The Valletta International Piano Festival continues today with a concert of jazz improvisations in the baroque style.

John Mortensen will perform improvisations on some of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s preludes for piano.

Mortensen is a pianist, improviser, educator and author. His concerts often begin with masterpieces from the classical repertoire before venturing into improvisation or his original compositions. He appears frequently as concert artist and masterclass teacher at colleges and universities around America.

Mortensen is committed to educating young musicians for the 21st century and places special emphasis on developing courses that bring improvisation back to the standard college music curriculum.

Mortensen studied with Lynne Bartholomew at the University of Michigan and Anne Koscielny and Raymond Hanson at the University of Maryland, receiving his doctorate in piano performance from the latter. In 2015, he was selected for the Fulbright Specialist Roster by the US Department of State. Over the next years, the Fulbright Specialist programme will sponsor him to perform and teach at universities internationally.

A Steinway Artist, he now serves as artist faculty at the Masterworks Festival and professor of piano at Cedarville University. In 2016, he was named Faculty Scholar of the Year, the institution’s highest award.

■ The concert is taking place today at Palazzo Pereira in Valletta at 5pm. Entrance is free upon a donation to EPTA Malta. This space will be covering other concerts being held within the festival. Before every concert, a 30-minute concert featuring an array of talented young pianists living and studying in Malta will be held.