Modern Music Days (MMD) recently announced six dates for its Regional Concert Series as part of the culture programme of Valletta 2018.
“The strategy is to take contemporary music to places where it is not being heard,” says Mr Ruben Zahra, the artistic director of MMD.
“Another important strand is to present these concerts in unique, lesser-known heritage or cultural sites within the six districts of the Maltese Islands, including Valletta.”
Taking place between April and November, the six concerts will be held at the Ta’ Bistra Catacombs in Mosta, the Victor Passmore Gallery in Valletta, Mnajdra Temples in Qormi, Castello Lanzun in San Ġwann, the Żejtun Parish Crypt, and the Citadel Cultural Centre in Gozo, respectively.
The first concert, Kantilena Procession, which will take place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 April, will feature a site-specific electronic music work by Dutch composer Luc Houtkamp at Ta’ Bistra Catacombs in collaboration with Heritage Malta.
Then, on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 May, the second concert, titled Transition, will feature Maltese pianist Tricia Dawn Williams at the Victor Pasmore Gallery with an interdisciplinary piano recital portraying video-art, electronic music, motion-capture technology and extended piano technique.
Transition is being organised in collaboration with Central Bank of Malta, Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti and The Victor Pasmore Gallery.
The third concert, Ritual, celebrates the summer solstice at the Mnajdra Neolithic temples with a music performance by Scottish trombonist John Kenny, who will be tracing the evolution of the instrument by commencing the concert on a seashell, moving on to the Celtic war horn known as the ‘carnyx’ and ending with the modern trombone.
Ritual is organised in collaboration with Heritage Malta and will be held twice: on Saturday 23 June at sunset and Sunday 24 June at sunrise.
MMD is organised by Teatru Manoel, the Malta Association for Contemporary Music and the Valletta 2018 Foundation as part of the culture programme of Valletta 2018 – European Capital of Culture. Tickets are available online.
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