classical – Mark Bartolo

31/12/201831/12/2018

The Year 2018

What a year this has been! I’ve started off the year with the honor of singing with Dame Emma Kirkby in the REMA Early Music Award Ceremony together with VIBE. In the same month I then sang in Monteverdi’s Vespers 1610 with VIBE and The Monteverdi Project vocal ensemble. In February I hopped to something quite different, singing Rockquiem with the MPO Chorus and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. March brought with it Don Giovanni, an opera directed by Jack Furness, in which I was part of the chorus, and La Divina Commedia, in which I sang together with the A Cappella Choir.

In April I was a pit singer in the Mamma Mia! musical and in May I’ve sung a piece from Monteverdi’s opera Orfeo in a Monteverdi Project concert titled Musical Adventures in Seconda Prattica. Aħna Refuġjati, directed by Mario Philip Azzopardi, came next in August; a Maltese opera held at the Granaries in Floriana.

The Year 2018 — (1) REMA Early Music Award Ceremony (2) Rockquiem (3) Don Giovanni (4) Mamma Mia! (5) Musical Adventures in Seconda Prattica (6) Aħna Refuġjati (7) Rockestra 2018 (8) Belt il-Bniedem: Is-Swar

In September I then took part in Rockestra 2018 with Animae Gospel Choir. November brought with it another Maltese opera, Belt il-Bniedem: Is-Swar, directed by Michael Moxham. I’ve then ended the year with another Monteverdi Project concert titled A Monteverdi Christmas.

While I continued to study classical voice at the Malta School of Music, and got my Grade 8, I must say that with 11 events in quite a musically diverse year, I met so many people from different walks of life, all sharing one common passion, music!

31/12/2015

The Year 2015

The year started off with rehearsals for the opera L’Elisir d’Amore held in March at the Manoel Theatre. In May I had the opportunity to perform two Mozart pieces at the President’s San Anton Palace in Festa Palazz. In June I did my Grade 5 Johann Strauss School Of Music classical voice exam, in which I got a Distinction.

The Year 2015

Summer was busy with rehearsals for two concerts; Strummin’ What A Feelin’, held at Sir Temi Zammit Hall in mid-October, and Animae Gospel Choir In Concert ’15, held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre at the end of the same month. In November I started rehearsals for next year’s opera Orphée et Eurydice and joined the TMYO (Teatru Manoel Youth Opera). In December I had the pleasure to perform a Maltese classic, Viva Malta, with the Strummin’ guitarists together with Mro. Joe Brown & The Drop-Out Band at the L-Istrina yearly event.

31/05/201515/09/2015

Festa Palazz

The 2nd edition of Festa Palazz, in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund, happened on the 29th and 30th May at San Anton Gardens. On the first night, at the palace’s private garden, I sang two Mozart pieces; ‘Papageno’s Aria’ from ‘The Magic Flute’ and ‘Un Bacio Di Mano’. I was accompanied on piano by Ms. Julia Miller.

Festa Palazz

17/04/201515/09/2015

World Voice Day 2015

World Voice Day is celebrated every year on April 16th. This year, the Johann Strauss School of Music organized an afternoon to celebrate this day. I had the pleasure of attending a master-class with Dr. Hans-Jürgen Nagel where I performed ‘Papageno’s Aria’ from Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’. This was followed by a mini-concert, in which I sang ‘Funiculì, Funiculà’ to a very warm audience! Continue reading “World Voice Day 2015”

16/03/201515/09/2015

L’Elisir D’Amore

Yesterday, the curtain fell for the last time for Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore opera held at the Manoel Theatre for the past 4 days. It has been a 4 month journey … starting off with singing rehearsals in November, followed by staging ones in January, then 2 weeks on stage with the principals, and the final production week! Continue reading “L’Elisir D’Amore”