The European Foundation for Support of Culture and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra presented the 7th Malta International Music Festival on 29 April – 10 May in Valletta, the capital of the Republic of Malta.
The Festival featured concerts by the legendary American Duo Paratore (piano); Haik Kazazyan, an outstanding Russian violinist, winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition; Ingolf Wunder, world-famous Austrian pianist, Deutsche Grammophon performer; Anna Aglatova (soprano), leading principal of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre; the Trio Wanderer, winners of the ARD International Music Competition in Munich; pianist Elena Bashkirova (Germany), artistic director of the International Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival; cellist Meehae Ryo (South Korea), Deutsche Grammophon performer; Julia Zilberquit (US), winner of many international piano competitions; cellist Andrei Ionita (Romania), winner of the Tchaikovsky International Competition; Filipp Kopachevsky, soloist at the Moscow State Philharmonic, winner of international piano competitions; Ji Young Lim (South Korea), winner of the Queen Elisabeth International Competition; Anna Malikova (Germany), winner of the Chopin Piano Competition and the ARD International Music Competition, and many others.
The renowned soloists performed with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kazakhstan State Symphony Orchestra “Academy of Soloists”. The orchestras were conducted by Mikhail Kirchhoff, chief guest conductor of the Kazakhstan State Symphony Orchestra “Academy of Soloists”; the eminent Italian opera and symphony conductor Gianluca Marciano; Sergey Smbatyan, Honored Artist of the Republic of Armenia, artistic director of Armenia’s State Symphony Orchestra; Dmitry Yablonsky (US/Israel), principal guest conductor of the Novaya Rossiya State Symphony Orchestra and of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra; Miran Vaupotić, principal conductor of the Croatia Chamber Orchestra and one of international ambassadors for the EMMA for Peace (Euro Mediterranean Music Academy) under the patronage of UNESCO, and others.
The Festival featured works by famous Maltese composers Joseph Vella, Albert Garcia, Charles Camilleri and Alexey Shor, the Festival’s resident composer.
The Festival’s concerts were held at Malta’s best historic halls: the Mediterranean Conference Centre (Valletta) and the Robert Samut Hall (Floriana).