MUSIC

Malta Jazz Festival

The Malta Jazz Festival kicks off this week with an eclectic programme of performances and workshops from July 10 to the 15th.

As regards performances, William Smith, Dean Montanaro and Daniel Sant will open the festival at the Embassy Hotel in Valletta on July 10 at 8pm.

This will be followed by a gig by the New York Blue Note Quintet at City Theatre, Valletta, on July 11 at 8pm. A jam session led by Rob Clearfield, Yoni Zelnik and Francesco Ciniglio will be held at Offbeat in Valletta on the same day at 10pm.

The Laurent Coq Trio will then perform at the City Theatre on July 12 at 8pm. Another jam session by Clearfield, Zelnik and Ciniglio will follow at Offbeat at 10pm.

The Reynald Colom Quintet will play at City Theatre on July 13 at 8pm, followed by a jam session led by Daniel Sant, Dean Montanaro and William Smith at Offbeat at 10pm.

The festival comes to a peak on July 14 and 15, at Ta’ Liesse in Valletta. The headliners are Samara Joy, the Kurt Rosenwinekel Quartet, Superblue (Kurt Elling feat. Charlie Hunter) and Immanuel Wilkins.

For more information, visit www.festivals.mt/mjf. Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

Victoria International Arts Festival

The closing concert of the month-long Victoria International Arts Festival is taking place at St George’s Basilica, Victoria, on July 10, at 8pm.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will perform under the baton of Philip Walsh.

Entrance to the concert is free of charge. For more information, visit viaf.org.mt.

New College Choir, Oxford at St John's Co-Cathedral

The Choir of New College, Oxford, one of the UK's premier choral groups which was founded in 1379, will perform in a free concert at St John’s Co-Cathedral, in Valletta, on July 10, at 7pm.

The concert in Valletta will showcase the choir’s core repertoire, the music of the English Renaissance, with particular emphasis on the works of William Byrd, the giant of English polyphonic writing, the anniversary of whose death falls this year. His music will be framed with music by his contemporary Weelkes and works from the English choral tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries. The choir’s director is Robert Quinney, a celebrated organist as well as conductor.

Entrance is free but one needs to book tickets via www.stjohnscocathedral.com.

Fusion at the Fort – 100 Years of Music

On the occasion of its 100th anniversary, the Malta Police Band is performing in a concert in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund at Fort St Elmo in Valletta on July 12 at 8.30pm.

The band will be accompanied by Ivan Grech, Ira Losco, Josuel as Elvis, Italian soprano and pop singer Federica Caseti Balucani and tenor Aldo Caputo.

Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

A Night at the Palace

After an interruption due to COVID, the annual concert A Night at the Palace is being held once again at Girgenti Palace in the limits of Siġġiewi, on July 12 at 8.30pm. This year, donations will go in aid of animal welfare groups.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will perform a varied programme, including works by Maltese composers and tributes to composer Paolino Vassallo on the centenary of his death and singer Oreste Kirkop on the centenary of his birth.

Free tickets to the concert were to be picked up from the Auberge de Castille last week.

Unplugged – Midweek in the Park

Project Green is hosting a series of unplugged performances every Wednesday in July at the new Green Open Campus in Mosta.

After last week’s opening gig by Aidan and Ryan Paul Abela and Band, it’s the turn of Gaia & Red Electric to perform on July 12. They will be followed by Xarulu and Kevin Paul on July 19 and Bernie and Pod and Claudia Faniello on July 26.

Performances start at 7pm. Entrance is free but one has to register on project.green/unplugged.

SongCraft 2023

Spazju Kreattiv and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ have joined forces once again for the fourth edition of SongCraft, a professional programme for talented singer-songwriters aged 14 to 20.

After various training sessions, the participants will showcase their original compositions which they created with their mentors (Alison Galea, Alexandra Alden and Bettina Muchmore) during a live concert on July 14 at 8pm.

This year’s participants are Krista Šujak, Martina Borg, Alex Portelli, Nathan Schembri Rodgers, Clara Abdilla Joslin and Neil Sant.

Tickets are free against booking on kreattivita.org.

Mosta Music Festival

The first edition of the Mosta Music Festival is taking place at Ġnien l-Għarusa tal-Mosta on July 14 and 15.

Lisa Gauci, Janvil, Jasmine, The Travellers and Ziggy will perform on July 14, while Claudia Faniello, Kapitlu 13, Gaia Gambuzza, DJ Sue, Airport Impressions and Tenisha will take to the stage on July 15.

Doors open at 6.30pm. General entrance is free but donations for Puttinu Cares are welcome.

VIP tickets are also available at ticketmonti.com.

MYO Classical Soirée

On July 15, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the Malta Youth Orchestra are joining forces under the direction of José García Gutiérrez to present a programme of works by some of the greatest composers, such as Schubert, Saint-Saëns and Khachaturian.

Two Maltese premieres will also be performed, composed by Albert Garzia and Jacob Abela.

