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CULTURE ARTS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 JUNE 2019 10 THE Malta International Arts Festi- val (MIAF) 2019, produced by Festi- vals Malta, has announced that it will feature Water Concerto, co-organised with the China Cultural Centre in Mal- ta. The highly-anticipated musical event will take place at 9pm on Sat- urday 6 July at Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta. "The 2019 programme of the Malta International Arts Festival will pre- sent innovative productions with a strong interdisciplinary dimension that are accessible to a wide audi- ence," says Ruben Zahra, the artistic director of the MIAF 2019. Grammy- and Oscar-winning com- poser and conductor Tan Dun is in- ternationally renowned for creating radically experimental artistic for- mats. His Water Concerto is no different and is part of a broader exploration of making music with organic mate- rials. Using water as a musical instru- ment, this hypnotic three-movement symphonic production features water manipulation through various means to create a visually-compelling and sonically-intriguing piece. The Water Concerto is in keeping with the MIAF 2019's theme of 'wa- ter' that runs through the entire fes- tival. As Tan Dun says, "Water is a metaphor for the unity of the ephemeral and the eternal, the physi- cal and the spiritual – as well as a symbol of baptism, renewal, re-crea- tion and resurrection." The MIAF 2019's iteration of Tan Dun's Water Concerto features the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, with Chinese percussionist Beibei Wang in the leading role under the direc- tion of Czech conductor Pavel Šnajdr. Beibei is a genre-defying musician who is internationally acclaimed as a musical virtuoso. The Water Concerto programme will also include music by Hindemith, Shostakovich and Maltese composer Joseph Vella. Since its first edition in 2005, the MIAF has remained of utmost im- portance in the local Maltese arts scene. Year in and year out the festival showcases local and international talent in the performing arts. It is a springboard for both budding and established local talent as well as a way to bring international artists to the Maltese shores. The Water Concerto is the epitome of the MIAF 2019's promise to its audience. Spectators can expect an otherworldly aural experience and the very best of what Maltese talent has to offer in artistic innovation and cultural heritage. The full programme of the Malta International Arts Festival 2019 is available at www.festivals.mt/miaf. Water Concerto includes music by Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer The 2019 Malta International Arts Festival will feature an innovative musical production for water percussion and orchestra, with music by Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer and conductor Tan Dun Genre-defying musician Beibei Water Concerto composer Tan Dun