Last preparations for 11th edition of the Valletta Baroque Festival underway

Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici announced details on the final preparations for the 11th edition of the Valletta Baroque Festival, which will take place between 11 and 29 January 2023.

Minister Bonnici said that this prestigious festival presents a diverse programme of 36 concerts which will be held in 20 different venues all over Malta, including the Auberge de Provence, the Gran Salon, St John’s Co-Cathedral, and the Manoel Theatre, amongst others.

“The Valletta Baroque Festival will host some of the most prestigious artists and ensembles of baroque music in our country. This clearly shows how dynamic culture is and how it creates various opportunities that cover all the niches of the creative economy,” Minister Bonnici said.

From his end, Festivals Malta Chairman Aaron Zahra said that “the Valletta Baroque Festival is a magnet for cultural tourism, as it attracts patrons from all over Europe who come to Malta to immerse themselves in the wonderful holistic baroque experience that the festival offers, which is what makes it unique. This is an integral part of our mission - to establish Malta as a European festival destination.”

This is the second edition that Festivals Malta is producing since the festival was added to the agency’s portfolio of events in 2021. “The Valletta Baroque Festival indeed complements our high-quality portfolio of cultural festivals and provides us with another opportunity to keep raising the bar as the national agency for festivals in Malta,” remarked Annabelle Stivala, Festivals Malta CEO.

Artistic Director Kenneth Zammit Tabona said that this year’s edition includes multiple genres, delivering a unique interpretation of early music. He said that the festival includes rock and jazz, 20th-century and contemporary orchestral compositions.

The opening concert ‘The Dettingen Te Deum and other Handelian hits’, which will be performed by the Valletta Baroque Ensemble and Kor Malta under the musical direction of Christian Curnyn at St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, will set the tone for the festival, the government said. The festival will wrap up with the world premiere of a mass by Italo-Maltese composer Girolamo Abos at the Jesuits’ Church in Valletta, which will be performed by The Monteverdi Project and Cantar Lontano under the musical direction of Marco Mencoboni. “The festival has a stellar lineup, some of the artists will be Mahan Esfahani, Charlie Siem, Gabetta Consort with Valer Barna-Sabadus, Vasillis Varvaresos, Avi Avital, and many more. Following last year’s success, this year’s edition will also see the return of The Rock Troupers & the Valletta Baroque Ensemble with their project BaRock at the Manoel Theatre.”

The Valletta Baroque Festival is organised by Festivals Malta in collaboration with Teatru Manoel and Visit Malta and will be taking place between the 11th and 29th of January 2023. Tickets and more information are available on www.festivals.mt.