Eight years strong and ready for more, the Valletta Baroque Festival in 2021 shall not be impeded by a pandemic. Letting us in on what the festival will look like this coming January is Kenneth Zammit Tabona, artistic director at the Manoel Theatre.

Preparing for an edition of the Valletta Baroque Festival starts well in advance of the previous one. Before the curtain fell on the festival’s eighth edition back in January 2020, the 2021 event was already being publicised. This is how long it takes for entertainment of this scale, featuring 36 concerts and over 300 artists, to be brought to fruition.

Then came a pandemic.

Simone Kermes and Amici Veneziani during a festival performance.

“Back in April, we’d already advised all participants of the 2021 festival that we may have to transpose the event to 2022,” explains Kenneth Zammit Tabona, as he confirms that the entire programme for the 2021 Valletta Baroque Festival, including its artists both local and foreign, has now been moved to 2022. “The coronavirus certainly threw a spanner in the works, but we didn’t want to cancel the 2021 festival outright. Instead, we’ve devised a scaled-down event for this coming January to continue with our baroque tradition.”

Despite reaching its ninth edition, the performance of baroque music in Malta is still in its infancy. Authenticity lies at the core of baroque musical expression but Malta only has a few musicians that play genuine baroque instruments. That is not to say, however, that the genre’s popularity is not on the rise.

“In 2012, Malta didn’t even own a transposable harpsichord, and now we have three,” continues Zammit Tabona. “We’ve come so far, which is why, together with the friends we’ve made over the past eight festivals, we feel compelled to continue Malta’s Baroque musical journey even if it means having a pared-down event.

“We’re thrilled to be throwing a ninth celebration of baroque artistry with some names that have become synonymous with the Valletta Baroque Festival, including Maltese singers and musicians Gillian Zammit, Michael Laus and Sarah Spiteri. Joining them will also be a few Italian performers who’ll display their musical prowess on stringed instruments like the viola da gamba and theorbo.”

Audiences can also expect a showing by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. The ensemble will be performing an ‘inspired by baroque’ chamber music concert with works by modern and contemporary composers who capture the baroque idiom, including Respighi and Stravinsky. Award-winning harpsichordist Andrea Buccarella will also be gracing the stage with Bach’s magnificent Goldberg Variations.

Vivica Genaux performing at the Valletta Baroque Festival.

The motivation to press on with the 2021 festival stems from a strong resolve to continue cherishing life through the arts despite adversity.

“This is a salute to our ancestors, who lived through far worse times than we’re currently going through,” says Zammit Tabona. “They experienced war in this very city; life cooped up in damp shelters, bombs raining down and little or nothing to eat. We’ve been shaken, but we’ve also been able to adapt to a different regimen. Now’s the time to ease ourselves – with all necessary precautions – back into the enjoyment of life, the arts and culture.”

In so doing, audiences will be supporting artists whose valuable work has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We cannot let our artists down any longer,” says Zammit Tabona as he looks forward to welcoming audiences in January 2021. “Whether you choose to come to the theatre in person or watch the festival online, this is our opportunity to continue exploring the beautiful baroque architectural and artistic heritage of Malta.”

The ninth edition of the Valletta Baroque Festival will take place between January 15 and 24, 2021. All in-person events will follow strict COVID-19 guidelines to protect the health and safety of all performers, staff and audience members. Some events will also be filmed and made available online. For more information, visit www.vallettabaroquefestival.mt.