Two upcoming musicians have come up with the idea of raising funds for the newly set up Research Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT) of the University of Malta by organising a sax-piano recital.

Batera Duo, composed of saxophonist Philip Attard and pianist Christine Zerafa, will debut their repertoire in the Music Room of St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta on Sunday, 29 April at 7.30pm.

The pezzo forte of the evening is a rare saxophone piece of Maltese origin, the Sonata op. 109, by Maltese composer Joseph Vella. The programme includes works by Darius Milhaud, Roberto Molinelli, Astor Piazzolla, and Pedro Iturralde.

Philip Attard is reading for a bachelor degree in music at the University of Malta, majoring in saxophone performance under the tutelage of Godfrey Mifsud. He has also studied with saxophonist Joseph Vella and attended master classes with Gilles Tressos, Masakata Hirano, Sylvain Malezieux and Fabrizio Mancuso. Christine Zerafa is establishing herself as a solo concert pianist, chamber musician and piano tutor. After having studied with Joanne Camilleri, she went on to obtain her Masters degree in Solo Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) under the tuition of Paul Janes and Norma Fisher. She is furthering her studies with Andrea Lucchesini at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Florence.

Booking for the Batera Duo in Concert is open and tickets can be purchased from St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta, tel. 21223200 or via email: [email protected]; or website: www.sjcav.org