The event is being held at Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta at 8.30pm. For tickets, visit showshappening.com.

One Night With You!

The Għargħur local council is hosting a tribute show to Elvis Presley in the village's main square on July 16.

The event, backed by Shakin Tide, will feature a live band, dancers and tribute artist Josuel as Elvis, who will perform favourite hits by the King of Rock, such as Jailhouse Rock and Suspicious Minds.

The same show will be performed once again on July 22 in Iklin, on July 30 in Mellieħa and on August 3 in Għaxaq.

The Bjorn Identity Abba Tribute Show

The Santa Venera local council is hosting an Abba tribute band at Misraħ Santa Venera on July 15. Donations will be collected in aid of Puttinu Cares.

Warming up the event will be DJ Steve Agius & Vega Dancers.

The show starts at 7.30pm. For more information, visit the event's Facebook page.

THEATRE

Twelfth Night or What You Will

Shakespeare is returning to San Anton Gardens for the annual MADC event between July 14 and 23.

This year, the theatre company is presenting the comedy Twelfth Night or What You Will, directed by Chris Gatt and Pia Zammit.

When twins Sebastian and Viola are separated during a shipwreck, each believes the other dead.  Viola disguises herself as a boy named Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino, who thinks he is in love with Lady Olivia. Orsino sends Viola/Cesario to plead his cause to Olivia, who promptly falls in love with the messenger.  Viola, meanwhile, is in love with Orsino.  When her twin, Sebastian, is rediscovered, many comic situations of mistaken identity ensue.

The cast includes Tina Rizzo, Steffi Thake, Kim Dalli, Stephen Oliver and Francesco Nicodeme.

The performance is suitable for an audience above 10 years of age. For tickets, visit madc.com.mt.

DANCE

Dance Around the World

The Kinetic Dance Academy is presenting its annual show at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta on July 14 and 16 at 7.30pm.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

MISCELLANEOUS

Sports Fest

The St Paul's Bay local council has teamed up with the Malta Skateboarding Association and the Malta Street Sport Association to organise its first Sports Fest on July 15.

The family friendly event will feature 13 different sports, including skateboarding, BMX, scooter, football, street basketball, parkour, street dance, stand-up paddle, Olympic wrestling, sailing, a fun run and a 5K run dedicated to the memory of Victor Calvagna. All proceeds of the event will be donated to Puttinu Cares in his honour.

There will be try-outs and competitions, with dedicated coaches for each sport. There will also be a kids-themed obstacle course, stalls featuring local companies, healthy living, environmental awareness, fitness and art workshops.

For registrations, fill in this online form.

Activities are taking place between 4.30 and 11pm in Buġibba Square and along the promenade.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

La France en Ville

The French Embassy and the Żebbuġ local council are holding a French-Maltese village feast on July 15 at Misraħ l-Isptar (Hospital Square) in Żebbuġ from 6.30 pm to midnight.

There will be French and Maltese products and cuisine for sale, a bouncy castle for children, theatre performances by Narcy Calamatta and the Ligue d’improvisation maltaise, a concert by Saint Phillip’s Band club of Żebbuġ  and a DJ set by the French DJ Klaan from Toulouse.

Entrance is free.

Il-Fiera l-Kbira

Montekristo Estates is once again hosting a trade fair until July 16.

There will also be musical entertainment by some of Malta’s popular acts such as Kurt Calleja & Band, Kantera, D Capitals, Rug and Freddie Portelli.

For more information, visit the Facebook page Fierakbira.

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VISUAL ARTS

MCAST ICA Festival

The seventh edition of the MCAST ICA Festival is celebrating the creative achievements of talented students of 11 bachelor of arts (honours) courses at the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts in Mosta.

Their artworks will be on display at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta until July 30.

For more information, click here.

Hover-Still

A collective fine art exhibition, curated by Lily Agius, is being held at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta.

Loosely inspired by the poem Go Fishing by Ted Hughes, the exhibition features seven interpretations by seven different artists, namely Eiko Borcherding, Co-Ma, Stephanie Galea, Luca Indraccolo, Sallyanne Morgan, Ivan Prieto and Julien Vinet.

The works on display include drawing, sculpture, photography and painting.

Hover-Still runs at Palazzo de la Salle, Valletta, until July 20. Opening hours: Mondays and Fridays: 9am to 7pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: 9am to noon and 4pm to 7pm; Saturdays: 9am to 1pm. Sundays and public holidays: closed.

Baħħ

Baħħ is artist Peter Seychell’s first solo exhibition, after exhibiting co-jointly with Carmel Bonello last December in an exhibition titled Nuances.

Translated as void, Baħħ is an exploration of silence, solitude and rediscovering oneself amid unspoiled nature. In fact, this exhibition concentrates on landscapes away from these shores, a cry for solitude that one finds in the sprawling countryside of our northern neighbours. 

