Gozitan conductor and composer Colin Attard was in Romania to conduct the Pitesti Philharmonic in an orchestral-vocal concert of Maltese music.

Attard was invited to Romania by SC LN Promotion – which co-ordinated the event – and the Pitesti Philharmonic. The concert was held at Pitesti’s Casa de Cultura a Sindicatelor in the centre of the city.

Attard chose a totally Maltese repertoire, selecting a number of works composed in the 20th century.

Malta’s ‘father’ composer of the 20th century, Carmelo Pace (1906-1993), was represented by two short excerpts – the Introduzzjoni Meditattiva to his symphonic poem Il-Kappella tal-Paċi and the prelude to the oratorio Sultana tal-Vittorji.

Charles Camilleri (1931-2009), arguably Malta’s most internationally-known composer, was represented by his ever-popular Malta Suite. Gozitan Joseph Vella’s (b.1942) grand symphonic poem Rebbieħa was also performed.

The programme included three vocal works interpreted by Romanian soprano, Mediana Vlad, all sung in the original Maltese language. These were the vocally-tough Magnifikat by Gozitan Stephen Attard (b.1966) and Colin Attard’s (b.1962) own songs Xewqa and Capriccio set to words by the late Gozitan poets Can. Joe Meilak and Ġorġ Pisani respectively. The latter song was being premiered in its orchestral version during the concert.

The Pitestri Philharmonic was led by Madalin Sandu. The concert was covered by the Pitesti Regional TV, on which Attard was also interviewed. Attard was invited to return to Romania to conduct the Pitesti Philharmonic during the forthcoming season.