MUSIC

Classic Rock Anthems

After their tribute to rock band Queen last year, the BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Radio 2 are returning to the Granaries in Floriana this evening to present a night of classic rock and pop music.

The 60-piece orchestra, under the baton of Mike Dixon, together with a rock band, will perform classics by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Prince, Elvis, Fleetwood Mac and Tina Turner together with more recent hits by Coldplay and Lady Gaga, among others. 

The concert kicks off at 7.30pm. For tickets, click here.

There will be a special public transport service in view of the event. More information is available here.

Malta International Music Festival

The National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, led by conductor Alan Chircop, will today perform at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta with cellist Claudio Bohórquez (Germany) and violinist Samuel Cutajar, winner of the local talent show Brillanti.

The concert, titled Phenomenal Cellist, starts at 8pm.

The Malta International Music Festival runs until July 11. For more details and tickets, visit https://maltafest.eu/concerts/schedule/.

Rock the South 

The ninth edition of Rock the South Malta is taking place this weekend at Zion Bar and Restaurant in Marsascala after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

The three-day event is featuring local and international performers and an eclectic mix of music on two main stages and headphone-only silent disco area.

Performing today on the main stage will be Brodu, The Joy Hotel, Eyes to Argus and Bennie Blue, while Beangrowers, Beesqueeze, The Velts and Edgar Allan Poe will be performing on the alternative stage.

The  headphones-only silent disco/Band in a Camp stage will feature Radju ĦAJ, KNTRL, Tempju, Sam Christie, Aidan Somers (AISO Records DJ SET) and Hearts Beating In Time. 

For the daily schedule of performances and tickets, visit rockthesouthmalta.com and the event’s Facebook page.

ARTS FESTIVALS

Victoria International Arts Festival

The Walthew Trio, made up of Neil Taylor (piano), Roberto Meoni (clarinet) and Simon Twigge (French horn), will be playing at the Aula Mgr G. Farrugia this evening at 8.30pm.

They will perform pieces by Reinecke, Bowen and Reinecke.

The Victoria International Arts Festival runs until July 11. For more details and tickets, visit www.viaf.org.mt/.

MCAST ICA Festival 2022

MCAST’s Institute for the Creative Arts has turned its annual exhibition into an arts festival, with the aim of reaching out to the community. The festival is celebrating creativity and is acting as a platform to showcase the students’ hard work and collaboration with relative stakeholders in the industry.

The event, which runs until July 31 at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta, includes a fine art exhibition, interactive media and a game art networking event, photography and graphic design.

For more details, visit the https://icafestival.com/, the event’s Facebook page and www.kreattivita.org/en/event/mcast-ica-festival-2022/.

THEATRE

Il-Pożittivi

Malta’s first contemporary play that tackles the stigma that people who live with HIV experience in Malta is being staged at the Valletta Campus Theatre until tomorrow, July 10.

The cast includes Ray Calleja, Clare Agius, Josette Ciappara and Chris Vincent.

Performances, suitable for an audience over 15, start at 8pm. For tickets, click here.

EXHIBITIONS

City Lights – A Charles Gatt Retrospective

Best known as a musician and jazz percussionist, the late Charles ‘City’ Gatt also loved to paint. The Phoenicia, in Floriana, is hosting a retrospective exhibition of his colourful, abstract works at the hotel’s Palm Court Lounge until July 31.

Curated by Charlene Vella, the exhibition forms part of this year’s Malta Jazz Festival, which is taking place between July 11 and 16. Visit www.festivals.mt/mjf for more information.

Mystery and Process

An exhibition of 20 abstract paintings by Anthony Spagnol runs at the Art Galleries of the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta until July 14. Opening hours: Mondays to Fridays from 8am to 7pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8am to noon and 4 to 7pm; and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. For updates, visit the Malta Society of Arts Facebook page.

Solitary Observations

Ray Forder-Stent, an English artist residing in Malta, is presenting his first solo exhibition at the Art by the Seaside gallery in Senglea until July 15. On display are a wide range of oil paintings, based on his keen observations, where he captures his individual viewpoint of landscapes, people, still lifes and the artistic value of everyday things he notices on the Maltese islands. Visit the gallery’s Facebook page for more details.

Strange Days

An exhibition of fine art prints and paintings by Australian artist Christian Palmer runs at the new gallery Green Shutters, 27, St Thomas Street, Floriana, until July 23. For more details, follow the Facebook page Lily Agius Gallery.

Something About You

A 10-year survey exhibition by Marinella Senatore at Blitz in Valletta brings together paintings, drawings, videos, a powerful project with Russian protest group Pussy Riot featuring a new organic site-specific sculpture, and a public artwork on the historical façade of Valletta’s Casino Maltese.

The exhibition culminated in the public performance The School of Narrative Dance on June 30, which featured over 100 participants from local groups and communities, and a dance movement in Republic Street, Valletta, in memory of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The exhibition runs until July 23. For more information, visit https://blitzvalletta.com/.

Humanity at War: Reflections

A photographic exhibition capturing the human side of war by photojournalists Darrin Zammit Lupi and Heidi Levine is on at the Malta Enterprise offices in Pietà.

Curated by Pamela Baldacchino, it features photos of conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Libya and Bosnia.

Funds raised will go towards Ukrainian refugees in Malta and the building of ‘Becs’ Junior Secondary school in Ethiopia, in memory of 15-year-old Rebecca Zammit Lupi who died in 2021 from a rare form of cancer.

The exhibition will remain open until July 23. It will be open between Monday and Friday from 9am to noon and from 6 to 8pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 6-8pm.

Ecotopias

A solo exhibition by Roderick Camilleri is running at Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq, Mqabba, until July 24. Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 6am to noon and on Sundays from 7am to noon. Extra opening hours are announced weekly on Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq Facebook page.

Connections

Contemporary artworks by Alfred Camilleri are on display at MUŻA, Valletta, until July 24. Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Visit the museum’s Facebook page for more information.

Whereabouts

An exhibition of works by Debbie Bonello and Andrew Borg is on at Il-Ħaġar Museum, Victoria, until July 25. Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Visit the museum’s Facebook page for more information and updates.

Colour Blocking

A colourful stone sculpture exhibition by Antoine Farrugia is open to the public at the Phoenicia Hotel Deep Nature Spa.

Prehistoric pottery making

An exhibition presenting the results of a scientific investigation of materials and techniques used in pottery making during Maltese prehistory is open at the National Museum of Archaeology. The exhibition runs until the end of August. Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 9am to 4.30pm. 

whatson@timesofmalta.com