Nico Darmanin,will be headlining this year’s President’s New Year Concert. The young tenor is making a name for himself abroad, especially in the Rossini and Bel Canto repertoires.

Currently residing in the UK, Darmanin has already made his debut at the Royal Opera House and the Vlassmse Opera. Recent highlights include Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Opera Holland Park), Ramiro in La Cenerentola (Scottish Opera), Ottavio in Don Giovanni (Vlaamse Opera) and Belfiore in Il Viaggio a Reims at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro.

Joseph Debrincat

Darmanin has been awarded a number of prizes and has been received with great critical acclaim. Amanda Holloway, from Opera Magazine, had this to say about him in 2014: “The young Maltese tenor is tipped for great things... his singing displayed versatility and humour.” In the notable musical competitive world, Darmanin was a Royal Overseas League Competition finalist and Overseas Prize Winner and, most recently, a BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Finalist 2015.

For many people, the Vienna Philharmonic’s new year concert, with its live television broadcast reaching over 90 countries, has become synonymous with New Year festivities. The magnificent sounds of Strauss’ Waltzes from the Musikverein in Vienna delight the audiences worldwide and many people dream of one day being able to be part of the audience at this prestigious concert.

Now, the President’s New Year Concert has similarly become a tradition in Malta, with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) giving an annual concert under the auspices of President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

In the past, one may have found it difficult to obtain a ticket for this concert but, since moving to the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, a bigger audience is being reached. The President offers this concert for free to the Maltese public as an endowment for the New Year. In return, donations to the Malta Community Chest Fund are appreciated.

The concert, conducted by Joseph Debrincat, will feature an eclectic mix of well-loved orchestral overtures and a varied selection of arias. The repertoire, including music by Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Camilleri, Brodzky and Offenbach, brings together music of various styles from across the centuries.

Born in Gozo, Joseph Debrincat has studied with some of Malta’s leading composers and conductors, and was the youngest ever Gozitan to have conducted the National Orchestra.

The President’s New Year Concert is being held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, next Sunday at 7.30pm.

www.maltaorchestra.com