opera – Mark Bartolo

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!

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.

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

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!

01/12/201802/12/2018

Maltese Operas

This summer I had the pleasure to be part of the chorus in two Maltese operas; Aħna Refugjati and Belt il-Bniedem: Is-Swar.

Aħna Refugjati happened on the 31st August and 2nd September at the Granaries in Floriana. This opera was under the direction of Mario Philip Azzopardi, who was also the librettist. Music was composed by Mario Sammut and Mro. Richard Merrill Brown.

Aħna Refuġjati — Aħna Refugjati (Photo by Ivan Borg)

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