Malta Philharmonic Orchestra launches festival which seeks to present opera in an innovative manner

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra has launched the Malta Summer Festival, under the artistic direction of Óliver Díaz, as it seeks to present opera innovatively, thus bolstering the genre’s visibility, particularly with new audiences.

The Malta Summer Festival presents a celebration of music, lights and history. The star-studded lineup, led by Vittorio Grigolo, takes audiences on musical journeys across some of the most significant operatic repertoires, taking place on nights dedicated to celebrating the genre itself.

“This program continues to demonstrate our commitment as a government to continue working for the music and culture; the main aim will remain to foster in people’s lives a musical appreciation”, said Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts, and the Local Government Owen Bonnici.

Bonnici also said that this programme will see the participation of artists, as well as a variety of events.

“Apart from an appetite for travel, there is also a desire for more outdoor and public activities, after two years of continuous restrictions. In these two years, we have worked hard so as to assure that when our country is open in it’s entirety, we will have a diversified cultural calendar. For this summer we have a busy entertainment calendar, that will provide to both tourists and Maltese the opportunity to enjoy their quality time, with activities such as the Malta Summer Festival”, said Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo.

In an official launch, MPO CEO Sigmund Mifsud explained the significance of this step for the orchestra, as well as our country, and remarked on the MPO’s role in producing the festival, building on last year’s grand finale.

“We always believed in the importance of organising a festival like this, as it offers an opportunity for networking, while setting the objectives of musical growth, both for the orchestra and also for the local cultural ecology”, Mifsud stated.

Kicking off on 13 July and running until 21 July, the Malta Summer Festival is being presented by the MPO, in collaboration with the Arts Council Malta and the Malta Tourism Authority, with the support of Hilton Malta, the Ministry for Gozo, and the Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts, and Local Government.

All information on the festival itself can be found on maltaorchestra.com/malta-summerfestival/.