The festival kicked off on Tuesday at St Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral. The opening concert featured the great violin virtuoso and conductor Dimitry Sitkovetsky with the Purcell School Chamber Soloists, a dynamic string ensemble comprising exceptional young musicians from the prestigious Purcell School. Led by the renowned Dmitry Sitkovetsky, the ensemble presented a diverse programme.

Rachel Gauci's debut piano recital on 5 April, featured works by Olivier Messiaen and Franz Liszt.

Yesterdsay's performance by the Ensemble Télémaque from Marseille focused on the Mediterranean region's musical heritage that thrives regardless of the diverse cultural and linguistic landscapes along it shores.  Here the audience listened to the music of three contemporary Mediterranean composers from Corsica, Sardinia and Malta followed by Luciano Berio's acclaimed Folk Songs.

So now we are entering the second phase of the festival and on 9 and 10 April with Rising Stars Concerts I and II, highlighting exceptional young talents from the Malta School of Music in saxophone quartet, piano performances, and the School of Music Little Big band.

On 11 April at Casino Maltese Alba dal Collo, choreographer, dancer, singer has created a dance performance evocative of hope in the light of recent worldwide events.

Friday 12 April will explore Ġuże Camilleri's researched "Anecdotes of Maltese Early Jazz" weaving together live music with film, offering the audience a bonding of music and visuals. Concluding festival with grandeur on 13 April at Teatru Manoel, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Anne Marie Granau, will perform masterpieces by Carl Nielsen, Franz Liszt and Igor Stravinsky, featuring acclaimed pianist Dinara Klinton and tenor Alan Sciberras while marking Giacomo Puccini's Puccini's 100th year of his demise.

Admission for the concerts is free for children aged 15 years and younger with a 50%discount for students and senior citizens.

Tickets may be purchased by calling the Teatru Manoel's Booking Office on 2124 6389, 10:00-17:00, by sending an email on bookings.

[email protected] or online from www.teatrumanoel.mt.

The 18th Malta Spring Festival is supported by Arts Council Malta, The Embassy Valletta Hotel, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di La Valletta and the Ambassade de France à Malte.