique folk-fusion profile, while Up-Close is an innovative work by Dutch composer Michel van der Aa in which film and live performance reflect each another.

Also bridging genres is Il-Kappillan ta’ Malta, a stage adaptation of Nicholas Monsarrat’s famous novel by Immanuel Mifsud. Presented by Fundazzjoni Avventura, the theatre company behind Vassalli and Jiena Nħobb Inti Tħobb, the performance will be held at Piazza d’Armi in Fort St Elmo.

The emerging artists series, featuring musicians Nadine Galea and Luke Baldacchino, will present an interdisciplinary showcase of music, literature and painting.

The visual arts will also make a strong appearance through the Valletta International Visual Arts Festival, a first pioneering festival for the visual arts in Malta. Organised by St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta 2018 Foundation and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, with the support of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, the festival will run a few weeks after the Malta Arts Festival and will include events such as a summer curatorial school, exhibitions in Valletta and the third edition of a collective exhibition for young emerging artists.

Also running as part of the festival is a series of films which will be held under the stars at Pjazza Teatru Rjal, curated by Simshar director Rebecca Cremona with a guest appearance by distinguished professor Dr Yevgeny Yevtushenko.

Despite the novelties, audiences can also look forward to some firm favourites. Globe will be back with King Lear, with Pjazza Teatru Rjal providing the backdrop to the tragedy. The trademark closing concert will be held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, with the MaltaPhilharmonic Orchestra playing under the baton of Mro Brian Schembri with Russian cellist Alexander Kniazev.

Live Jazz Wednesdays

Every Wednesday
Palazzo De Piro, Mdina

Due to popular demand, Live Jazz Wednesdays are back this year featuring renowned jazz players in live trios and quartets who will deliver sets of diverse jazz material. The repertoire in these three-hour sessions promises to travel a broad range. Entrance is free of charge. However bookings are recommended.

Malta Jazz Festival

From July 17 to 19
Ta’ Liesse, Valletta

This year, the Malta Jazz Festival hosts world-class acts and rising jazz stars, all against the unique backdrop of the Grand Harbour. These artists include Tom Harrell Colors of a Dream and Brecker Brothers Band Reunion.

Now in its 24th edition, the Malta Jazz Festival has helped raise the profile of jazz locally from a fringe festival to one of the most awaited musical events in Malta’s artistic and cultural calendar. During the festival, contemporary music comes together with a sense of history, setting the backdrop for high-calibre performances which delight jazz aficionados and lay persons alike.

This, however, is only one of the many intersections running through this year’s festival. Another is that created by the musicians themselves as they cross jazz with other types of music. Mehliana, featuring Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana, mix jazz with electronica to create a trance-laden music while the French-born musician Laurent Coq combines Caribbean and Creole influences with modern jazz piano in his Laurent Coq Dialogue Trio.

Other rising stars include vibraphonist Warren Wolf and Kneebody, a band which crosses genres with ease. Local talent will be represented by Paul Abela Quintet featuring Gabriele Comeglio tomorrow, Joseph Camilleri Trio and Dominic Galea Trio on Friday, and Francesca Galea, the winner of last year’s Jazz Contest, on Saturday.

With a programme which also includes a fringe festival – Jazz on the Fringe – featuring masterclasses and open-air concerts, the festival also provides opportunities for collaborations between local and international musicians. This year will also feature the second editions of the Malta Jazz Contest and The Malta Summer Jazz Camp. Featuring some of the most important jazz musicians in Europe today, the masterclasses will include classes in piano, improvisation, harmony, arranging, guitar, drums and saxophone. Held on the last day of the festival, the Malta Jazz Contest is open to jazz soloists of Maltese nationality up to the age of 35. Participation is free of charge. The jury will consist of the jazz musicians teaching in the masterclasses.

Violin and Friends International Music Festival

From July 17 to 31
Valletta

Violin and Friends International Music Festival is offering a professional andexpandable platform to showcase its origins and pioneers while supporting young musicians by making it possible for them to present their output to a wider audience. The goals are: to establish a community and family event that will generate a sense of pride, joy and accomplishment, giving wider recognition to local and foreign artists; provide an opportunity for the youth to develop their talents in the performing arts; and offer a venue in which the social and artistic dynamics will create a welcoming ambiance.

The festival is also intended to promote the historical past and continue to develop performing arts and the cultural richness.

Joseph Calleja in concert

Friday, July 18
The Granaries, Floriana

Tenor Joseph Calleja will be performing his anticipated annual summer concert at the Granaries in Floriana. Popular Italian singer Claudio Baglioni, X-Factor UK winner Leona Lewis, young Maltese singer Federica Falzon and internationally renowned bass baritone Bryn Terfel will accompany the Maltese tenor. Maestro Paul Bateman will be directing the National Orchestra.

Met Opera Summer Encores 2014 presents The Enchanted Island

Wednesday, July 23
St James Cavalier, Valletta

In one extraordinary new work, lovers of baroque opera have it all: the world’s best singers, glorious music of the baroque masters, and a story drawn from Shakespeare.

In The Enchanted Island, the lovers from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream are shipwrecked on the island of The Tempest. Inspired by the musical pastiches and masques of the 18th century, the work showcases arias and ensembles by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, and others, and a new libretto devised and written by Jeremy Sams.

Conductor William Christie leads an all-star cast with David Daniels (Prospero) and Joyce DiDonato (Sycorax) as the formidable foes, Placido Domingo as Neptune, Danielle de Niese as Ariel, and Luca Pisaroni as Caliban. Lisette Oropesa and Anthony Roth Costanzo play Miranda and Ferdinand. The dazzling production is directed and designed by Phleim McDermott and Julian Courch.

Żejtun Folkfest

From July 24 to 27
Żejtun

Fondazzjoni Nazareth is organising the second edition of Żejtun Folkfest, a feast of music, culture and entertainment, in aid of this foundation. Fondazzjoni Nazareth is a voluntary organisation that provides support and shelter for persons with special needs in three different homes at Żejtun.

After the success of the first edition of Żejtun Folkfest, the second edition is expected to be bigger and better. During these three days, the festival will host performances from various local artists and bands, with a non-stop activities along those days. Entrance to the festival is free.

Phoenix

Thursday, July 24
St James Cavalier, Valletta

Phoenix is the name chosen by Markus Stockhausen for his intuitive solo performance. Stockhausen uses his electronic equipment to widen sound possibilities. Nevertheless the pure trumpet sound always remains in the foreground. The imagination of the listener is stimulated. Inner spaces open up through sound.

Afrojack in Malta

Saturday, July 26
MFCC, Ta’ Qali

Global superstar DJ Afrojack is back for a live performance in Malta. Supporting acts include Apster and special guest host MC Zawdi.