Maltese soprano Ruth Sammut Casingena received a standing ovation during the Christmas Ball Banquet in Vienna organised by the Order of the Knights Hospitallers of Jerusalem of St John.

Sammut Casingena sang Mein Herr Marquis by Johan Strauss, Valzer di Frou Frou by Carlo Lombardo and Meine Leppen, Sie Küssen So Heiss by Franz Lehar. At the end of her interpretation, all those attending gave her a resounding standing ovation that lasted for a while at the Palais Pallavicini in the centre of Austria’s capital city where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had also played at the beginning of his career.

Dame Marie Angelique Caruana, who accompanied Sammut Casingena in Vienna and who had proposed the local soprano to sing during the ball, said the singer, through her interpretation and professionalism, enhanced Malta’s reputation in this field. It was said that some guests were impressed by Sammut Casingena’s master of the German language.

Among those present were Prince Chev Anton Esterhazy de Galantha, the Grand Prior of the Order in Hungary as well as Chev Prof Wil Goodheer, the Prior of the Order in Austria.

Austrian pianist Andreas Slateff accompanied Sammut Casingena during her pieces.