Mark Bartolo – Pianist & Singer

31/07/202231/07/2022

KorMalta Italy Tour 2022

I’m back from a week full of music were together with KorMalta we did a tour in the North of Italy that included 3 concerts and an opera!

It all started in the picturesque village of Smarano, where on the 19th of July we performed in the church of Santa Maria Assunta as part of the Smarano Academy Music Festival 2022. In the concert we were joined on organ by Maestro Edoardo Bellotti, artistic director of the International Academy of Smarano. Music by Ludovico Fogliano (1490 – 1548), Claudio Monteverdi (1567 – 1643) and Benigno Zarafa (1726 – 1804) among others was sung at this beautiful location.

Our next stop was Castell’Arquato. We stayed here for four days, and as part of the Festival Illica we performed in a concert and an opera. On the 22nd of July we sung in the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta. This church, built between 1117 and 1122 with various alterations added throughout the centuries, made the perfect ambient for the music performed in that night. In this concert we were also accompanied by Maestro Edoardo Bellotti.

On the day after, it was time for the opera performance of Le Maschere with music by Pietro Mascagni and an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. KorMalta together with an Italian chorus and an amazing cast performed in the beautiful square of the medieval village of Castell’Arquato under the baton of Mro. Jacopo Brusa.

Our last stop was in Bologna. As part of the Voci Nei Chiostri Festival, on the 24th of July we performed a selection of early and modern music in the church of San Procolo.

An intense and fruitful week came to an end with many memories to cherish. A big thanks to our choir master Mro. Riccardo Bianchi and to the Arts Council Malta for the opportunity!

31/03/202231/03/2022

Back on Track!

More than a year has passed since I’ve written my last post. Concerts started slowly happening again and I’ve been part of a few since last December.

In a Christmas Concert together with the Monteverdi Project, I sang Agnus Dei together with Stanley Portelli and Lisa Baldacchino , a trio by Luigi Battiferri. This was held at the Church of the Jesuits in Valletta.

The Monteverdi Project Christmas Concert (photo by Albert George Storace) [2021]

In January it was time for the Valletta Baroque Festival. In this festival I sang in Handel’s Messiah together with KorMalta at the prestigious St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta under the direction of Mro. Christian Curnyn.

Handel’s Messiah (photo by Valletta Baroque Festival) [2022]

A week later, in the same festival, I performed a Vincenzo Tozzi madrigal with an ensemble from the Monteverdi Project in a concert titled The Rediscovered Madrigals of the Mdina Archives. In the latter a number of pieces from the Mdina Cathedral archives where performed for the first time in a modern setting.

13/03/202127/03/2022

A Breath of Fresh Air!

It’s been nearly a year since I’ve written my last post. The arts were hit big time! I consider myself lucky and grateful to have been able to do a couple of performances during these last few months…

Last October, after a long seven-month hiatus, together with KorMalta I’ve sung in United We Stand: from the Renaissance to today, a concert at the Greek open-air theatre at MCAST, Mosta.

In January I was part of another concert with KorMalta, Baroque Female Composers, this time as part of the Valletta Baroque Festival, in which VIBE were the musical ensemble. We performed Salmi Concertati a 4 Voci, a piece by the female composer Isabella Leonarda written in 1698.

20/04/202024/01/2021

When is the next performance?

This year started out quite busy with two performances in January; Durante’s Requiem with The Monteverdi Project and Biber’s Requiem with KorMalta.

In March I was then part of the chorus in Rossini’s Requiem, directed by Vivien Hewitt. This was held at the Manoel Theatre and came out to be the last performance just before a number of health restrictions came into place due to COVID-19.

When is the next performance? Who knows … in the mean time, here is clip from last December’s concert, A Night of Madrigal & Early Baroque Music with The Monteverdi Project.

31/12/201931/12/2019

The Year 2019

The year 2019 started with Missa In Illo Tempore, where together with The Monteverdi Project and Cantar Lontano we performed this Monteverdi mass at Qrendi. In March, the yearly opera appointment was on, where this time I sang as chorus in Così Fan Tutte, directed by Jack Furness. In the same month the European Day of Early Music was celebrated with a concert with The Monteverdi Project at Żejtun.

Così Fan Tutte (photo by Christine Joan Muscat-Azzopardi)

In April I joined KorMalta for the opening number of the Malta Arts Awards 2019, while in November we performed Biber’s Requiem (in F minor) together with VIBE. The last concert of 2019 was A Night of Madrigal & Early Baroque Music where together with The Monteverdi Project we sung a selection of pieces and madrigals from this era.

A Night of Madrigal & Early Baroque Music (photo by Glen Slattery Photography)

I’ve ended the year with KorMalta where we performed the National Anthem that was broadcasted before President Dr. George Vella’s Christmas message.

The Maltese National Anthem with KorMalta