This year's 19th edition of the Victoria International Arts Festival, is once again presenting an impressive line-up of musicians from many different countries, who will be performing music ranging from the late Renaissance to the contemporary.

The dates for this year's edition are from Wednesday 8 June till Monday 11 July, during this period more than 400 musicians will perform and more than 23 countries world-wide will be represented.

There will be an uninterrupted run of 36 concerts and cultural events over a period of 5 weeks. While the main focus is on chamber music, the Festival also hosts orchestras, choirs, big bands, and more, apart from fringe activities and master classes in 7 disciplines.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Vella, will inaugurate and close the edition, as has been the case for the past 6 years. Chamber ensembles such as the Martinu, Ensemble 4.1, and more, will further enhance the profile of the Festival, which from year to year is growing in stature, strength, and power.

Wednesday 8 June – Monday 11 July 2016

19th edition programme:

Wednesday 8 June Inaugural Orchestral Concert | Godfrey Mifsud (clarinet)/Maria Frendo (soprano)/(leader: Marcelline Agius)/Joseph Vella (conductor) – Malta (St George's Basilica)

Thursday 9 June* Duo Aldante and Gregory Daltin | Pierre Henri Xuereb (viola)/Vincent Beer-Demander (mandolin)/Gregory Daltin (accordion) – France (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

**Art Exhibition | Details to be announced shortly (Il-Hagar Heart of Gozo)

Friday 10 June Pianoforte Recital | Young Choon-Park – South Korea (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Saturday 11 June Oxbridge Organ Duo | Benedict William Lewis-Smith/Julian Mark Collings – England (St George's Basilica)

Sunday 12 June Cosmos Ensemble | Rebecca Hall (flute)/John McDonough (oboe)/Godfrey Mifsud (clarinet)/Ulrike Buhlmann (bassoon)/Jose Garcia Gutiérrez (horn) – Canada/England/Malta/Germany/Spain (St Augustine Church)

Monday 13 June Pianoforte Recital | Biliana Tzinlikova – Austria (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Tuesday 14 June Clarinet and Pianoforte Recital | Joze Kotar/Luca Ferrini – Slovenia/Italy (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Wednesday 15 June Ensemble 4.1 | Jörg Schneider (oboe)/Alexander Glücksmann (clarinet)/Christoph Knitt (bassoon)/Sebastian Schindler (horn)/Thomas Hoppe (pianoforte) – Germany (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Thursday 16 June Alke Quartet | Soh Yon Kim/Elise Jeanne Harper (violin)/Benjamin Charles Harrison (viola)/Karen Louise French (violoncello) – South Korea/England/New Zealand) (St Francis Church)

Friday 17 June Anemos Quintet | Filippo Mazzoli (flute)/Marika Lombardi (oboe)/Nicola Zuccalà (clarinet)/Ivan Calestani (bassoon)/Albin Lebossé (horn) – Italy/France (St George's Basilica)

Saturday 18 June Argotti Ensemble | Maria Conrad/Nemanja Ljubinkovich (violin)/ José Garcia Gutiérrez (horn)/Gisèle Grima (pianoforte) – Malta/Serbia/Spain (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Five Days of Baroque Music

Monday 20 June Vocal Recital | Valeria La Grotta (soprano)/Attilio Cantore (pianoforte) – Italy (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

***Madgalene College (Cambridge) Chapel Choir | Jonathan Hellyer Jones (Precentor & College Organist) – England (St George's Basilica)

Tuesday 21 June Le Jardin Musical Ensemble | Christine Antoine (violin/leader)/Katia Lagresle (violin)/Catherine Simon (viola)/Olivier Destéphany (double bass)/Vincent Beer-Demander (mandolin)/Pierre Perdignon (harpsichord) – France (St George's Basilica)

Wednesday 22 June Harpsichord Recital | Ramona Zammit – Malta (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Thursday 23 June Musica Poetica London | Christopher Webb (bass)/Kate Conway (viola da gamba)/Oliver John Ruthven (harpsichord) – England (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Friday 24 June Pianoforte Recital | Joanne Camilleri – Malta (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

