His deep resonant voice is immediately captivating. It’s stating the obvious for a top-notch bass/baritone who has wowed audiences in his native Canada as well as across continents. But the unmistakable timbre of Daniel Lichti’s voice gains yet another nuance of profundity through his soft-spoken and gentle manner. A nuance which is even more marked when he sings for his coloratura, is honed by a love for his art together with the joy of giving as a singing coach to a long list of students.

Currently in Malta for the second consecutive year to give a week-long series of master classes at the Sala Isouard, Lichti is “thrilled at the wealth of voices” and “wonderful individual talent” in such a small island. Once again his visit to Malta has materialised through the unstinting efforts of the Sliema Lions Arts Foundation. Spearheaded by Ian Lochhead, this offshoot of the Sliema Lions Club has since 2003 organised memorable musical performances to finance studies for promising artistes.

Clearly enjoying the “mystery of natural talent”, Lichti is sharing a lifetime of ongoing performance and coaching with the group of 19 students, some of whom he first met a year ago. “It’s deeply gratifying to note their development”.

Never one to impose despite the firmness with which beginners must come to grips with the discipline of rudimentary technique, Lichti is quick to change tack to bring out the best of introvert and extrovert personalities. So he goads the more retrospective students to “tap and freely make contact with their imagination” while he subtly persuades the more exuberant types “to go beyond their ego”.

Ultimately, however, singers infuse “something of their own in the way they sing and this is only natural”. Indeed very much like a painter who inevitably paints something himself in his portraits. Moreover, there is a particular essence about singing “that cannot be taught … and this adds to the magic of it all,” he affirms with a knowing smile.

Lichti is also adamant about spelling out that singing involves “a long journey of discovery” that begins well after puberty. “Singers are late-starters and it’s important for them to realise that they cannot jump the gun for this will only lead to burn out.” Although he concedes that gaining a mature voice is highly idiosyncratic, budding singers need to acquire the discipline to turn down roles that are far too taxing for them though these are the dreams to aspire to. It’s also important for them not to get carried away by the buzz over young tenors and sopranos, more so in our instant-coffee, push-button culture. It’s a relentless balancing act which is why his present master classes have homed in on the “rich variety” of English and French art songs and black spirituals rather than delve into operatic arias.

Lichti’s stay in Malta culminates with a performance at the Sala Isouard today followed by a Christmas celebration at St John’s Co-Cathedral on Tuesday. The repertoire for the first night is still under wraps whereas Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Adam’s O Holy Night and excerpts from Handel’s Messiah are for the taking at the splendid cathedral. Life’s strange coincidences thread through the latter event for it signals the first collaboration between Lichti and Mro Dion Buhagiar who first crossed each other’s path last year although they were both pursuing their studies at Toronto’s Wilfrid Laurier University way back in the ‘70s.

Another happy coincidence is his role as Pinto de Fonseca in Weber’s rarely staged comic opera The Three Pintos (completed by Mahler) earlier on this year which enabled him to find out about one of Malta’s grandmasters. Lichti’s return to Malta was in the air even though he was still unaware of it.

Both performances start at 7.30pm