MALTA INTERNATIONAL DOUBLE BASS DAYS 6 – 8 November 2020 *Online* This November sees the return of the Malta International Double Bass Days, a series of lectures and masterclasses by both local and internationally renowned performers and professors in a celebration of everything bass! Highlights of the weekend include solo lessons, technical classes, choice of classical or jazz tuition, recitals and a closing concert. The event will be held online due to COVID-19 restrictions. For information…
In this edition of MyMAC we speak to Ruben Zahra, an internationally-acclaimed Maltese composer and producer whose interdisciplinary work has earned him a reputation for originality and excellence, and has established him as a sophisticated and engaging proponent of Maltese contemporary music.
Maltese authors Lara Calleja and Joe Pace have been shortlisted for the prestigious European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL), with the official announcement made earlier this month on 15th April.
MyMAC speaks to renowned Maltese musician, George Curmi ‘il-Pusé’, about his life, career and family as we discuss his many adventures in music and the changes this rather turbulent year has brought.
This year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Mill – Art, Culture and Crafts Centre in Birkirkara, the Gabriel Caruana Foundation issued an open call to Malta’s artists and illustrators, inviting submissions from across the island in a bid to find the ten winning artworks that would be published as part of a limited edition series of prints commemorating this very special birthday.
While dust gathers in closed theatres around the globe, many performing ensembles have had to adapt in order to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the halting of many performing arts, Malta’s National Choir KorMalta has successfully altered their repertoire and ensembles to continue their musical journey. MyMac sat down with Riccardo Bianchi, Artistic Director and Chorus Master of KorMalta, to learn about his experience so far and how he is leading the ensemble through COVID-19.
Alexei Galea is an accomplished and versatile musician, equally at home both performing and conducting. His diverse and prolific career has taken him from Malta to the UK, Germany and Russia, and has included concert performances as both an instrumentalist (piano and organ) and conductor across the globe. He is now based in Malta and serves as Music Director for the Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC).
Founded in April 1968, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) is the archipelago’s flagship musical ensemble. The MPO strives to offer a yearly programme that averages more than one performance per week including symphonic concerts, opera productions, educational initiatives and various other projects. MyMAC caught up with Sigmund Mifsud, Executive Chairman of the MPO, to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and how the MPO is planning for the new future of symphonic orchestras.
The Three Palaces Festival invites audiences into some of Malta’s most magnificent buildings for an up-close experience of the arts. It is a niche festival that is part of an annual calendar of events organized by Festivals Malta, the Maltese agency for the festival sector, that showcases Malta’s vibrant national culture and the high calibre of talent that calls Malta home. Other events in the Festivals Malta calendar include such highlights as the Malta Jazz Festival, the Malta International Arts…
Il-Premju għall-Arti, Malta’s national arts awards, has announced its fourth edition of the event which celebrates the achievements of Malta's cultural and creative sectors. The 2021 event will be dedicated towards the accomplishments of the sector in overcoming and adapting to the ever unfolding COVID-19 pandemic and associated containment measures. MyMAC caught up with Christabel Catania, Education and Development Associate at Arts Council Malta (ACM) to discuss her role within il-Premju għall-Arti…
ZfinMalta is the archipelago’s only National Dance Company, and one which enjoys a reputation for original thinking and innovative contemporary choreography. Its Artistic Director, Paolo Mangiola, is a dancer, educator and choreographer who brings a wealth of experience to the role, a post he has held since 2017. His output has been performed in various countries around the world including the USA, UK, Italy, Norway and Serbia, and has included the creation of works for notable companies including…
Jean Noël Attard serves as Events and Marketing Manager for the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), an ensemble which, like most cultural entities around the world, has seen its artistic activities halted and its established operational model disrupted since the appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent introduction of governmental containment measures. For this edition of MyMAC, we speak to Jean Noël to discuss the changes wrought by the coronavirus outbreak, and the MPO’s vision for the…
The word “cozy” is not a word that typically springs to mind when thinking of a theater but then again there is nothing typical about Teatru Manoel. With just six hundred and twenty three seats, it exudes the charm of a bygone age and, not surprisingly, is considered a cultural gem. Built in 1731 by Grandmaster Fra Antonio Manoel di Vilhena, it was originally called Teatro Publico but took the name of Manuel Theater in1866. It has a long and rich history and is reputedly the third oldest working…
As life slowly returns to normal the Malta Society of Arts are set to resume their programme of cultural activities and art exhibitions. Although yet to be confirmed due to COVID restrictions, May is scheduled to feature the work of Maltese born painter, Dominique Ciancio.
