Tenor Joseph Calleja spoke today of his determination to encourage more people to appreciate classical music.

“Classical music is not something for the elite,” he told a press conference.

He said that sales for his July 24 concert in Malta were doing very well, especially with regard to the sale of the more expensive tickets.

The concert, he said, was a very good deal, with prices starting for €35 in a concert which would also feature Claudio Baglioni and Dionne Warwick.

Vodafone subscribers will get a further €10 discount off their general standing tickets purchased from Vodafone outlets.

Mr Calleja said the choir for the concert had been extended to 500 children, to get more children humming classical tunes at home. Organisers NnG will also be invited children from Church homes for the concert.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will be under the baton of Mro Paul Bateman. The concert will be held on the Floriana granaries.

Mr Calleja is in Malta on a short break after a series of concerts in Japan. His next performances are in Frankfurt and Croatia, followed by Canada and the Royal Opera House and Royal Albert Hall in London, where he will be taking the role of Gabriele Adorno in Boccanegra opposite Placido Domingo.