Brimming with “Colorful, often Middle Eastern-tinged works”, as described by New York Music Daily, the MPO’s album released last year, Contemporary Colours, was placed in its Top 50 Best Albums of 2021.

Contemporary Colours, released by Navona Records, features new works by Maltese composers with the orchestra under the baton of principal conductor Sergey Smbatyan. It presents a selection of works by innovative composers, with the CD combining full orchestration with pre-recorded elements, traditional instruments, and contemporary sounds to bring the pieces to life.

It features Three Pieces by Euchar Gravina, Waiting by Mariella Cassar-Cordina, Fine Line by Véronique Vella, Riħ (Wind) by Alexander Vella Gregory and Xamm (Scent) by Albert Garzia. Another work in the CD, Mesogeios by Christopher Muscat, celebrates Maltese music featuring three traditional instruments - żaqq, żummara and flejguta.

The cover of the album.

The work was also performed recently in the Annual New Year celebration, Il-Kunċert tal-President għas-Sena l-Ġdida and is available on demand.

Contemporary Colours, supported by Festivals Malta, aims to highlight Maltese music and taps the MPO’s mission of acting as a keen exponent of Maltese composers in Malta and overseas. It was recorded in January 2021 at the orchestra’s music hub Robert Samut Hall, produced by PARMA Recordings, and released in November.

Available in physical and digital format, it is distributed by Naxos on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, among other platforms, and may be bought online here.