The Malta International Organ Festival, which ran from 19 November to 9 December 2016, featured internationally renowned musicians performing music composed or adjusted for the king of keyboard instruments: the organ. Through the cooperation with the Italian Cultural Institute in La Valletta, Italy participated in three of the Festival’s concerts.
Moreover, Italy was assigned the task of closing the Festival with a concert by the Valletta Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Elena Sartori, which performed music by Bach, Albinoni, Handel and Corelli at St. Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral in La Valletta. Two more Italian performances preceded the closing concert: one at the Church of the Annunciation of Balzan on Saturday, 26 November, by organ player Marco D’Avola accompanied by soprano Silvia Di Falco and baritone Joseph Lia in the Ave Maria Concert featuring music by Gounod, Schubert, D’Avola, Mascagni, Verdi, and Mozart. The other on Friday, 2 December, when composer Diego Cannizzaro performed music by Bach, Rinck, Mendelssohn, Bossi and Yon on the organ of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church in Balluta. The concerts were all attended by large audiences who acclaimed the musicians’ performances with prolonged applause.
