The celebrity concert will take place on 27 April and is being billed as the Manoel Theatre’s contribution to the extensive calendar of EU accession celebrations. The event is rather particular as it will be the first time that these two world class stars will be performing together in what is definitely a historic occasion.

Both parts of the programme are appealing as they contain vocal and instrumental music. First, Joseph Calleja will sing a selection of arias ranging from opera classics to light romances accompanied by the National Orchestra under the baton of Brian Schembri.

In the second part, the conductor will perform Tchaikovsky’s romantically charged Fourth Symphony, surely one of the masterpieces of the symphonic repertoire.

It has been some time since Mr Schembri’s last appearance in Malta three years ago when he directed works by Brahms and gave a sizzling interpretation of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. Mr Schembri is also widely known for his career as a pianist and he has given various impressive recitals all over the globe.

At present, he divides his time between between engagements as assistant conductor with the Orchestra Nationale du Capitole de Toulouse in France and Principal Conductor of the Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa in Portugal.

Brian Schembri has also conducted a large number of opera productions with ARCAL, the Ensemble Justiniana and at the Rennes and Nancy opera houses. He has also worked with several prestigious orchestras including the Barcelona Orchestra, the Moscow Soloists, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Lyon National Orchestra in all sorts of repertoire.

Mr Schembri also recorded a CD featuring three monumental piano works in November 2003. These are Beethoven’s 32nd Sonata, Schubert’s 13th Sonata and Rachmaninov’s Sonata No. 2.

This CD will be on sale from the Manoel Theatre Shop together with Joseph Calleja’s CD by Decca on the occasion.