In spite of all the restrictions and limitations brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Malta University Historical Society has continued to focus its efforts on organising and facilitating discussions and debates on Malta’s history and culture with new and innovative projects and initiatives. Chief among these has been the organisation’s Lockdown Mini-Talk’ series that consists of a number of online lectures and discussions which are free of charge and open to the general public.
Dark Malta's Festival is the first and only gothic, industrial and metal festival held on the island. Its third edition was supposed to take place on the 17th & 18th April 2020 and it has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's edition, also moved to 2022, will take place in a visual way, changing the name of the event into Dark Malta's Visual Festival and happening this summer on the 5th of June. The festival involves bands and DJs such as industrial rock band “Osideralica”…
Roderick Camilleri’s forthcoming exhibition “Shadows of Reason” is due to open at the Malta Postal Museum in Valletta between the 5th and the 17th of May, and will present a collection of the artist’s most recent works in various media ranging from woodcuts to aquatints, monotypes, and lithographs.
Colliding with Beckett will take place on Friday 30th of April at 20:00 on YouTube and represents an online performance launched by Year 1 and 2 students of the Department of Theater Studies, School of Performing Arts, of the University of Malta (UM). The project is inspired by these five works of Samuel Beckett: Rockaby, Not I, What Where, Endgame, and Play . The event sees the performers, who virtually meet somewhere, colliding with the five works and creating a unique way of interpreting the…
Following the recent easing of governmental COVID-19 measures, today Heritage Malta announced plans to reopen its museums and other sites from May 10th.
The Malta & Gozo Piano Academy is happy to offer piano and theory lessons to all their students with a special discount, starting from the 21st of April. The academy was opened by pianist and harpsichordist Dr Milica Lawrence in August 2020 in Mosta, Malta. Ms Lawrence completed her piano and harpsichord studies at the Faculty of Music of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia, where she specialised in chamber music and obtained her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree. Ms Lwrence has collaborated through her career…
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) has teamed up with Malta’s Eurovision representative Destiny Chukunyere to present a special symphonic version of ‘Je Me Casse’ – the song she will be taking to the Netherlands for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 later on this year.
Based in Rabat, the aptly named Violin Lab is a school of violin that is committed to promoting musical education and employ widely regarded techniques, scales and methods in constructing repertoire efficiently and effectively towards building a career in music and violin playing together. As well as tuition, the school offers practice sessions along with coaching on overcoming performance anxiety and to maintain motivation for efficient practice. These issues are dealt with in the form of monthly…
Local variety television programme ‘The Entertainers’ has become a staple on Maltese television over the past few years, and the latest edition of their ‘Singing Challenge’ is now entering its most exciting phase.
On Thursday 30th of June 2021, Heritage Malta will broadcast a 30-minute documentary on its Facebook page, to remember, 223 years after, the day when the French started to arrive on the Maltese islands at four different locations. The broadcast will start at 6:30 pm. The historic event happened in June 1798, when more than 280 vessels started to reach the island with 54,000 troops. This pivotal moment is narrated through this documentary, produced with the support of historians, military experts,…
Prepare to embark on an imaginative metaphorical journey of discovery around Valletta on Saturday 12th June, as part of Bejn Linja u Oħra — a celebration of Maltese language.
Heritage Malta will celebrate European Archaeology Days launching three unique events between the 18th and the 21st of June. The programme will offer guided tours dedicated to the Summer Solstice, sessions where the public will have the opportunity to ask questions and general information and a special opening of the St Augustine’s Catacombs. The Summer Solstice tours will be held on the 19th, 20th and 21st of June at Mnajdra while at Ħaġar Qim on the 20th and 21st. All the tours will be at sunrise…
Famed Maltese Folk-Rock band 'Brikkuni' are set to make an appearance at the Metanoia Theatre on June 15th at this year's International Spring Orchestra Festival, with the alternative band being chosen to open this year's proceedings at the ISOF.
