[attach id=557812 size="medium"]Performing in tonight’s concert are soloists Carmine Lauri (violin), Johanna Beisteiner (guitar) and Joanne Camilleri (harpsichord) accompanied by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Michelle Castelletti. Photos: Teatru Manoel[/attach]

The Valletta International BaroqueFestival continues today with a concert at the spectacular baroque edifice of the Manoel Theatre.

The programme focuses on pieces inspired by the period and includes Johann Sebastian Bach’s Suite aus den Orchesterwerken as arranged by Gustav Mahler, Arvo Pärt’s Collage über B - A - C - H for strings, oboe, harpsichord and piano, Ottorino Respighi’s Antiche arie e danze per liuto Suite n. 3, the world premiere of Reuben Pace’s Concertino for Guitar, Harpsichord and Orchestra, and Astor Piazzolla’s Cuatro estanciones porteñas for solo violin and string orchestra, as arranged by Leonid Desyatnikov.

Performing in tonight’s concert are soloists Carmine Lauri (violin), Johanna Beisteiner (guitar) and Joanne Camilleri (harpsichord) accompanied by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Michelle Castelletti.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1968 and was originally known as the Manoel Theatre Orchestra. It comprised a number of musicians who previously formed part of a chamber orchestra in the employ of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Navy (Malta), better known as the C-in-C Orchestra that was disbanded one day earlier.

In September 1997, the orchestra became an independent body and was officially named as the National Orchestra of Malta. Ten years later, in December 2007, the orchestra started the process to augment its musicians complement to philharmonic levels launching itself as the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra on the January 12, 2008.

The demanding repertoires by Italian, English, German, French, Austrian and Russian composers among others, so much imbedded in local music tastes, have often seen the orchestra performing as a large symphony orchestra thanks to the excellent co-operation which the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra enjoys with important orchestras in Europe. The orchestra’s extensive calendar of events consists mainly of symphonic concerts and opera productions in Malta and Gozo as well as abroad.

■ Tonight’s concert is taking place at the Manoel Theatre at 7.30pm. For more information and tickets, visit http://vallettabaroquefestival.com.mt . The festival runs until January 28 and this space will carry information on daily events throughout.

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