MUSIC

Malta Spring Festival: The Island of Nowhere

The 17th edition of the Malta Spring Festival is being held between April 11 and 15 at various venues in Valletta. This year the festival is dedicated to composer György Ligeti, who was born 100 years ago.

The opening concert, taking place on April 11 at the Archaeology Museum, will feature music by Ligeti, Stravinsky, Maunders and Bartok performed by the all-female London-based string orchestra Synchrony.

This will be followed on April 12 with a programme of mostly ‘instantly composed’ music using a variety of instruments. Performing at the Malta Society of Arts will be Malta-based Dutch saxophone player and composer Luc Houtkamp, Berlin sound artist Andrea Parkins and Ligeti’s son Lukas.

On April 13, the Synchrony String Quartet will perform works by Ligeti, Schnittke, Shostakovich and Beethoven at St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral.

Pianist Gabi Sultana will perform music by Ligeti, Rautavaara and Crumb, at the Manoel Theatre on April 14. The programme includes a choreography by Francesca Tranter.

The closing concert on April 15 will see the Orquestra Classica do Centro of Portugal and piano soloist Sofia Narmania, under the direction of Sergio Alapont, in a programme of works by Webern, Beethoven, Poulenc and Stravinsky.

All concerts start at 8pm. For tickets and more details, visit teatrumanoel.com.mt. 

Cello Variations on Movie Themes

Czech cellist Lucie Kucharova is performing popular movie themes in a concert at Our Lady of Victory church, Valletta, on April 11 at 12.30pm.

Among others, she will play music by Vangelis, Morricone, Mancini, Jarre and Williams.

The concert forms part of the series of weekly lunchtime concerts held by the Barocco Foundation in collaboration with Din l-Art Ħelwa.

Entrance to the concert is at a suggested donation of €10. One can obtain the tickets prior to the concert from the venue itself or by e-mailing baroccomalta@gmail.com or calling 7968 0952.

Gaulitana: A Festival of Music

The music festival continues on April 10, Easter Monday, with the concert Delizie per Pasquetta, featuring a violin recital by Pierre Louis Attard and Milica Lawrence.

On April 12, the Argentine duo Seis Cuerdas will present Guitars Along the Centuries, performing music from Bach and Vivaldi to contemporary exponents of the instrument.

On April 14, the Duo Improprium of Italy will feature in Incontro, an evening inspired by music for flute and guitar from different traditions across the globe.

Gaulitana: A Festival of Music runs throughout April. Events are free of charge. For more details, visit www.gaulitanus.com.

The Notes of Wignacourt

The Fanal Ensemble, conducted by Jean Pierre Cassar, will hold an exclusive concert among the paintings at the historical Wignacourt Museum in Rabat on April 15 at 7pm.

The programme includes works by Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart and Warlock.

The performance will be followed by a short reception. For tickets, visit showshappening.com.

Marshall Arts

Voluntary organisation Blue Door Education is holding a fundraising event featuring world-renowned musician Wayne Marshall, on April 13 at St Andrew's Scots church, Valletta.

Marshall will be performing on the organ and piano in a programme that includes improvising on Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Toccata and Fugue by Bach. He will also improvise on themes requested by audience members.

The concert will also feature Marshall’s children, Martina and James.

Tickets are available from www.eventbrite.com.

APS Bank Easter Concert

MPO resident conductor Michael Laus will conduct the orchestra in a concert of choral and instrumental music at St John’s Co-Cathedral on April 14 at 7.30pm.

The orchestra will perform Bach’s Toccata and Fugue and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, which will feature tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens, baritone James Agius, bass Noel Galea and the Goldberg Ensemble.

For tickets, visit showshappening.com.

On the Cosmic Shore

Spazju Kreattiv is holding an original event featuring music by Alexandra Alden accompanied by live illustrations by Chris Riddell on April 14 at 9pm.

For more information and tickets, click here.

