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After an 11-year absence, the tragic, woebegone Rigoletto trod again upon the stage of the Astra in Gozo, in two performances last Thursday and Saturday, the former of which is under review here. Rigoletto remains one of Verdi's most popular and widely performed operas. Its tale of human tragedy retains...

Every opera buff and his dog knows that when it comes to opera, head north, i.e. Gozo and specifically, Teatru Astra in Victoria. Two packed houses enjoyed Verdi's masterpiece on Thursday 29 and Saturday 31 October: a highly entertaining, exciting and novel production, inspired by an in depth reading...

Tonight is another big night for Teatru Astra, and Festival Mediterranea. Following last Thursday's huge success in the first performance of Rigoletto, tonight a full house awaits the second and last performance of Verdi's three act opera. Unfortunately during the last days Teatru Astra had to turn away...

This year's edition of Festival Mediterranea returns with the popular Heritage Events series led by Dr David Trump, including the exclusive Hypogeum tours. Four visits are scheduled in all; on Wednesday, 4 November 2009, at 9.00am and 10.00am and on Friday, 6 November 2009, at 10.00 and 11.00am. Places...

The lunchtime concert presented to the Gozitan public by the Italian Embassy on Saturday, October 24, 2009, widened the breath of this year's Festival Mediterranea with music that, to my knowledge, features only rarely on the local scene. It ranged from Garcia Lorca's painful pathos to the later Gioacchino...

A fascinating evening of organ music played on the late 18th century pipe organ located in St Michael's Hall, St George's basilica, opened this year's edition of Festival Mediterranea.Richard Vendome, an organist and musicologist based in Oxford, performed works by composers spanning five centuries....

Set construction is piecing together. The costumes are all name-tagged and in the process of being given their final adjustment. Props are all put aside. Rehearsals are in full swing - mornings, afternoons and evenings, on stage and in the concert rooms. The usual tension is all there but the many protagonists,...

Festival Mediterranea is now in its 8th edition. The first edition was held in 2002 and has continued annually ever since. This year's edition runs from 23 October to 21 November. Most of the events are held in Gozo although site visits to heritage sites in Malta are included. The annual festival seeks...

Mediterranea '09, the Festival is off to a high-flying start this weekend with an exciting blend of music ranging from the Renaissance to the contemporary. The venue is the splendid environs of the Basilica of St George in the heart of the Gozo capital. On Friday 23 established Oxford-based musicologist...

Students 25 years old or under may benefit from heavily special discounted tickets offered by the Teatru Astra of Gozo for the upcoming opera production Rigoletto, held at the Teatru Astra on Thursday 29th and Saturday 31st October 2009. The Teatru Astra is once again repeating this scheme to enable...