Malta’s Baroque Festival: January 13-27, 2018

The sixth edition of the Valletta International Baroque Festival will run from January 13-27, 2018 with 2 weeks of gorgeous music spread over 26 events in 14 different locations across Malta.

The Valletta International Baroque Festival celebrates the city’s establishment at the height of the baroque period and honors its vital role in European history. Each day of the fortnight features an ensemble of top international baroque musicians at different breath-taking venues across the city.

This prestigious event is produced and managed by Teatru Manoel and is now a must-see in the local arts and culture scene. Key highlights include:

• The opening event at Teatru Manoel on January 13 will see Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons performed by Shunske Sato on the violin who will share the limelight with Concerto Koln. Koln will stage another performance on the second day of the festival, performing Bach and Italy.

• Mahan Esfahani, the harpsicord legend, will return this year to delight audiences with his music together with La Folia Barockorchester, while The Ghislieri choir and consort will be performing two concerts, one in St John’s Co-Cathedral, and one at The Mdina Cathedral.

• The 2018 Baroque Festival will venture outside the capital Valletta to other impressive locations including the Metropolitan Cathedral and The Aula Capitulare in Mdina, Verdala Palace, and The Malta Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa.

• The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Bianchi, will perform music by Grieg, Tansman, Gravina and Villa-Lobos.

• Appealing to all ages, on Sunday, January 14, the family focused Baroque Treasure Hunt will be held at the Studio Theatre and Baroque Jazz for Children will be held on January 21.

• International guests include Concerto Romano, Scholars and Gentlemen, Collegium Orpheus, Het Collectief and the Abchordis Ensemble.

• Local performers include guitarist Simon Schembri, and Sandro Zerafa and friends, where Baroque will meet Jazz at the Malta Maritime Museum.

• The festival will feature music from the Archives of the Cathedral Museum, performed by the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble (VIBE) on January 21.

• This year, VIBE will also perform in the Monteverdi Vespers at the Church of St. Catherine in Żejtun, under the direction of Marco Mencoboni.

• Messa Due Cori, composed by Maltese priest Benigno Zerafa, will be performed as appropriately fit at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mdina, where Zerafa served as Maestro di Cappella between 1744 and 1786.

For more details and to book, click here  or here.
For more information about the Maltese archipelago, click here.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Malta Tourism Authority, Michelle Buttigieg, P 212 213 0944, F 212 213 0938, E-mail: [email protected] ; MTA US Editorial Contact: The Bradford Group, Karen Hoffman/Bianca Pappas, Tel: (212) 447-0027, Fax: (212) 725 8253, E-mail: [email protected]