Two concerts are taking place this weekend as part of the Malta International Arts Festival.

Today, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the Malta Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Sergey Smbatyan, are presenting Mediterranean Soul.

The joint concert will explore the musical heritage of the diverse cultures sharing the Mediterranean Sea by drawing on the region’s musical traditions, such as Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien, as well as Charles Camilleri’s Mediterranean Dances and Joseph Vella’s Rapsodija Maltija for violin and string orchestra, with the MYO’s concertmaster Stefan Calleja in the solo role.

Mediterranean Soul is taking place at Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta at 9pm.

Tomorrow, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO) of Amsterdam is performing for the first time in Malta.

The concert forms part of the orchestra’s ongoing tour of all 28 member states of the European Union, RCO Meets Europe, and will see the participation of members of the Malta Youth Orchestra during the opening work Overture to Don Giovanni.

Milanese chief conductor Daniele Gatti will then lead the orchestra in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony in A Major. The concert will take place at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta at 9pm.

The festival will also see various artists – from singers to dancers to actors – showcasing along the streets of the capital city in a performance titled Artibusk.

Two exhibitions, Exile Homes by philanthropist and photojournalist Reza Deghati, and Watercolour Madness by local artist Kenneth Zammit Tabona, are opening today at the Grand Master’s Palace in Republic Street and at the Malta Society of Arts, respectively. Entrance to both exhibitions is free.

The Malta International Arts Festival runs until July 15. For more information and tickets, visit www.maltaartsfestival.org.