Valletta Baroque Festival

Wonder Women Friday 9th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Spanish Baroque & Traditional Music Performed by Forma Antiqva Honoring the groundbreaking women who shaped Spanish theatre in the 1700s, this performance celebrates the actresses, impresarios, and vocalists who made their mark through talent and unwavering resolve. Chirping of the Nightingale (Family-friendly children's event) Sunday 11th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque Performed by Lautten Compagney This ensemble fuses classical idioms with contemporary approaches, delivering fresh and imaginative arrangements of period music tailored for young audiences. Nemici d'Amore – Lacrime, Follia e Passione Sunday 11th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque La Terza Prattica with Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Soprano) A solo artist transforms into eight competing opera characters via rapid costume transitions and onstage shape-shifting, supported by adventurous instrumental adaptations. A Vivaldi Celebration Saturday 17th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque Highlights from Vivaldi's concerto collection presented by celebrated musicians Charlie Siem and Carmine Lauri, alongside Anna Kosinska, Samuel Cutajar, and cellist Maximilian Hornung, featuring the Concerto for 4 Violins. The Quattro Stagioni Extravaganza Sunday 18th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque Vivaldi's iconic Four Seasons concertos represent the Baroque era's crowning achievements. Performed by virtuosos including Maximilian Hornung, Charlie Siem, and Carmine Lauri, this festival concert promises to be an unforgettable highlight. The Roots & Branches of Neapolitan Music Saturday 24th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque Performed by Arianna Art Ensemble, directed by Giacomo Biagi Eighteenth-century Naples left an indelible imprint on European musical culture through its innovative composers, emotional directness, and far-flung influence. Pelopida Friday 23rd and Sunday 25th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque Opera A Newly Unearthed Opera by Girolamo Abos Conductor – Giulio Prandi Assistant Conductor – Giacomo Biagi Stage Director – Brett Nicholas Brown Costume Designer – Luke Azzopardi Set Designer – Anthony Bonnici Lighting Designer – Moritz Zavan Stoeckle Orchestra – Arianna Art Ensemble Festivals Malta and Teatru Manoel join forces to present Pelopida, a forgotten masterpiece by Italo-Maltese composer Girolamo Abos. Led by Maestro Giulio Prandi's baton, this long-overdue revival showcases contributions from Malta's creative talent, including costume designer Luke Azzopardi and set designer Anthony Bonnici. Drawing on the historical Theban commander Pelopidas, the opera chronicles his journey from banishment to becoming a symbol of resistance, unfolding amid the turmoil of classical Greece. The work dramatizes his determined campaign to dismantle oppressive rule and restore his homeland's independence. Through explorations of duty, self-sacrifice, and moral law, the piece embodies the enduring human struggle against tyranny and subjugation.