Renowned pianist Vassilis Varvaresos at the Manoel

As part of this season’s Teatru Manoel BOV Opera Week, Teatru Manoel presents a concert by the renowned Greek pianist Vassilis Varvaresos on Tuesday, 6 March at the Manoel. He will be performing an exciting programme of operatic paraphrases which includes Mozart’s Sonata in F major, K. 332, Mozart/Liszt’s Reminescences de Don Juan, Schumann’s Faschingsschwank Aus Wien op. 26 and Wagner/Liszt’s Ouverture de Tannhauser.

Varvaresos is considered among the most promising pianists of his generation. He started his career at an early age and has performed in numerous major concert halls worldwide including Zurich’s Tonhalle, Vienna’s Musikverein, Berlin’s Philharmonie, Paris’ Salle Gaveau and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. He has appeared in virtually all the major stages of the US including New York’s Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Washington’s Kennedy Centre and Philadelphia’s Kimmel Centre. Following his debut recital at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall, Varvaresos was invited to perform at the White House for President Barrack Obama.

Varvaresos represented Greece at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has been named Most Promising Young Greek Artist by the Critics’ Association of Greece and has been a regular soloist in all the major stages of his home country. He is also the laureate of both the 2014 edition George Enescu International Piano Competition held in Bucharest in September 2014, as well as the Piano Masters Competition held in Monte Carlo in September 2015.

One New York Concert Review stated that “Varvaresos not only has a natural yet finely honed technique, it springs as one with the wide scope of profound musicianship. Varvaresos engaged his audience with a performance that sizzled from start to finish”.

Varvaresos’s concert is part of the Teatru Manoel Opera Week which is being dedicated to the memory of Maestro Joseph Vella. The Opera Week includes Don Giovanni (5, 7, 9, 11 March) and concerts by flautist Rebecca Hall with pianist Lucia Micallef Hunt (8 March) at the Manoel and a concert by soprano Miriam Gauci with the Goldberg Ensemble conducted by Michael Laus (10 March) at St Augustine’s Church, Valletta.

There are discounted tickets for those attending the opera and the other three events. Booking is from www.teatrumanoel.com.mt or by phoning on 2124 6389.