Maltese soprano Nicola Said has recently performed at the Global Short Film (GSF) Festival Awards during the prestigious international Cannes Film Festival 2021 in Cannes, France. The GSF Festival Award was organised by entrepreneur, producer and fashion designer Andres Aquino at Villa Elegance.
Said performed Je Veux Vivre from French opera Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gounod and Quando Me’n Vo from Puccini’s 1896 opera La Bohème. Both were specifically chosen to accompany the theme of life and love, and beauty and love.
Also performing was the world-renowned violinist Edmond Fokker van Crayestein.
Said sang in front of a number of distinguished guests from the entertainment world, including Olympia Gellini, founder, chairperson and president of the WORLD Film Institute and founder and CEO of the Beverly International Film Festival, and the award-winning actor and producer Vincent De Paul.
Said was first introduced to designer Aquino, who is also the GSF founder and director, by Hollywood composer William Camilleri.
He told Said after her performance: “Nicola, you came, you sang and conquered Cannes, transporting us to a magical and delightful world where you rule with your powerful voice.”
In a nod to her Maltese heritage, the soprano wore a gown sponsored by Maltese designers Charles & Ron, while her travel was supported by Malta International Airport.
“Taking part was an amazing experience. I met fantastic people in the entertainment industry,” she said after the event, while revealing that she has been invited to sing at the New York Fashion Awards in February 2022.
Said is the Malta Airport Foundation Ambassador and a Joseph Calleja BOV Foundation scholar. She has been supported by the DrakeCalleja Trust, Janatha Stubbs Foundation, and Ian Tomlin Scholarship. She is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Opera Course for which she was granted a full scholarship.
Said, who is represented by The Music Partnership, has given recitals for the Earl of Wessex at an event presented by the Duke of Edinburgh, at St James’s Palace and at Kensington Palace in the UK. She won second prize in the Strauss Competition at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and first prize and the Audience Prize at the Fulham Opera Robert Presley Memorial 2017.
Aside from Malta and the UK, Nicola has performed in France, Italy, the US, Cyprus, Germany, China, Poland and Hungary, among other countries. She is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Malta.