Although he has been on the music and theatre scene for myriad years, the name and persona of Kenneth Zammit Tabona has now become synonymous with the Valletta International Baroque Festival.

Since its inception, for Mr Zammit Tabona this festival has been an absorbing passion - a celebration of Valletta as a magnificent setting for the presentation of Baroque music, and during the festival the city reverberates with music from the period when it was built.

"We tend to take Valletta for granted but it is so special. It has beautiful venues that lend themselves to this sort of thing," he says. "We are so fortunate to have an 18th-century gem of a theatre surrounded by so many churches - all within walking distance, as well as the Grand Master's Palace and other splendid venues such as the Archaeology Museum. The location is perfect."

Mr Zammit Tabone cites the very first item on this year's programme - excerpts from the works of Corelli, Vivaldi and Handel, among others, by the Concerto de' Cavalier' at the Ta' Giezu Church on 12 January - as the perfect example of a flawless and seamless marriage between music and venue. "Most Baroque music is religious and the best places in which to perform it is churches," he says. "The beauty of the church enhances the music and vice versa."

Currently in its fifth year, the festival has consistently brought to our shores top-class acts and performers. As a member of the Board of Directors of the Réseau Européen De Musique Ancienne - REMA (the European Early Music Network) for the past two years, Mr Zammit Tabona has been able to make many contacts and exchange knowledge and information with experts in the field all over Europe.

"The festival has become very well-known - far more well-known than I ever envisaged," he says with a smile. "I never imagined it would have this sort of success. Of the many festivals in Europe, we are unique because of the venues we can offer. Every year, I am contacted by many, many people wishing to participate - somewhere in the region of a thousand applications - and I choose 20."

Performances still to take place include Inspired by Baroque with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michelle Castelletti at the Manoel Theatre on 26 January at 7.30pm, as well as Purcell's Operatic Arias at St Paul's Anglican Cathedral with Les Ambassadeurs and soprano Claire Debono, on 28 January at 12.30pm.

Mr Zammit Tabona says that he is particularly looking forward to the final item on this year's programme. Entitled Fit for a King, it will see the resident ensemble of the Valletta International Baroque Festival, which consists of predominantly Maltese musicians, guided by foreign Baroque specialists, performing two of Handel's most famous works: The Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks at the Manoel Theatre on 28 January at 7.30 pm.

There is an event being held today at 3pm that is ideal for children and families - a treasure hunt all around the Manoel Theatre to explore everything Baroque, for families with children aged between seven and 13 or groups of children accompanied by at least one adult.

"I take the same attitude to the festival as I do to the theatre: it is a living thing, it still functions," says Mr Zammit Tabona. "Baroque music does not belong in a museum. It is something that is alive; not something to be closed in a vetrina [display case]."

So what's next for Mr Zammit Tabona after the end of this year's festival next Saturday? "Well," he says with a laugh, "The brochure for the 2018 programme is already out, so after this one is over, I'll start working on the one in 2019."

Certainly not one to rest on his laurels!

More information regarding the Valletta International Baroque Festival, including the programme up to 28 January, can be found on www.vallettabaroquefestival.com.mt