Bank of Valletta supports Festival Mediterranea

Bank of Valletta is supporting the 8^th Edition of Festival Mediterranea. The Festival was launched by Teatru Astra in Gozo during a press conference held at Bank of Valletta's Head Office in Santa Venera and addressed by Bank of Valletta Chief Officer Operations Igino Xuereb, Dr Joseph Grech LLD, President of the Soċjetà Flarmonika La Stella and Teatru Astra and Festival Mediterranea music director Prof Mro Joseph Vella.

Festival Mediterranea is an annual festival of culture, featuring opera, music, dance, history and archaeology, local crafts, food and wine, and art. This year's edition runs from the 23^rd October to the 21^st November 2009. Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto in fact takes pride of place in this year's programme of events, with a double representation at the Teatru Astra - on Thursday 29 and on Saturday 31 October. Both representations start at 7.30pm.

The full cast has long been concluded and includes international artistes of repute who are once again returning to the Teatru Astra. The National Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by Prof Mro Joseph Vella, while the Teatru Astra Opera Chorus is being trained by Dr Maria Frendo. Italian Artistic Director Mario Corradi is once again being engaged for this production, following his successful staging of Macbeth (Astra, 2007) and Turandot (Astra, 2008). Following both opera nights, a late-night Dinner with the Stars is again being held, with opera patrons being invited to a feast of Mediterranean food and wine.

Other events include tours around St George's Basilica in Victoria, home to fine art works including Mattia Preti, as well as on-site lectures by leading UK archaeologist and scholar Dr David Trump to sites of particular historical and archaeological importance in both Malta - the Hypogeum in Ħal Saflieni, the Archaeology Museum in Valletta, and the Mġarr and Skorba temples - and in Gozo - the Ġgantija temples, Għejżu's cave and the Xagħra Stone Circle, and the Archaeology Museum at the Citadel.

Dr David Trump is once again leading a half-day conference, 'Conservation: Nature and Archaeology' which will include the participation of primary local experts. He will also be giving a public lecture, entitled 'An Archaeologist seeks Religion', entrance to both is free of charge.

Festival Mediterranea also prominently features other music events: including a Recital on a late 18th century British Pipe Organ, a trio lunchtime concert, an all-female ensemble, an all-male choral lunchtime recital, a vocal recital, a piano recital, band soloists, a full-philharmonic band concert by the La Stella band, and a choral recital.

Booking for any of the events can be done through the Teatru Astra or any one of its outlets in Malta and Gozo (see press pack for details). However, for the first time, Teatru Astra and Bank of Valletta are proud to announce an online booking facility through the Festival website.

Addressing the Press Conference, Bank of Valletta's Chief Officer Operations Igino Xuereb said that Bank of Valletta has believed in the concept of Festival Mediterranea and has supported all the editions ever since the first one in 2002. "Bank of Valletta is a strong supporter of artistic and cultural initiatives and we are proud to be associated with an event that has provided high calibre productions for most of the last decade".

Speaking about the programme of events, Dr Grech explained that Festival Mediterranea originated from a desire to export local love for opera and the often disproportionate sense of national pride locals are known for, for all that makes us unique - be it history, culture and lifestyle. At the same time, Festival Mediterranea can be an added tool for the tourism industry to attract more tourists in the less popular tourism season.

Mro Vella spoke about the high quality artistes being engaged for this year's Rigoletto as well as that of local and foreign musicians and singers participating in the remaining events.

Festival Mediterranea is organised by the Teatru Astra in Gozo. Bank of Valletta partners the project, as do the Malta Tourism Authority, Air Malta, Heritage Malta and Vodafone Malta.