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Saturday 25 June Royal Conservatoire Brass | Mark James, Jacob Rosenberg, Lloyd Griffin, Kate Cooper (trumpet)/Hayley Tonner (horn)/Ismael Sanchez, Daniel Pickering, Daniel Eddison (trombone)/Josiah Walters (bass trombone)/Callum Reid (tuba)/John Logan (conductor) – Scotland ((Il-Hagar Heart of Gozo – Roof-Top)

Sunday 26 June Vocal Recital | Claire Massa (mezzo-soprano)/Joanne Camilleri (pianoforte) – Malta (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Monday 27 June Aqua d'or Saxophone Quartet | Annie Elise Lundgreen (soprano saxophone)/Ayse Oezbal (alto saxophone)/Simen Kristoffer Hubschle (tenor saxophone)/Vegard Alstad Rukke (baritone saxophone) – Norway (Cittadella Ditch)

Tuesday 28 June Gerhard Quartet | Lluís Castan, Judit Bardolet (violin)/Miquel Jordà (viola)/Jesús Miralles (violoncello) – Spain (St George's Basilica)

Wednesday 29 June The Composer Speaks | Albert Pace – Malta (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Debutants' Concert | Valentina Apap (saxophone)/Karl Schembri (male alto)/Daphne Delicata (pianoforte) – Malta (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Thursday 30 June Pianoforte Recital | Chiu Yu Chen – Taiwan (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Friday 1 July Martinu Quartet | Lubomir Havlak, Libor Kanka (violin)/Zbynek Padourek (viola)/Jitka Vlasanková (violoncello) – Czech Republic (St George's Basilica)

Saturday 2 July Status Piano Quintet | Jaso Sasaki, Sini Maaria Virtanen (violin)/Barbora Hilpo (viola)/Saara Iida-Vilhelmiina Laine (violoncello)/Marko Hilpo (pianoforte) – Japan/Czech Republic/Finland (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Sunday 3 July Pianoforte Duet | Natascha Chircop/Marco Rivoltini – Malta/Italy (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Monday 4 July UPPER AUSTRIA COMPETITION WINNERS

Tuesday 5 July Shakespeare Celebration | Gillian Zammit (soprano)/Lucia Micallef (pianoforte)/Maria Frendo (commentary) – Malta (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Wednesday 6 July Marylebone Trio | Jemma Lyndall Bausor (oboe)/ Helen James (clarinet)/ Alexandra Louise Davidson (bassoon) – England (Bishop's Curia)

Thursday 7 July Violoncello and Pianoforte Recital | Daniel Veis (violoncello)/Helena Veisová (pianoforte) – Czech Republic (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Friday 8 July Accordion Recital | Djordje Gajic – Serbia (St Augustine Church)

Saturday 9 July Caraid Trì | Sarah Louise Burnet (flute)/Emily Ruth Mitchel (soprano)/Jennifer Margaret Barker (pianoforte/composer) – Scotland/USA (Aula Mgr G. Farrugia)

Sunday 10 July Saxophone and Pianoforte Recital | Samuel Frederick Corkin/Timothy Francis End – England (Exhibition Hall, Ministry for Gozo)

Monday 11 July Closing Orchestral Concert | Andrea Gajic (violin)/Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (leader: Marcelline Agius)/Joseph Vella (conductor) – Serbia/Malta (St George's Basilica)

Artistic Director: Joseph Vella

All concerts and events are free of charge. Unless otherwise indicated, they start at 2000hrs.

A donation of €100 enables patrons to have a reserved seat for all the concerts and events.

Master classes in Pianoforte (lower and upper grades), Violin (lower and upper grades), Woodwind, and Brass will be held in June, July, and September. Please see website www.viaf.org.mt for further details.

*The concert on Thursday 9 June starts at 1930hrs

**The Art exhibition by George Scicluna will be inaugurated at 2030hrs. It will run daily at Il-Hagar, Heart of Gozo Museum, between Friday 10 June and Friday 8 July from 0900hrs to 1700hrs, and between Saturday 9 July and Sunday 17 July from 0900hrs till 2200hrs.

***This concert will be a lunchtime one, commencing at noon.

Photograph: VIAF Final Concert 2015

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