Three up and coming young stars will be performing in a concert organized by Barocco Foundation at the prestigious Villa Bologna in Attard. The concert will be held on the 12 of June at 8pm, featuring two young pianists and an upcoming soprano.
The performers at this concert are going to be soprano Christabelle Formosa and pianists Laetitia Amodio and Sarah Vella. These young performers are already making their mark on the local music scene and as well as abroad and Barocco Foundation is very proud to be presenting these gifted upcoming performers
Soprano Christabelle Formosa has been studying vocal technique since 2006 at the Gozo School of Music and currently at the Johann Strauss School of Music under the direction of Soprano Miriam Cauchi. She has been singing since a very tender age both as a soloist and also as a chorister at various concert platforms. She has also sung in the lunchtime concerts held at the Oratory of St.Francis, in Valletta. In 2010 she was chosen to be part of the choir animating Pope Benedict’s visit. Besides taking part in concerts organised by the John Paul II foundation, Christabelle is very much involved in the music activities within her locality Kercem, Gozo. At this performance, Christabelle will be singing Puccini’s ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’ as well as Morricone’s ‘Nella Fantasia’ from ‘The Mission’, as well as a number of other classical arias.
Laetitia Amodio, aged 11, started her piano studies at the tender age of five, under the tutorship of her mother Charmaine Amodio LRSM. She passed all eight grades of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music with the highest distinction marks, being a Board-prize winner in Grades 7 and 8. In 2012, at the age of ten, she obtained the ALCM and LLCM Diplomas in Piano Performance. She has recently obtained the DipABRSM with distinction.
In the past three years, Laetitia has participated and placed first in three International Piano Competitions abroad, namely ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’ in Trapani, ‘8o Concorso Pianistico Internazionale Marco Fortini’ in Bologna and 21st International Young Musician Competition ‘Città di Barletta’. In Barletta, she has also been awarded a special prize for Best Interpretation in Romantic Music.
In April 2012 she has participated in the 3rd International Competition for Young pianists ‘Slobozhanska Fantasy’ in Sumy, Ukraine with the support of the Malta Arts Fund. She was also a prize-winner and had been invited to perform Rachmaninoff’s Polichinelle at the Region Philharmonic Concert Hall; her performance has been described as ‘an excellent and astonished performance’ by an international concert pianist.
Laetitia has also performed in various concerts, including the Victoria International Arts Festival, Lejl Attard, Notte Bianca, Gaulitana, Festival of Music in Gozo, Classical Music Marathon held at Sala Isouard, Manoel Theatre, Russian Cultural Institute and Sagrestia Vault, Valletta Waterfront as part of the Barocco Cultural Events. In November 2010 she has given a solo recital in a fund-raising concert organised by The Friends of Catch a Rainbow held at the Casino Maltese, Valletta, and her performance was received by a standing ovation. At the age of nine, Laetitia was the youngest performer ever at the Malta Cultural Institute’s concert where she performed various pieces from the Romantic to Modern Era. She performed again as a soloist in 2012 and 2013 for the MCI’s concerts. Laetitia has also participated in numerous masterclasses by Dr. Yuri Didenko, Professor of the Moscow State Conservatoire, by the Italian pianist Mro Franco Foderà and by Dr. Nikita Fitenko, Professor of the Catholic University of America, Washington. In February 2013 she participated in the Valletta International Piano Festival and was selected to perform in the Grand Finale with two international acclaimed pianists at the Grand Hotel Excelsior. Laetitia will be performing classical piano music by Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven and Villa-Lobos, amongst others, at this event.
Sarah Vella started piano lessons at the age of 8 under Ms. Monica Chetcuti and is continuing her studies under the tutorship of Ms. Charlene Farrugia. She has passed all her grade exams with distinctions, and obtained board prizes in Grade 6 and 8. She is currently preparing for her ALCM diploma, and is presently also studying for the B(Mus) LSM under Ms. Stephanie Quintano. Sarah has participated in various concerts; amongst others one can mention lunchtime recitals at Sala Isouard during the last two editions of the International Spring Orchestra Festival, as well as other performances at the Russian Culture Centre in Valletta. She has followed masterclasses by well-known pianists including Franco Fodera and Yuri Didenko. Besides studying piano performance and theory, Sarah is currently a first year Sixth Form student at St. Aloysius College. During the concert, Sarah will be focusing on the piano works of Chopin with two Polonaises.
The concert is being organized by Barocco Foundation with the kind support of Elmo Insurance, Olimpus Music and Marsovin Wines. Tickets for Young Stars on sale from Barocco Foundation at 20 euro, which can be contacted either by phoning 7968 0952 or email at [email protected]. Tickets are also available from Ceramica Shop at Villa Bologna. Tickets to this exclusive event are very limited; interested persons are asked to book early to avoid disappointment. Guests will be invited to a complimentary after-concert excellent glass of Marsovin wine.