First Concert - Friday, 15 May - The 'Conrads in Concert'
Piano, Violin and Horn Performance by Elizabeth Conrad - Piano, Maria Conrad - Violin and José Garcia Gutierrez - Horn.
This concert has the support of the ADRC Trust, which was founded by the Chalmers family to commemorate their late son and brother Alistair, who was a keen Din l-Art Ħelwa volunteer and who had music and culture very much at heart.
Elisabeth Conrad is an organist, pianist and cellist. Since 1999, she has been the regular accompanist of St. Paul's Choral Society, performing regularly at local venues and also joining the choir on tours in London and Austria. Future engagements include concerts with the St. Paul's Choral Society at Notre Dame, La Madeleine and St. Sulpice Cathedrals in Paris, in August.
Maria Conrad studied piano and violin and graduated from the University of Malta and London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has worked extensively in Spain with several leading orchestras such as Orquesta Filarmonica di Gran Canaria, Orquestras Sinfonica de Tenerife, Galicia, Navarra and Bilbao. She has performed in over twenty countries. She is a member of the Argotti Ensemble and has also participated in various recordings.
José Garcia Gutierrez completed his horn studies in Spain and in Amsterdam. He has worked with most of Spain's major orchestras and currently holds the position of Principal Horn with the prestigious Orquesta de Radio Television Española in Madrid. He has had solo engagements as soloist or Principal Horn with several leading orchestras including the Vienna Radio Orchestra, Orquestras Sinfonica de Tenerife, Bilbao, Elke and Murcia. He has several recordings to his credit. As a soloist and chamber musician he has offered performances worldwide.
The musicians will entertain the audience with fascinating works by Duvernoy, Reinecke, Brahms, Granados, de Falla, Buyanowski and Mompou.
Second Concert - Saturday, 23 May - The String Ensemble Cincievski
The Ensemble comprising Vincenzo Picone - Violin, Matteo Colombo - Violin, Matthew Fenech - Viola, Mario Psaila - Violoncello and Gjorgji Cincievski - Double-Bass is sponsored by the Embassy of France and Alliance Française de Malte - Méditerranée.
The newly founded String Ensemble Cincievski focuses on the research, presentation and performance of musical pieces which have been either forgotten with time or simply neglected. They also premiere contemporary works originally written for them. The idea of founding this ensemble came from Gjorgji Cincievski, hence the name of the Ensemble. The very versatile nature of this ensemble has united them via the music of G. Onslow, H.Cassadesus, J. Brahms, F. Schubert, J.S. Bach, D. Shuplevski amongst many others.
The Cincievski Ensemble will perform George Onslow's String Quintet No. 11 Op. 33 and No. 12 Op. 34.
Third Concert - Saturday, 30 May - Musica Nova Duo
This is a Violin and Guitar duo made up of Massimo de Bonfils - Violin and Luca Minervino - Guitar
This concert is being made possible by the support of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura under the patronage of the Embassy of Italy, within the frame of the activities for the promotion EXPO Milano 2015 and in collaboration with the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia.
Massimo de Bonfils is currently Professor at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome. At the age of thirty-one he became the youngest Director of the Conservatorio d'Italia (A Vivaldi di Alessandria e di Novara). He has participated in tours with the Orchestra of the Teatro Petruzzelli in Europe, Brazil and the USA. He has performed as soloist with renowned orchestras in three continents and is invited to be part of the jury panel of numerous reputable international awards. He has given concerts and radio-TV recordings in more than sixty countries in Europe, America, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East. He has directed Chamber Orchestras in festivals in Italy, Spain, Tunisia and Bolivia.
Luca Minervino graduated in classical guitar from the Conservtorio Niccolò Piccinni di Bari. He has won various national and international competitions. He has played in the First Edition of the World Bach Festival at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, at the Teatro del Sale in Florence, at the Music Festival of Nations at the Teatro Marcello in Rome and at the Festival di MondoMusica in Cremona. In addition, he has performed in New York at the Bronxville Women's Club and also in St. Petersburg at the Italian Institute of Cultural Heritage. He has performed duo concerts in Rome at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, in Frankfurt, Munich, St. Petersburg, Valencia, Tokyo, Hong Kong and New York.
The Musica Nova Duo will entertain the public with excerpts from Operas by Gioacchino Rossini.
Fourth Concert - Saturday, 13 June - Guitar and Flute Concert by the Duo Liat Cohen, BOULANGER Prize, guitar, and Eyal Ein Habar, Flute.
This concert is being made possible through the patronage of the Embassy of Israel, participating for the first time at the Bir Miftuħ international Music Festival.
Liat Cohen dubbed 'the princess of the classical guitar' is considered to be one of the most important guitarists in the world today. She is the first classical guitarist ever to receive the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Prize awarded by the Fondation de France.
She has played at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Salle Cortot in Paris, the National Theatre of Costa Rica, the Opera National de Montpellier, the Musée des Invalids in Paris, the Palais des Congrès de Lyon, the Jerusalem Theatre in Tel Aviv and the Palazzo Bernini in Rome.
She has performed with leading orchestras and at festivals in the U.S.A. Australia, South America, Turkey, Sweden and Israel, many being broadcast live on national television and radio. Cohen is 'a true virtuoso guitarist, continuing the tradition of Andrés Segovia'. Guitar Magazine called her 'a virtuoso of poignant, delicate sound'. She is highly acclaimed for her impeccable technique, her deftness and resourcefulness.
Eyal Ein-Habar -Flutist-conductor Eyal Ein-Habar, is the former first chair player of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (1997-2014). He is a flute instructor and Head of the Wind Department at Tel-Aviv University's Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, in collaboration with the Israel Philharmonic.
He was the featured soloist on the IPO's USA tour in November 2008, performing Bernstein's Halil in New York's Carnegie Hall, in New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Diego and Los Angeles.
Music Director of the IDF Chamber Orchestra, Ein-Habar is a frequent guest conductor of the leading Israeli orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a founding member of the Israel Woodwind Quintet. His recordings can be found on Centaur Records (USA), Meridian (England), IMI (Israel) and others. His latest CD "It Takes Two to Trio" (Centaur Records) -trios for flute, oboe and keyboard - was highly acclaimed by the American Record Guide and by the Pan Magazine of the British Flute Association.
The duo will entertain the audience with marvellous works by Giuliani, Zequinha de Abreu and Villa Lobos.
All concerts start at 8p.m. Tickets for each concert cost €20 per person and include a reception after the performance in the medieval chapel's grounds. Block tickets for all four concerts and receptions cost €65 per person, tickets for three concerts and receptions cost €50 per person, tickets for two concerts and receptions cost €35 per person.
For further information contact Din l-Art Ħelwa tel. 21225952/21220358 Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 12.30pm, or email [email protected]