Musical Tidings
An evening of carols is a great way to sprinkle some festive spirit into the Christmas season!
So take time out of the seasonal rush, sit back and enjoy the 18th edition of ‘Musical Tidings’ – a concert of Christmas music by The New Choral Singers
Sunday, 13 December 2015 – St. John of the Cross Parish Church, Ta’ Xbiex
Thursday, 17 December 2015 – St. Publius Parish Church, Floriana
Both performances start at 7.30pm
With the participation of the Mirabitur Youth Choir (Director: Simone Attard)
Simone Attard – Musical Director
Shirley Helleur – Pianist
Fr. Aurelio Mulé Stagno SDB – Organist
Free admission – Retiring collection in aid of Richmond Foundation
www.thenewchoralsingers.com – info@thenewchoralsingers.com
This year’s concerts are being supported by MPM Capital Investments Ltd. and Offset Press Ltd.
The New Choral Singers is a registered voluntary organisation: VO/0343
Cappella Sanctae Catharinae
It is December and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. If you want it to sound a lot like Christmas, then you really shouldn’t miss Cappella Sanctae Catharinae‘s ‘Gaudete‘ concerts.
Malta’s only male chamber choir will be back with their yearly musical appointments on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th December. These free concerts will retell the nativity story through music and carols from mediaeval right up to more recent times. The venues chosen for this year are the Church of the Transfiguration (Our Saviour) in Lija, and the Monastery of St Catherine in Valletta.
There will be retiring collections in aid of the restoration projects on the Giuseppe Cali vault paintings at the Lija parish church, and the Monastery of St Catherine.
This year’s concerts are being supported by the Farsons Foundation.
Commonwealth Gala Concert
Free tickets for JSSoM student-loyalty card holders and their family.
Ian Tomlin Scholarship is now out!
The Ian Tomlin Scholarship is now out! This is open to all Maltese residents who are interested in pursuing a Bachelors of Music with Honours at the Ian Tomlin Academy of Music, Napier University, Edinburgh starting September 2016. Students must be in possession of two A levels or pending A level results, at least grade 5 in theory practice and demonstrate an advanced level in performance. Please find more information on the audition below.
ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP and THE IAN TOMLIN ACADEMY OF MUSIC
Dr. Ian Tomlin, a Patron of the Arts in Malta, set up a fund to provide scholarships for Maltese Classical Music Students wishing to further their studies at the Ian Tomlin Academy of Music, a college within the prestigious Edinburgh Napier University. Edinburgh Napier University is one of the best known Universities in Scotland. The Ian Tomlin Academy of Music has earned a reputation as one of the leading schools of music in Britain.
Since its foundation in 1999, the Ian Tomlin Trust has supported many Maltese musicians further their career in classical music. Napier University now holds an alumni list of some of Malta’s leading musicians including Claire Debono (soprano), Veronique Vella (composer & pianist), Alexander Vella Gregory (composer & pianist), Gisele Grima (pianist), Marcelle Zahra (pianist), Francesca Aquilina (soprano), Jean-Noel Attard (violin) & Laura Cioffi (flute).
THE AUDITION & APPLICATIONS
Promising young Maltese musicians who are interested in undertaking a four-year Undergraduate Bachelor of Music with Honours programme (B.Mus. Hons.) starting September 2016 may apply for consideration for the scholarship. Students will have the opportunity to choose between instrument, voice or composition as their first study with supporting academic studies.
Those students interested in applying may send an email requesting an application.
Auditions will take place on Thursday 3rd December (venue and times to be confirmed) and will include a performance, interview and musicianship skills test. Instrumental and voice students will be required to prepare two or more contrasting works to present for the performance. Composers will be required to submit a portfolio of their works prior to the audition if their application is accepted.
New Names Malta Competitiom
Selection Process – Rules & Regulations
New Names Malta – National Music Competition is a selection process open for talented young music students who merit to be given the opportunity to participate in the New Names Malta – National Music Programme.
The New Names Malta – National Music Programme will support, further educate and promote exceptionally talented young classical musicians in various ways and means. New Names Malta – National Music Programme will enable the selected students to benefit from a monthly financial support to further their studies, facilitate participation free of charge in master-classes organized in Malta with renowned international artists and professors, enable their participation in international festivals, and also finance performing opportunities in concerts and events, both locally and abroad. The selected youngsters, who will be referred to and promoted as ‘New Names Malta’, will serve as young ambassadors of Malta when performing abroad, and thus representing Malta. The first events for the New Names Malta will be a concert series – Young Stars in Classical Music, alongside New Names laureates from Russia and Armenia, 10th – 15th November 2015. Further information and updates on www.newnamesmalta.com
Who can participate.