Spazju Kreattiv launched the Ennead MFA in Digital Arts Exhibition 2021, showing the final projects of the MFA in Digital Arts degree programme from the 4th to the 27th of June at Spazju Kreattiv in the Maltese capital, Valletta. This exciting and innovative programme is under the guidance of the Department of Digital Arts at the University of Malta. The MFA Digital Arts programme is a practice-oriented, postgraduate award in digital art practice and theory. This year each student made use of a…
Heritage Malta will livestream on Facebook the Underwater Archaeological Sites masterclass, on the 24th June at 6:30 pm. The event will focus on the maritime archaeology in Malta during the 21st century and it will be held by Professor Timmy Gambin, head of the Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit. During the lecture, Professor Gambin will discuss how maritime archaeology is developing, showing new opportunities to researchers and students. In addition, it will be introduced the innovative system…
Manoel Theater and Toi Toi Education Program will organize the Commedia Production Pjazza Pastizzi on Friday the 2 nd and Saturday the 3 rd of July at Pjazza Teatru Rjal - Republic St in Valletta. If you are prompt to discover a bit more regarding Maltese culture, then this is the event for you! Get ready to sing alongside some great tunes and witness a “yummy” love story blossom against all odds, destination Pjazza Pastizzi! Pjazza Pastizzi is a devised Commedia production launched by the Teatru…
On Tuesday 13 th of July 2021, Festivals Malta will launch a wonderful jazz night with the Yonathan Avishai Trio performing at the City Theatre in Valletta from 20:00 to 21:25. This event is part of the City Jazz Series, which will take place in the Maltese capital in the upcoming days of July with different evening dedicated to this exciting genre! Yonathan Avishai is considered one of the most sought-after pianists in the international jazz scene, also elected by “Jazz Magazine” as the “Foreign…
The dance residency known as M.A.D - Music And Dance is back for a second edition, which is scheduled to premiere on 7th July as part of the Malta International Arts Festival.
This Sunday the 11 th , Heritage Malta will celebrate the International Lace Day at the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu. This exclusive event will feature various lace makers practicing their craft throughout the day in the palace's Castellania Courtyard. In addition, Heritage Malta will also offer two guided tours of the palace, one in Maltese (10:30) and the other in English (14:00) The participants will also have the opportunity to learn about the history of the hosting location and gain information…
As part of City Jazz Series, Festivals Malta will introduce to the public the Hinge Project, by guitarist Jes Psaila, who will perform together with versatile Maltese singer, Nadine Axisa.
For the last evening of the City Jazz Series project, Festivals Malta will introduce to the public pianist Joe Debono and the Danny Grissett Trio.
For three consecutive Saturdays in July, the Muza Museum will extend its opening hours to allow the public to enjoy a special and delightful evening at the museum in Valletta.
Villa Bighi will be waiting for you to enjoy a special evening sipping wine and discovering new insightful information about four spectacular wines.
After a forced time off, Maltese Inizjamed Festival will come back this year on the 27th and 28th of August at Fort St. Elmo in Valletta.
Kwarta Tajba represents a new artistic festival divided in two events and organised by the Southern Region Council of Malta. The first edition of Kwarta Tajba will be held across two different sites in Ħaż-Żebbuġ in collaboration with the Ħaż-Żebbuġ Local Council.
Maltese capital,Valletta, will host a special multimedia concert portraying the authentic sounds of Malta.
Thursday 16th September marked a prestigious press conference for the ground-breaking InClassica International Music Festival in Dubai, welcoming honoured guests to its prestigious panel of speakers, including the Republic of Malta’s Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, the Honourable José Herrera, and the Ambassador of Malta to the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Maria Camilleri Calleja. The event was presented by the festival’s organisers, the European Foundation for Support…
Collective exhibition showcasing 71 original intaglio works opens for two weeks only at Palazzo de La Salle as part of the series ‘iMprint’.
Hosted by Electronic Music Malta, the festival promises a bonanza of electronic music, bringing together performers, DJs and even synthesiser makers from different countries.
Auditions will be held in October to recast some roles for the Malta premiere of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
Heritage Malta is marking this year’s European Heritage Days — which take place in the 50 countries party to the European Cultural Convention — with a programme of exciting events between the 1st and the 3rd of October.
On 4th September, the Malta-based European Foundation for Support of Culture held the awards ceremony of their Classic Piano International Competition at the Dubai Opera, a prestigious event announcing the winners of the internationally-recognised piano competition that welcomed hundreds of participants from around the world. In addition to the event’s eight prizes given to those demonstrating the most accomplished performances in the competition, Classic Piano also awarded a special prize for ‘The…
This August and September, the Malta-based European Foundation for Support of Culture held the ten-year anniversary edition of its annual InClassica International Music Festival, which this year took place in Dubai.
This September, the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC) presented the Middle East Classical Music Academy (MECMA) in Dubai, a twenty-day event of masterclasses with renowned professors from across the globe. In addition, the MECMA featured an extensive daily concert schedule featuring soloists from around the world, including three opera singers from Malta, who performed in concert with the Kaliningrad Symphony Orchestra on 15th September.
