If you\u2019re 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\u2019s 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\u2019s programme features no less than 31 acts; a carefully curated selection of intimate recitals, choral polyphonies, debutant concerts, and performances by more established musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the festival\u2019s name suggests, the performances take place in some of the Gozitan capital\u2019s most beautiful locations, giving attendees the opportunity to discover the island\u2019s unique identity through parts of Victoria that may otherwise not make it to one\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, Victoria\u2019s churches will be important protagonists in the festival, functioning as atmospheric venues for some of this year\u2019s most anticipated performances. The 17th-century Saint George\u2019s 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\u2019 exquisite vocal artistry and repertoires of sacred music are elevated by the splendour of the basilica\u2019s interior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another standout performance is set to be delivered by Malta\u2019s national choir, KorMalta, at the contemporary and unassuming Oratory Don Bosco Chapel. The choice of venue is perhaps a reflection of the choir\u2019s own focus on contemporary choral polyphony from amid an impressive repertoire that includes Baroque sacred music, operatic and symphonic works. A stone\u2019s 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\u2019s Toccata and Fugue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n