THEATRE

Għanqbut f’Moħħha

An original devised theatre performance will be presented for the first time ever at the Valletta Campus Theatre on April 14, 15 and 16 at 8pm.

The performance is inspired by a novel written by American-British author Henry James titled The Way It Came, and presents fear as a compelling instigator in the principal character’s life and, eventually, her unfortunate destiny.

It is produced by Sharon Bezzina and Tyrone Grima, who is also directing. The cast stars Bezzina, André Mangion, Sarah-Lee Zammit, Bradley Cachia and Miguel Formosa.

Tickets are available from showshappening.com. The audience is advised that smells and strobe lighting will be used throughout the performance. The project is supported by Arts Council Malta and MCAST.

Read more about the play here.

At the Table

A performance forming part of a transnational project tracing the family table as a central place of negotiation is taking place at the atrium of Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on April 15 and 16 at 7pm. 

The project includes an exhibition consisting of 10 short films, three of which were adapted for the stage: Tarabeza by Amy Frega (Egypt), Lost at Home by Alexander Steindorf (Germany) and At the Sea by Phaedra Pisimisi (Greece).

The result is a kaleidoscope of the family in various and extreme situations – every artist uses their own artistic means to show autobiographical perspectives of absence, emotional and spatial distance, war, loss, as well as emotional violence and the terrors and hopes associated with it.

For more information and tickets, click here.

Mary Spiteri: My Life

A musical show about the life of local singer Mary Spiteri is being staged at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on April 16 at 6pm.

The show is sold out.

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DANCE

Cuatro

Alegria Flamenco Malta is presenting a flamenco dance performance inspired by Antonio Vivaldi’s classic The Four Seasons, at Theatre Next Door in Magħtab on April 15 and 16 at 7.30pm.

Produced and directed by Ingrid Sciberras, Cuatro features original choreographies by Sciberras, Estelle Bonello Sant and Ema Marie Attard.

The evening will include live music by the string quartet The ProMużika Ensemble, directed by Sarah Spiteri.

For tickets visit tnd.com.mt.

Motion Pictures

The Paul Curmi Dance Studio is holding a dance spectacle based on film soundtracks at the St Agatha Auditorium in Rabat on April 15 at 8pm.

Tickets are available from ticketline.com.mt.

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FILM

Cinderella

The Eden Cinemas in St Julian’s is screening the Royal Opera House ballet Cinderella, featuring the fairy tale character’s ethereal world of fairy godmotehrs, pumpkin carriages, handsome princes and true love.

Directed by Frederick Ashton, the ballet is being screened on April 12 at 8.15pm and on April 16 at 3pm. For tickets, visit edencinemas.com.mt.

MET Opera Live: Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier

Spazju Kreattiv is showing the Met Opera’s staging of Strauss’s grand Viennese comedy on April 15 at 6pm.

It features soprano Lise Davidsen as the aristocratic Marschallin, mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as her lover Octavian, and soprano Erin Morley as Sophie, the beautiful younger woman who steals his heart.

Maestro Simone Young takes the Met podium to oversee Robert Carsen’s staging.

The screening is certified 12A. For tickets, visit kreattivita.org.

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MISCELLANEOUS

San Girgor feast

The feast of San Girgor is returning on April 12 after a three-year break. The traditional pilgrimage, led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, will leave St Clement chapel in Żejtun at 9.30 am, towards Żejtun parish church.  

A variety of stalls showcasing traditions and cultural practices will be set up next to the parish church. There will also be traditional għana singing.

On the eve of the feast, April 11, a musical-literary evening, San Girgor fil-Kitba Maltija, will be held at the Żejtun parish church. Architect Reuben Abela and author Trevor Zahra will be reading at the event, accompanied by guitarist Evan Plumpton. The event starts at 6.30pm. 