Between the 11th and 14th of November, the 6th edition of the International Double Bass Festival is set to launch in Malta, with the event taking place at Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta, and incorporating, for the first time ever, the inaugural edition of the Joseph Sammut Malta International Double Bass Competition.
Ever since its foundation in April 1968, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), then known as the Manoel Theatre Orchestra, has gone from strength to strength, growing rapidly over the past 50 years to become an internationally recognised institution with an ever-growing number of global tours and performances under its belt. In recent years alone the orchestra embarked upon its first-ever international tour of the USA, Austria and Germany in 2018, a Russian Tour in 2019, and the Malta International…
Local conductor Alan Chircop took a break from his time organising and directing music festivals to travel to Armenia to participate in the latest edition of the Armenia International Music Festival, in collaboration with the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia and the celebrated pianist Vladimir Ovchinnikov. We met up with Chircop to talk to him about this latest project and his experiences in Armenia.
New Television Programme 'Brillanti' To Be Launched on ONE TV Presented by Joseph Chetcuti
Fresh from their outstanding run at the Malta Classical Music Academy (MCMA), three Maltese singers — soprano Nicola Said, mezzo-soprano Clare Ghigo and tenor Angelo Muscat — were invited to Dubai to perform at the Middle East Classical Music Academy, held as part of the InClassica International Music Festival, where they collaborated with the Kaliningrad Symphony Orchestra and maestro Arkady Feldman in one of the Academy’s series of daily lunchtime concerts.
This year marked an important and active year for Maltese musicians. Following world-renowned tenor Joseph Calleja’s appearance at the Dubai Opera as part of the Symphonic Middle East festival presented by the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC) in June, the UAE has welcomed numerous Maltese artists to its shores, including three other operatic singers, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), as well as performances of music by various prolific Maltese composers. Mr Calleja returned…
From 25th to 29th June this year, the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC) held its Malta Classical Music Academy (MCMA) voice masterclasses at the Malta School of Music, part of Mikiel Anton Vassalli College in Hamrun. The course of masterclasses was led by the noted Bulgarian-Maltese soprano, Andriana Yordanova, and featured Russian pianist Sofia Namarnia accompanying. Though primarily attended by Maltese students, the course was also available to those based overseas, with one such…
Following years of production and a number of unprecedented challenges in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic, the long-awaited Blood on the Crown, also known as Just Noise, premiered in a spectacular event on 13th December at the Eden Cinema complex in St Julian’s. Featuring Hollywood actors Harvey Keitel and Malcolm McDowell, the film, which is directed by Davide Ferrario, is the result of a public-private partnership between a number of government institutions including the Malta Film Commission,…
As we launch into 2022, the team at MyMAC would like to reach out to wish you all the very best season’s greetings and a very happy new year! Throughout 2021, and despite the intractable challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have covered the inspiring cultural work taking place both in and out of Malta, including numerous performances in Malta of works ranging in genre from classical to jazz, and from traditional to electronic, as well as providing in-depth articles with some of the island’s…
Malta’s Sette Giugno film, ‘Blood on the Crown’ carried away a staggering seven awards at the inaugural edition of the Malta Film Awards, which were held last Saturday 29th January at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.
Between the 14th and 15th of February 2022, the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC), in collaboration with the University of Malta, will present a series of masterclasses featuring the renowned Italian flautist Tommaso Benciolini.
On Thursday 10th March 2022, the European Foundation for Support of Culture, in partnership with the University of Malta, will present a unique lecture by the renowned Bulgarian operatic soprano, Andriana Yordanova.
On Friday 11th March 2022, distinguished concert pianist, professor and organiser of many musical initiatives, maestro Giuliano Mazzoccante, will give a piano masterclass at the University of Malta.
A new album featuring music by a variety of Maltese composers has just been launched, and is available for streaming on Spotify, iTunes and all other major music streaming platforms.
In a first for the Maltese Islands, the Malta School of Music has announced the launch of a specialised Opera Studio, designed to provide students with opportunities for further specialisation and advanced training.
As part of its Malta Classical Music Academy, the European Foundation for Support of Culture invited the Italian flautist Tommaso Benciolini to Malta to deliver a series of masterclasses at the Malta School of Music and the University of Malta.
The celebrated Italian musician led a four-hour lecture for various music students from the University of Malta in an event organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture and the University.
The distinguished musician and pedagogue continued his visit in Malta with an open masterclass session at the Hamrun school, organised thanks to the work of the European Foundation for Support of Culture.
Giuliano Mazzoccante and Giuseppe Gibboni Presented a Special Lecture in Honour of the 240th Anniversary of Niccolò Paganini's birth