If you’re visiting Gozo between 12th June and 13th July and would love to enrich your visit with music and culture, you are in for a treat. In a week’s time, the Victoria International Arts Festival (VIAF) returns for its 29th edition, making it the longest-running festival of its kind in Malta and one of the most respected. This year’s programme features no less than 31 acts; a carefully curated selection of intimate recitals, choral polyphonies, debutant concerts, and performances by more established musicians.
As the festival’s name suggests, the performances take place in some of the Gozitan capital’s most beautiful locations, giving attendees the opportunity to discover the island’s unique identity through parts of Victoria that may otherwise not make it to one’s travel itinerary. The opening concert serves as a fitting prelude to a month-long celebration of music, taking place at the Astra Theatre, a venue synonymous with operatic productions, with the participation of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
Once again, Victoria’s churches will be important protagonists in the festival, functioning as atmospheric venues for some of this year’s most anticipated performances. The 17th-century Saint George’s Basilica will set the stage for the home-grown Laudate Pueri Choir and the Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae from Milan on separate occasions. These performances are set to be a perfect meeting of sound and space, where the choirs’ exquisite vocal artistry and repertoires of sacred music are elevated by the splendour of the basilica’s interior.
A Malta-based ensemble that has fast built a reputation for musical excellence since its beginnings in 2011 is the Cordia String Quartet. Like the Laudate Pueri Choir, Cordia is no newcomer to the VIAF, and will once again be treating their audience to the ethereal sounds of the violin, viola, and violoncello at the Church of Saint Francis.
Another standout performance is set to be delivered by Malta’s national choir, KorMalta, at the contemporary and unassuming Oratory Don Bosco Chapel. The choice of venue is perhaps a reflection of the choir’s own focus on contemporary choral polyphony from amid an impressive repertoire that includes Baroque sacred music, operatic and symphonic works. A stone’s throw away from this chapel, the Church of Saint Augustine will host accomplished accordionist, Djordje Gajic, who will open his recital with the dramatic and instantly recognisable notes of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue.
But the festival’s performances are not confined to churches alone. The roof top of Il-Ħaġar, a museum and cultural centre, is an equally stunning location, affording panoramic views of Victoria. Here, senior students of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will return to delight with energetic pieces such as Slavonic Dance Nr 8 and Tientos y Danzas, with their vibrant character spilling into the sultry summer air. Another open-air location is the nearby Saint George’s Square, where La Stella Philharmonic Band will keep audiences guessing with a combination of operatic and more light-hearted pieces. All events forming part of the Victoria International Arts Festival are free of charge. To discover the full calendar of events, visit their official website here.