There will also be a performative art exhibition from the National Folk Dance Ensemble of Croatia, LADO, which made it to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

Creating artificial hands: A quintessential engineering challenge

Professor Michael A. Saliba will deliver insights from his research on robotic hands at the next edition of Malta Café Scientifique, being held at Studio B at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on April 12, at 7pm. His talk will be followed by a short discussion with the audience.

Attendance is free.

To stay up to date about events and speakers, check out the Malta Café Scientifique Facebook page and webpage: www.mcs.org.mt/what-we-do/malta-cafe-scientifique/. 

Malta Café Scientifique is supported by the  STEAM  project, Spazju Kreattiv,  the University of Malta, and Malta Chamber of Scientists (of which the Café forms part).

Festa Frawli

The 14th edition of the popular strawberry festival in Mġarr will be held on April 16.

The festival groups local farmers, professional chefs, artists, and musicians, with visitors sampling and buying a wide variety of strawberry products, including snacks, desserts, jams, gourmet dishes and beverages and strawberry wine.

For more information, visit https://festafrawli.com/.

Commemorating the presidency's anniversary

The Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta will be open to the public on April 15 and 16, during an open weekend organised by Heritage Malta to commemorate the fourth anniversary of George Vella as president of Malta.

The open weekend will provide insight into the current presidency through a photography exhibition titled Presidenza b’Differenza (Presidency with a Difference). The exhibition will take a close glimpse at the work implemented by President Vella and his office since the start of his term, while celebrating achievements, sharing commitments, commemorating events, and shedding light on some behind-the-scenes moments.

It is being held at the Uccelliera – a space that was discovered and restored during the current restoration project at the Grand Master’s Palace. The public will, in fact, also be able to assess the progress made so far in the restoration works at the palace, now nearing completion.

In Guardia re-enactors  will be roaming round the palace in full costume and will be available for photo opportunities.

There will be also be two guided tours on Saturday, April 15 and three tours on Sunday, April 16. Saturday’s tours will be in English, starting at 11am and 2pm. On Sunday, there will be a tour in Maltese at 10.30am and two tours in English at 11.30am and 2pm. No pre-booking is required. Tours will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Admission to the Grand Master’s Palace during the open weekend will be free of charge, but donations in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund will be appreciated. Opening hours will be from 10am to 5pm, with last admissions at 4pm. Heritage Malta publications will be available for sale on both days of the event.

VISUAL ARTS

Light, Shadow and Line

Arte... e Gallery in Victoria is hosting an exhibition by Lawrence Pavia, an artist who is synonymous with the hard-edge technique, cultivated during his formative years when he was mentored by Harry Alden.

Pavia veers away from the romanticisation of streetscapes and vernacular architecture, the compositional elements and chromatic choices steadily becoming his fingerprint across the years.

The exhibition is on until April 14. Consult the gallery’s Facebook page for opening hours.

Read more about the exhibition here.

Drama on Canvas

Best known for her work in drama and as a TV presenter, Elsa Romei is also a visual artist whose paintings are currently on display at the Valletta Local Council premises in Republic Square, Valletta.

Titled Drama on Canvas, also a reference to her previous genre of artistic expression, Romei’s themes include portraits, nudes and landscapes, among others.

“My portraits are not portraits of real people. They depict a character, a feeling, a situation, a story,” she remarks.

She also says that her childhood was spent in Egypt and Uruguay and these influences are woven into the fabric of her paintings.

Drama on Canvas, curated by Louis Laganà runs until April 15.

Botanical Portraits

Maltese artist Carmen Forder is presenting an exhibition of 28 watercolour paintings of plants, some growing in the UK and some growing in Malta, at the Museum of Natural History, Mdina. 

The subjects depicted include a rose, a bunch of tulips, friars cowl (garni), various varieties of aubergine, culinary nuts, portraits of fruits including the prickly pear, winter twigs and more.

This exhibition also features works by Carmen’s husband, Ron, who is a wood turner. He creates exquisite small clocks, goblets and bowls from various pieces of wood grown in Malta and the Mediterranean region, those grown in the UK and also some exotic woods. He also combines resin with wood in some of his pieces.