The selection process is open for young music students (instrumentalists and classical voice) under the age of 16. Participants must be (i) Maltese Nationals or (ii) Holders of a Maltese ID Card or Maltese Residence Permit. Application Form is to be submitted or one may apply online – www.newnamesmalta.com
Preliminary Round
Option A – Auditions at Schools & Colleges / Closing Date: 23rd October / Participation Fee: € 5.00
Students may apply at their School. Schools/Colleges will hold internal auditions as per New Names Malta audition guidelines, to select the students from their Schools/Colleges for the final auditions. Applicants are to submit the Application Form together with payment of the enrolment fee at their School. The Schools will communicate further details regarding auditions of the preliminary round (Internal auditions).
Option B – Audition by Video – Individual Application / Closing Date: 30th October / Participation Fee: € 10.00 Students may opt to apply individually by sending an amateur video recording of their performance (made by mobile phone, camcorder, etc) of 1 or 2 pieces (from their audition programme) of a maximum duration of 4 minutes. This recording is to be uploaded on a private Youtube channel and the link is to be submitted when applying online or send a copy of the video with the application form on a USB stick or DVD. The selection is made by international judges and the results will be communicated to the applicants on 4th November.
Final Round: Public Auditions 6th – 8th November 2015
At the final round of the selection process, participants born after 1st November 2005 (under the age of 10) will be expected to perform a programme of 4-6 minutes, while participants born after 1st November 1999 (over 10 years of age and under 16) will be expected to perform a programme of 6-8 minutes. The selection will be made by a board of international judges at auditions. Auditions will be open for the general public. The schedule for these auditions will be communicated on 4th November on the website and via e-mail.
www.newnamesmalta.com
Behind the Opera Curtain
Teatru Manoel and Teatru Astra partner in an opera workshop
Teatru Astra has just announced its latest educational initiative, ‘Behind the Opera Curtain’, a free workshop with directors and soloists from Teatru Astra’s forthcoming production of La Boheme. Aimed at opera lovers, singers and students, the workshop will be held at the Teatru Manoel’s Studio Theatre on Tuesday 20 October 2015 at 18.00hrs.
Artistic Director, Enrico Stinchelli, the Musical Director, Joseph Vella and the lead singers of the forthcoming La Boheme, namely local Soprano Miriam Cauchi, Baritone Devid Checconi, Bass Gabriele Sagona and Mezzo-Soprano Oana Andra will be participating in this workshop.
The Artistic Director will talk about operatic stage production in general but with particular reference to La Boheme. The talk will be illustrated (and followed) by live illustrations from the singers who will sing arias mainly from La Boheme. The Musical Director will also briefly put all the details in context.
The event, which is supported by Bank of Valletta, is free but there is limited capacity so booking is essential. Booking can be made online at www.teatrumanoel.com.mt ,by email bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt or tel: 2124 6389.
Opera at the Astra enjoys a well-established tradition of excellence, more than 50 opera performances have been held in the past 37 years on the spacious stage of the Astra theatre. The musical director is Professor Joseph Vella, while the artistic direction has, for the fifth year running, been entrusted to Enrico Stinchelli. La Boheme is part of the 14th edition of Festival Mediterranea, a unique endeavour and the only festival of its kind on the Maltese islands, combining high culture with the production of an Italian opera in conjunction with traditional fare. The festival website www.mediterranea.com.mt. Carries all the latest updates on the opera and festival.
Teatru Manoel has also a long tradition of staging operas albeit on a different scale to the Astra. Being a 1731 theatre with a stage that is merely 7 by 11 meters and an orchestra pit that is a miniscule 7 by three meters, the type of opera that is staged in this historical and artistic gem is radically different to the type of opera houses built in the Verdian tradition. In fact the Manoel has just presented Purcell’s poignantly beautiful miniature opera Dido and Aeneas a joint venture between Valletta 2018 Foundation and the theatre involving Teatru Manoel Youth Opera and the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble. Next March the theatre will stage Gluck’s most popular opera, Orphee et Eurydice in the Berlioz 1859 revision: a mythological story of obsessive love.
To book and for more information on the opera and the workshop go to www.teatrumanoel.com.mt.
