Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542465
9 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 9 JANUARY 2026 CULTURE 2026 marks the 50th anniversary since the inauguration of Teat- ru tal-Opra Aurora, the seat of the Leone Philharmonic Society in Victoria Gozo. It is an anni- versary that will be celebrated through various events, and on various counts, the first of which will be a tribute to its historic contribution to cinema heritage. Hence, Aurora Resounds – an evening of film music by the Le- one Band and conductor Colin Attard on Saturday 24th January 2026 at 8pm. Many are those who know the Aurora as an opera house and rightly so. But Aurora (1976) carries the name and the leg- acy of a former Aurora (1963), the outright foremost cinema on the island. The first Auro- ra itself carried the torch of a former Royal Talkies, the first ever talkies in Gozo, opened on 5th January 1931. It ran si- lent movies shows every Tues- day, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for 4 years, until 'Two Hearts in Waltztime' became the first ever talking movie screened on the island in Jan- uary 1935. To the Aurora are credited the glorious days of cinema in Gozo in its golden age. Quite naturally, however, the death of cinema within the Aurora, in 1997, marked a natural tran- sition and evolution as cinema technology became more ad- vanced and sophisticated and moved into specific cinema theatres. Yet, the Aurora with two pairs of fully functioning projectors stands as a tem- ple and sanctuary of cinema heritage on the island. Auro- ra Resounds will celebrate all of this, with an extraordinary display of cinema machinery, memorabilia, archived footage and interviews, and above all, sumptuous musical master- pieces that made the greatest blockbusters so memorable. A story to be retold Hence, Aurora Resounds ap- peals to all those who love cin- ema and cinema music. But it will also be a trip down mem- ory lane for those who can reminisce the golden days of the seventies when the Auro- ra was being built as the larg- est community project on the island. The evening will come with lots of music but also with a powerful narrative of which so many can share. To this end, the Aurora administration is calling on all those, locals and foreigners, who have a story to share about the Aurora, to es- tablish contact and contribute to an extraordinary collection of stories being compiled about the place, its people and its guests. Stories are welcomed in writing on teatruaurora@le- one.org.mt or by appointment on +356 79045779. Aurora Resounds is the open- ing event of the 2026-2027 50th anniversary special season celebrating the 50 years of Au- rora (1976) and opera in Gozo (1977). It is organised by the Leone Philharmonic Society and Teatru tal-Opra Aurora, supported by the Cultural Her- itage Directorate within the Ministry for Gozo and Plan- ning. Entrance is free of charge. Reservations are strongly rec- ommended. The concert starts at 2000hrs. Other events in the season, for which tickets are already out on sale include the opera La Traviata, on 17th Oc- tober 2026. Tickets available from +356 79045779 or www. teatruaurora.com, or teatruau- rora@leone.org.mt. Aurora resounds: Celebrating 50 years of cinema, music and memory in Gozo 2026 marks the 50th anniversary since the inauguration of Teatru tal-Opra Aurora, the seat of the Leone Philharmonic Society in Victoria Gozo