Botanical Portraits is open from Tuesday till Sunday, 9am till 5pm, at the National Museum of Natural History, Mdina until April 16 (closed on Mondays and on Good Friday).

For more information, visit the Heritage Malta website.

When the Moon Waxes Red

A new exhibition opening at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta brings together artists from around the world who address the imbalance between human activities to extract resources and colonial ideologies, justifying the protection of property over people and nature’s degradation, by using ecofeminism as a point of departure.

Curated by Maren Richter, the exhibition − whose title is borrowed from Vietnamese film-maker Trinh Minh-h’s book When the Moon Waxes Red − features the work of Ursula Biemann, Seba Calfuqueo, DIS Collective, Charlene Galea, Romea Roxman Gatt, Folly Feast Lab (Yara Feghali and Viviane El Kmati), Crystn Hunt Akron, Sasha Huber, Nation25 (Elena Abbiatici, Valeria D’Ambrosio and Caterina Pecchioli), Daniela Ortiz, Kanthy Peng, Robertina Šebjanič and Bartolina Xixa.

The exhibition runs until April 16. For more information, click here.

Drawing with Fire

Antoine Paul Camilleri is exhibiting a series of pyrographs at the Malta Postal Museum & Arts Hub in Valletta.

For this technique, the artist makes us of a heated tool to etch lines in the composition, thus bringing it close in conception to the traditional etching process in which acid, instead of fire, is used to eat away the material. One essentially draws with fire on the panel, somehow bringing together the act of creation and destruction.

The 27 artworks are all thematically linked to Valletta, a theme very central to the oeuvre of the artist’s father, the late Antoine Camilleri, a giant of Maltese 20th-century modernism.

Drawing with Fire runs until April 29. Consult the venue’s Facebook page for more information and opening hours.

Read more about the exhibition here.

Everyday People

London-based Maltese artist Iella (Daniela Attard) is holding her fifth solo exhibition at Christine X Art Gallery in Sliema.

Everyday People features 15 years worth of work made at life drawing sessions mainly at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta and at various other life drawing sessions in London and elsewhere.

The exhibition opens on April 13 and runs until April 29. For more information, visit the Christine X Art Gallery Facebook page.

Memories

An exhibition by Joanne Mizzi is being held at Gemelli Framing in Ta' Qali.

Mizzi's art focuses primarily on the cultural aesthetics of Malta, depicting traditional architecture, iconic locations and traditional items. Her drawings provide a glimpse into the past, taking viewers on a journey through time and inviting them to reflect on their personal histories and memories. I

This collection also includes a set of drawings representing old Maltese decimal coins and vintage commercial posters.

Memories is on until April 29. Consult the gallery’s Facebook page for opening hours.

Untitled

Mark Geoffrey Muscat is showcasing a new collection of watercolours of land and seascapes in what is his third solo exhibition at The Phoenicia in Floriana.

Untitled comprises 26 watercolours that perfectly encapsulate Muscat’s style and technique, one that has matured over the 16 years in which he has exhibited his work.

The exhibition, curated by Charlene Vella, is open until May 2 at The Palm Court Lounge, The Phoenicia Malta.

Outset

Outset is the debut exhibition for two artists, Massimo Dimech and Steve Sciberras, who have been painting landscapes en plein air for the last four years.

Curated by Marika Azzopardi, the exhibition showcases their individual style in which they try to recapture Malta’s idyllic locations.

The exhibition is hosted by the Malta Society of Arts, Palazzo de La Salle, 219, Republic Street, Valletta, runs from April 14 to May 4.

Where Are We all Going

Retired consultant paediatrician Carol Jaccarini has always been interested in history, archaeology, literature and the arts and has published a book entitled Ir-Razzett - The Maltese Farmhouse, besides other academic papers.

His latest pursuit is the study and sketching of the wild flora of our islands. He was personally invited by artist Anton Calleja to join life classes at Baħrija but these have stopped in the meantime. Over the years, he had followed courses with Jason Lu, the late Harry Alden and Winston Hassall in portraiture, still life and watercolour painting techniques.

His latest exhibition finds Jaccarini exploring different themes.

Where Are We all Going, hosted by Art..e Gallery, in Victoria, is on from April 15 to May 5. The artworks can be viewed Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 12.15pm or by appointment on 9980 4774.

Bottled Time

Maltese artist Henry Falzon’s latest exhibition, Bottled Time, explores themes that the local art-loving public has grown to expect of him – oils and pastels that celebrate the transparency of the sea and the life beneath it, often from a very high vantage point that glorifies the vastness of this huge body of water that surrounds Malta and that is integral to the local way of life.

The choice of title does not relate to repression, it is not a metaphor for negative containment, for bottled-up feelings but to reminiscing and bringing up the memories to savour them like a bottle of vintage wine.

Bottled Time, hosted by Camilleri Paris Mode, Rabat, runs from April 17 to May 6.

From Chaos We are Borne

Karl Fröman's latest collection, From Chaos We are Borne, connects the chaotic elements of our development and the order that gives it life, with plays on literature from Ayn Rand, Merleau-Ponty, and back to Carl Jung.

The Swedish-born artist remarks that he can’t help but feel that the roles of the artists are plagued by confusion; a long stumble through all the immense changes to be endured, while trying to escape from disorder.

His figurative works put themselves in a realm on the fringe of neo-realism, having roots in the Florentine and Dutch tradition.

The exhibition, curated by Melanie Erixon for Art Sweven, is on at Mqabba’s Il-Kamra ta' Fuq from April 13 to May 7.

Turning Tables

A collaborative exhibition in which sculptor Francesca Balzan and book and paper artist Glen Calleja engage with artworks from MUŻA’s reserve collection is on until May 7.

The visitor is led through four distinct chambers at the museum, each detailing nuanced narratives about what goes on around tables in our daily lives.

Turning Tables references the exhibition hall’s former use as the auberge's dining room, where tables were once the principal feature.

Balzan and Calleja draw on the museum’s past, evoke it, confront it in an attempt at provoking reflections about art practice, curation and conservation today. All is played out in the key of disruption and is meant to reframe, in playful provocation, national patrimony and the ecosystem that surrounds it.

Learn more about the exhibition here. Turning Tables is the final stage of a multi-year project, supported by Arts Council Malta.

Irregularity

J.P. Migneco (b. 1989), an artist who lives and works in Malta, is holding an exhibition at Valletta Contemporary until May 6.

Titled Irregularity, the exhibition features a series of artworks that explore the relationship between natural and artificial environments. The body of work involves a process of reinterpreting landscapes that are found near coastal areas in Malta, through the use of photography, drawing, digital media and painting.

The theme of this project delves into notions related to urbanisation and the advancement of technology. Therefore, the work attempts to evoke issues related to human-environment interaction in the digital age.

Valletta Contemporary is open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 2 to 7pm. For more information, look up the gallery's Facebook page and website.

Rituals of Passage

Valletta Contemporary is displaying the result of a co-creative project between Ryan Falzon, Aaron Bezzina, Alexandra Fraser, Yasmine Akondo, Mladen Hadžić, and Stefan Kolgen.

Rituals are part of everyday life. During times of distress, they give comfort. The title is based on the fact that rituals can bring one from one stage to another physically and mentally. Post-COVID rituals can help one find balance in a disrupted society where attention to mental health and well-being has become important. 

The artists created the works with the exhibition space in mind, presenting them in such a way that they interact with each other and that they challenge the viewer, offering context for the audience to create their own story.

Rituals of Passage, curated by Ann Laenen and Stefan Kolgen, closes on May 6. During the opening weekend some works will be accompanied by a performance and a discussion session about the meaning of rituals will be organised, followed by a meet and greet with the artists.

