Colleagues, friends and family of Kenneth Zammit Tabona gathered at the Manoel Theatre on January 9 to bid him farewell as artistic director.

“Kenneth Zammit Tabona’s name has been synonymous with that of the Manoel for several decades,” the theatre’s chairman, Michael Grech, said.

“His association with the theatre started as The Times’ music critic, following which he served on the Manoel Theatre Management Committee for many years as secretary, member and deputy chairman and, more recently, as artistic director. He has left an indelible legacy for which the theatre is most grateful. We wish him the very best as he moves on to his new role at Festivals Malta.”

Kenneth Zammit Tabona’s name has been synonymous with that of the Manoel for several decades- Michael Grech

Prior to his appointment as artistic director in January 2013, Zammit Tabona worked as a music critic, learnt how to produce opera from his mentor and fellow director Alfredo Spiteri Mallia and represented the theatre at a meeting of PERSPECTIV – the Association of Historic Theatres in Europe, in Litomyšl, Czech Republic.

(Left to right) Minister Bonnici, Kenneth Zammit Tabona and Michael Grech

In 2012, he also became the founder and artistic director of the Valletta Baroque Festival and the Valletta Baroque Ensemble, which continue their success today – facilitated by baroque instruments collected for the theatre by Zammit Tabona – and which placed Malta on the baroque international circuit.

During Zammit Tabona’s time as artistic director, he pioneered several trendsetting events at the theatre, notably an in-house production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in 2018.

Zammit Tabona moved to Festivals Malta in 2021 and is now serving as artistic director of the Valletta Baroque Festival and of the Baroque Opera, which forms part of the Three Palaces Festival.