Following last year’s resounding success, The Gozo Youth Orchestra within the Gozo Youth Wind Band & Orchestra in collaboration with the American Embassy and the Culture Office (Ministry for Gozo) will be presenting an open-air concert named Opera vs Pop Under the Stars – Second Edition with the participation of guest soprano Pamela Agius (New York) and Bass Noel Galea (Gozo, Malta). This year, pop singer Ludwig Galea will join forces with the two soloists to present a spectacular combination of classic and pop repertoire. An exhibition of works by well-known Gozitan artist Paul A. Stellini complements the evening. The orchestra consists mainly of 50 Gozitan youths who after having pursued their musical studies both in Gozo and Malta on an individual basis, meet regularly in a group to prepare an exciting and varied repertoire to be performed later on in concerts throughout the year. In fact this is the sixth year since the inception of these two ensembles, namely, The Gozo Youth Orchestra and the Gozo Youth Wind Band.

Opera vs Pop Under the Stars will be held on Monday 3 August at 8.15pm at the Gozo Ministry’s Courtyard, Victoria, Gozo and will be hosted by the Minister for Gozo Giovanna Debono and special guest, the American Chargé d’Affaires Jason Davies. The orchestra will be under the direction of founder and music director Mro Joseph Grech and will include a selection of operatic arias from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera, Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Puccini’s Bohème and Tosca in the first part of the programme, followed by an array of lighter pop arrangements from soundtracks and musicals including West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, Magnificent Seven, Aspects of Love, Chess and Sound of Music among other.

Entrance to the concert is free of charge. Patrons are invited to an after-concert treat, compliments of Abraham Supplies Ltd. Art connoisseurs can acquire works exhibited that would partly go to finance expenses incurred in connection with the event.

The Gozo Youth Orchestra is grateful to the main sponsors: the American Embassy, Gozo Cultural Office and Joseph Portelli Projects together with Xuereb Glass, Grand Hotel (Gozo), Abraham Supplies Ltd and The General Soft Drinks Co. Ltd without whom the evening would not have been possible.

Reservation Hotline: 9942 1611, 2155 6125; email: [email protected] or [email protected]