However, there is another side to Seychell’s oeuvre, his meticulous ink drawings in which fantastic scenarios are created, scenarios in which flora and fauna are integrated like fairy-tale narratives.

Baħħ, curated by Mark Mallia and hosted by Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta’ Qali, is on until July 29.

Read more about the exhibition in this Times of Malta review.

24. 46. 50. 97.

Valletta Contemporary is hosting a collective exhibition featuring the works of  Carlos Garaicoa, Gerold Miller, Jurgen Ostarhild and Yeoul Son.

Curated by Norbert Francis Attard, the numerical title of this exhibition draws inspiration from an old telephone dial with numbers and letters that ‘spell out’ the initials of the four artists participating in the exhibition. Hence, Garaicoa becomes 24, Miller becomes 46, Ostarhild is 50 and Son is 97.

The four artists push the boundaries of the aesthetic by either experimenting with media, incorporating new technologies and digital realities or addressing social, political and economic issues. 

The exhibition runs until July 29. The gallery is open from Wednesday to Saturday from 2 to 7pm.

Shrine: Finding Solace in the Chaos of Life

Alexandra Aquilina's debut solo exhibition is taking place at MUŻA in Valletta until August 13.

The screen printer and multimedia artist based between Malta and Berlin tackles grandiose themes of life, spirituality and mortality with teenage arrogance and child-like wonderment, resulting in art that is both raw and intimate, disjointed and coherent at the same time.

Her work invites the viewers to reflect on the duality of nature, humanity and spirituality, universal concepts which are deeply rooted and explored from within the complex island microcosm.

The exhibition is curated by Lisa Gwen. 

Read more about the artist and the exhibition on X2, a new website by Times of Malta.

Wabi Sabi

Il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba is hosting an exhibition by Sasha Vella titled Wabi Sabi from July 14 to August 15.

Related to landscapes, objects, and even human beings, the notion of 'Wabi Sabi' can be understood as an appreciation of beauty that is doomed to disappear, or even as an ephemeral contemplation of something that arguably becomes more beautiful as it ages, fades, and acquires a new essence. Vella embraces this philosophy through her photographic work.

In her non-conventional process-based approach, Sasha typically seeks to document natural elements that bear witness to the passage of time through erosion, decay and change. This includes mountains, rocks and humans, dealing with matter that relates to the threat of ceasing to exist.

This debut solo exhibition features a selection of photographic work from the past four years, with some photographs shot on film that expired over 40 years ago. 

For opening hours, visit the gallery's Facebook page.

Francesco Zahra (1710-1773) 250th Death Anniversary 

Il-Ħaġar Museum in Victoria is commemorating the death of Francesco Zahra, generally considered to have been the greatest painter in Malta during the 18th century, in a landmark exhibition until September 3.

No fewer than 62 works by Zahra are on display. The exhibition also includes works by Buhagiar’s father and brother, his artistic rival Enrico Regnaud and the Rome-trained French artist Antoine Favray, who arrived in Malta in the 1740s.

The exhibition, curated by Keith Sciberras, forms part of the 26th Victoria International Arts Festival, an event co-sponsored by the museum, which is coming to an end on July 10.

The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free. For more information, visit the museum's Facebook page.

Read more about the exhibition in this Times of Malta review.

Soap to Think With

Norbert Francis Attard is holding a solo exhibition at Gozo Contemporary at 11, Triq Mongur, Għarb.

Curated by Ann Dingli, the exhibition features works made out of soap and soap boxes besides other materials to highlight links between massive events in national history that we might otherwise have not made.

A catalogue featuring critical essays by Paul Sant Cassia, Ann Dingli and Nikki Petroni and a prologue by Gabriel Zammit accompanies the exhibition, which is dedicated to Marisa Vella (1960-2020).

Soap to Think With can be viewed by appointment by calling on +356 7904 1051 or sending an e-mail to norbert@norbertattard.com.

Read more about the exhibition in this Times of Malta interview with the artist and curator.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Ancient Tea With New Glamour

The China Cultural Centre in Malta is hosting a new exhibition under the theme of 'Tea for Harmony', co-organised with the Xi’an Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.

Featuring intriguing displays, artefacts, paintings and photographs from the city of Xi’an, this new exhibition opens a window into the enduring significance of tea in Chinese culture.

A Tang-style gilded tea set made of bronze gold and silver is the main attraction. Other exhibits include a batch of royal teaware items that were unearthed in 1987 at the ancient Buddhist Famen Temple in northwest Shaanxi and a modern reprinted thread-bound edition of The Classic of Tea, considered to be the first known monograph on tea in the world, written by Lu Yu between 760 CE and 762 CE, during the Tang Dynasty.

One may visit the exhibition, which will remain open until the end of this year at the China Cultural Centre, 173, Melita Street, Valletta. The centre is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to noon, and from 1.30 to 4pm. Entrance is free. Reservation is advised for group visits at events2023ccc@gmail.com.

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whatson@timesofmalta.com