Valletta Contemporary is open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 2 to 7pm. For more information, look up the gallery's Facebook page and website.

Read more about the exhibition here.

Esprit Barthet – A Life of Colour

Il-Ħaġar, Heart of Gozo Museum in Victoria is hosting a retrospective exhibition of Esprit Barthet (1919-1999).

Curated by Nicoline Sagona, the landmark exhibition is showcasing Barthet’s famous ‘rooftops’ series, as well as his well-known portrait paintings and experimental styles throughout his career.

The exhibition runs until May 22. The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free.

Read more about the exhibition here.

The New Gothic

Local contemporary artist Ġulja Holland, renowned for thought-provoking and politically engaged practice, is launching her fourth solo exhibition on April 14 at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

Entitled A New Gothic, it is her largest boday of work to date, produced over three years, and draws on timely themes such as the anthropocene, eco-anxiety, and gender issues, challenging viewers to engage with the complexities of our world and to question their own place within it.

Curated by Andrew Borg Wirth, the collaborative project will also see Holland overlap with local and international artists, academics and practitioners from across disciplines including Charlie Cauchi and Rieko Whitfield (UK).

The exhibition will be inaugurated by esteemed curator, art historian and Sky Portrait Artist of the Year judge Kathleen Soriano (UK).

For more information, visit the Spazju Kreattiv website or the artist's Facebook page.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Unseen and Unheard: Stories of Women Under Fire

The Storm Petrel Foundation is hosting an archival exhibition that sheds light on overlooked or previously unrecorded war narratives and microhistories from Malta and elsewhere.

It brings together items and artefacts drawn from different collections, with a primary focus on wartime experiences of women and girls.

The exhibition was inspired by a series of conversations between the NGO and Robert Attard, who had found a collection of letters written by a young German woman during World War II, some of which are on display.

The exhibition is organised across five different rooms at the Storm Petrel Foundation’s premises in Attard, with each room representing a different era or focus.

The Storm Petrel Foundation has collaborated with Simon Cusens, Kim Dalli, Sharp Shoot Media, Media Coop, Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta, Sarah Chircop and Giuliana Fenech, Heritage Malta, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and Palazzo Falson.

The exhibition runs until April 14. For opening hours and more information, visit the foundation's Facebook page.

Chinese Zodiac Sign Exhibition

The China Cultural Centre in Malta, in collaboration with the China Arts and Entertainment Group, is presenting an exhibition on the Chinese zodiac sign of the rabbit which is this year’s sign.

With the aim to promote an understanding of China’s traditional culture and its connections with local tourism, the exhibition showcases how this particular zodiac sign is transmitted in various cultural facets of different Chinese regions.

Colourful illustrations portray how this rich heritage is passed on through the creation of costumes and dance, opera, silk fabric designs, ceramics, lanterns, pencils, paper-cutting, festive candy and bean flour lamps.

The exhibition is open at the China Cultural Centre at 173, Melita Street, Valletta, until the end of April. Entrance is free. Groups are advised to book in advance through events2023ccc@gmail.com.

Shoah the Holocaust: How Was It Humanly Possible?

The Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta has organised a Holocaust Memorial exhibition which will be displayed at three venues in Malta until June.

The exhibition deals with major historical aspects of the Holocaust, beginning with Jewish life in pre-Holocaust Europe and ending with the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps across the continent and the remarkable return to life of the survivors.

The display panels feature explanatory texts, with quotes from Jewish victims and survivors, photographs, art documents and videos for eight survivor stories.

The exhibition is open until April 23 at MCAST Paola, opening hours Monday to Friday from 7am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 12.15pm (closed on Sundays); and from April 24 to June 4 at the University of Malta, Msida Campus, open from Monday to Friday from 7am to 11pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 4.45pm.

For more information, visit shoah.jewishheritagemalta.org/.

whatson@timesofmalta.com