Teatru Astra and BOV launch Festival Mediterranea 2011

Teatru Astra, in collaboration with Bank of Valletta, launched the tenth edition of the Festival Mediterranea, a month long celebration of Art and Culture in the heart of Gozo.
 
This year’s festival, presenting a programme of varied cultural events, from opera to food and wine, will be held between the 27th October and the 19th November 2011.
 
The festival was officially launched during a press conference held at the BOV Centre in Santa Venera and addressed by Tonio Depasquale CEO at Bank of Valletta, Michael Formosa, Festival Mediterranea Chairman and Prof. Mro. Joseph Vella, the festival’s music director
 
Michael Formosa explained that the festival is held with two principal aims – that of fostering better appreciation of local culture amongst those residing in Malta and Gozo, and that of serving as an added cultural attraction to the cultural tourist, year on year contributing to the island’s economy considering the extent of internal tourism it generates. In fact, the lean period of late October to November is specifically chosen in a bid to help cultural tourism during an off-peak period.

He further explained this year’s programme of events, with opera as the festival’s principle attraction, includes a number of concerts, from chamber to symphonic, as well as lectures and on-site visits, covering the periods from Prehistory to the Knights’ of St John’s, as well as from the Baroque to the Romantic. The festival also gives prominence to local traditions and trades especially those related to food and vine-growing.

Prof. Mro. Joseph Vella explained that the festival opens with its most demanding event – the opera, which is held twice at Teatru Astra, on the opening night (27 October) and on Saturday 29 October. Vincenzo Bellini’s ‘Norma’ presents quite a demanding production and that was the reason why the festival organisers opted for this work to celebrate Festival Mediterranea’s 10th edition.

 
An excellent soprano has been engaged for the title role – Dimitra Theodossiou, who will be singing for the first time in Malta, while tenor Antonino Interisano will be returning to the Teatru Astra stage, singing the part of Pollione. Other main singers include Romanian Oana Andra for the part of Adalgisa and Italian Dario Russo as Oroveso. The festival music director will himself be conducting the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. The Teatru Astra Opera Chorus, under the tuition of Dr Maria Frendo, including male elements from the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, participates. Italian stage director Enrico Stinchelli has been entrusted with this production.
 
Other musical events include a chamber violin and piano recital, sung High Mass with the participation of the Laudate Pueri Choir, a concert by the La Stella Brass Ensemble and Soloists, and the annual La Stella Philharmonic Band concert which presents a selection of popular, classical and operatic pieces.
 
“Bank of Valletta has been supporting the Festival since its inception ten years ago”, said Bank of Valletta CEO Tonio Depasquale. “The local Arts and Culture feature prominently in Bank of Valletta’s support towards the community in which it operates. We have seen the Festival grow over the years and are proud to be associated with an event that has established itself within the local cultural calendar”.
 
Festival Mediterranea is organised by volunteers at Teatru Astra in Gozo, with the support of partners such as Bank of Valletta, without whose help it would be impossible to produce.
 
Other partners include the Malta Tourism Authority, the Vodafone Malta Foundation, Malta International Airport, Ministry for Gozo, Ministry for Finance, the Economy and Investment, Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and Victoria Local Council.

27 September 2011