The interiors of the Presidential Palaces are set to provide the backdrop to a music festival featuring a mix of classical, modern and jazz music.
Running between next Monday and the following Sunday, ‘The Three Palaces: Celebrating Music’ will bring together a line-up of international artists and established and upcoming local performers, who have all shown excellence in their field.
The festival - which is being held for the first time - is being organised by the Office of the President in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretary for Culture and Local Government.
The festival will open at Verdala Palace on Monday at 7pm with a pre-concert talk on ‘Romanticism: the resonance of silence’, which will be delivered by Byron expert Prof Peter Vassallo.
This will be followed by a concert by the Nash Ensemble.
The next day, two musicians from the Nash Ensemble – Ian Brown and Adrian Brendel – will give a chamber music recital at Verdala Palace followed with piano and jazz vibes by Nicholas Vella Laurenti on the piano and Charles ‘City’ Gatt on vibes and Joe Debono on the piano.
On Wednesday, soprano Miriam Cauchi together with Maria Frendo on the piano and Simon Abdilla Joslin on the cello will give a vocal and instrumental recital at San Anton Palace. The following day, John Lill will perform a selection of Beethoven sonatas at San Anton Palace. On Thursday, he will give a masterclass at Verdala Palace.
On Friday, soprano Lydia Caruana and pianist Yvette Galea will give a recital at San Anton Palace. Dominic Galea Trio and guest vocalist Deborah Harrison will perform Jazz Inspirations at Verdala Palace.
A vocal and instrumental recital of French music – featuring soprano Gillian Zammit, mezzo soprano Clare Ghigo, flautist Rebecca Hall and Britt Arend on the harp – will be held on Saturday at the Palace in Valletta.
The festival will come to a grand finale on Sunday with a family day at the Verdala Palace gardens. On the same day, a chamber music recital – featuring Nadia Debono on the violin, Gjorgji Cinciesvki on the double bass and Joanne Camilleri on the piano – will be held at Verdala Palace at 4pm. Charlene Farrugia will close the festival with a piano recital featuring works by Chopin and Schumann at San Anton Palace.
The festival will also host fringe events in schools and at Mater Dei Hospital. The artistic committee is made up of Cynthia Turner, Albert G. Storace and Lucia Micallef.
Entrance to this series of events is free of charge but seating allocation will be by invitation and on a first-come first-served basis. Donations to The Malta Community Chest Fund will be appreciated. More information from 2559 5563/4.