Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1475578
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 AUGUST 2022 4 MUSIC Rockestra returns with open air concert on 10 September ROCKESTRA will return on 10 September with an open-air concert themed 'I love Rock 'n' Roll' at the Malta Fairs & Con- ventions Centre. During a press conference on Wednesday, event organiser Pawlu Borg Bonaci said that af- ter last year's sit-down and re- stricted event (due to the pan- demic), this year's 13th edition will return "louder and more energetic than before". This year's edition will take on a festival format, with the enter- tainment extending beyond the hours of the main show and food trucks serving food until late at night. "Last year something felt miss- ing, as people come to Rockestra to sing and dance. This time it will be louder and more rock than ever before," Borg Bonaci said. The wide range of rock bands the Malta Philharmonic Or- chestra will cover vary from Gun's & Roses, Pink Floyd, Me- tallica, Kate Bush, Nirvana and Foo Fighters, amongst others. Some of these artists taking part include; Ira Losco, Drak- ard, Klinsmann, Matthew James, Frank, Moira Stafrace, Jolene Samham, Kevin Paul, Jotham, Kerstan Graham and Amber. The show will be artistically di- rected by Pawlu Borg Bonaci and Sigmund Mifsud as a musical director and conductor for the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. President George Vella said that the show serves two pur- poses, to entertain the public of all ages and to contribute to- wards a very noble cause. He said that the expenses for the Malta Community Chest Fund were ever-increasing and that events like Rockestra were much needed in order to raise funds. Vella appealed to the public to attend the event and help the MCCF provide "hope" to those in need. Doors will be open at 6.30pm, with the show starting at 8.30pm. Tickets are available online and discounted early bird tickets will be available till 13 August. President George Vella appealed to the public to attend and help the MCCF raise funds Young Maltese musicians return after professional experience with the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra YOUNG Maltese violinist, Ste- phen Scerri and clarinetist, Mi- chael Cutajar have returned to Malta following their participa- tion in the Symphonic Session of the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra at the prestigious Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in July 2022. The musicians were select- ed following their audition in Malta last March. Organised by ARC Research & Consultancy in collaboration with the Festi- val d'Aix-en-Provence and the Medinea network, the auditions received a record number of ap- plicants when compared to re- cent years. Davinia Galea, Managing Di- rector (ARC) and local repre- sentative of the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra commented on the importance of recognis- ing the value and impact that such experiences can have on the professional development of young emerging artists. "We are delighted that Malta has been represented by these two young musicians and have no doubt that this was a holistic and piv- otal experience for them", Galea added. Every year, almost 600 musi- cians apply to one of the audi- tions organized in about twen- ty cities of the Mediterranean for the Symphonic Session of the Mediterranean Youth Or- chestra (MYO), where some 100 young talents are selected. The training session is designed for future professional classical musicians from the Mediterra- nean. It offers an intercultural experience of orchestra life in rehearsals, concert and on tour within the stimulating frame of the Aix Festival. The musicians received high-level training un- der the baton of the Music Di- rector of the MYO, conductor Duncan Ward, while the Lon- don Symphony Orchestra pro- vided them with pedagogical coaching. Speaking about his experience, clarinetist Michael Cutajar de- scribed it as an "amazing high- light" of his musical journey, re- ferring to the Orchestra as "one big European Family". Violin- ist Stephen Scerri added: "The MYO symphonic session has widened my horizons to the po- tential of youth orchestras and why they are crucial to the sus- tainability of such a profession, combining experienced tutors with young knowledge-seeking musicians." The MYO presented three major large-scale works at a concert in the Grand Théâtre de Provence. These included Boulanger's On a spring morning, Montsal- vatge's Cinco Canciones ne- gras, Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, and a new collective creation for mezzo-soprano Adriana Bignagni Lesca in col- laboration with Fabrizio Cassol. These were also performed on the 19th July at Festival Radio France Occitanie in Montpelli- er, and on the 21st July at Friche la Belle de Mai in Marseille. Violinist Stephen Scerri performing with the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra Clarinetist Michael Cutajar performing with the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra