Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543356
10 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 20 FEBRUARY 2026 CULTURE Gozo chef George Attard earns MICHELIN Young Chef Award GOZTIAN chief George At- tard has received the MICHE- LIN Young Chef Award for his work at Level Nine at The Grand in Mgarr. The recog- nition highlights the island's growing influence within the broader Maltese gastronomic landscape. The 2026 MICHELIN Guide Malta features 48 restaurants, including six new recommen- dations. All seven starred es- tablishments retained their distinctions, while the Bib Gourmand category expanded to five, with Verbena in Mgarr joining the list. Three profes- sionals were honoured with special MICHELIN awards, reinforcing Malta's reputation as a high-quality gastronomic destination. Attard, 31, returned to Gozo after gaining international ex- perience, leading Level Nine with a contemporary Mediter- ranean menu inspired by lo- cal flavours and modern tech- niques. His award reflects both his personal creativity and Gozo's potential as a centre for culinary excellence. The Malta Tourism Author- ity and government officials emphasized that such recog- nitions strengthen the islands' appeal to high-value visitors and support strategic growth in the premium tourism sector. One Michelin Star recipients include Rosamì, Fernandõ Gas- trotheque, Under Grai, No- ni, De Mondion, and Le GV, with ION Harbour by Simon Rogan holding two stars. The MICHELIN Guide's selection underscores sustained quality and innovation across Malta's dining scene. Clintess launches Ejja CLINTESS has just released her 8th Studio Album on her birthday February 20th entitled "Ejja", which means "Come". This is a first for Clintess as it is an almost fully Maltese album that fans have been asking for years. Songwriters on board are Dominic Cini, Etienne Micallef, Philip Vella, Gerard James Borg and Emil Calleja Bayliss. The first single off this album was released on Febru- ary 14th and was "Int Thobbni Kif Jien". ALL artwork was entrusted to Still Images, who captured every image to detail. One can purchase this new album by visiting www.clintess.biz and Amazon Music Art song recital showcases works by Maltese composers A special art song recital fea- turing soprano Miriam Cauchi, cellist Simon Abdilla Joslin, and pianists Maria Frendo and Alex Vella Gregory is set to highlight the music of promi- nent Maltese composers. The programme will present a cu- rated selection of songs by Joseph Vella and Alex Vella Gregory, set to texts by some of Malta's leading poets. The recital aims to explore the interplay between poetry and music, celebrating Joseph Vella's distinctive composi- tional style while juxtaposing it with the contemporary musical language of Alex Vella Grego- ry. Organizers say the perfor- mance will offer audiences an intimate artistic experience that bridges generations and expressive styles. A special art song recital features soprano Miriam Cauchi, cellist Simon Abdilla Joslin, and pianists Maria Frendo and Alex Vella Gregory Clintess