Malta rolled out its programme for this year’s European Cultural Days, jointly organised by the European Central Bank and the Central Bank of Malta, with a concert featuring tenor Joseph Calleja and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in Frankfurt.

The concert, held at the  Alte Oper Theatre in the heart of the city, was directed by Mro Brian Schembri.

Tenor Joseph Calleja and Mro Brian Schembri during the concert in Frankfurt.

This initiative highlights the rich and varied array of cultures by focusing on a different EU country’s cultural scene every year. Malta was chosen for 2015 and follows on from Bulgaria in 2014, Latvia in 2013 and France in 2012.

The Central Bank of Malta has been the catalyst for the development of the dynamic programme being presented.

“The coming months will be an exciting time for us as we promote Malta as a centre for the arts in the Mediterranean,” bank governor Josef Bonnici said.

“In line with the motto of this year’s European Cultural Days – Vibrant Malta – we are looking forward to presenting a calendar of events in Frankfurt over the next few weeks and months. It is a programme that also reflects the cultural impetus provided by Valletta’s selection as the European Capital of Culture for 2018.”

The programme of events, which goes on until February, will include sopranos Lydia Caruana, Claire Ghigo and Gillian Zammit, violinist Carmine Lauri, sound artist and performer Renzo Spiteri, the Cosmos Wind Ensemble, the Big Band Brothers, the Dominic Galea Jazztet and a party hosted by DJ Miss Roberta.

The programme includes the participation of contemporary dance company ŻfinMalta, exhibitions by photographer Daniel Cilia and stone sculptor Joe Xuereb, a play directed by Albert Marshall and talks by historians Anthony Bonanno, Keith Sciberras and Denis de Lucca.

“We may be the smallest country in the EU but we should be proud of the endless cultural treasures we have to showcase. We should do everything we can to promote these treasures to a global audience. This is exactly what will be achieved by this year’s European Cultural Days,” Bonnici added.