Valletta Baroque Festival

Wonder Women Friday 9th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Spanish Baroque & Traditional Music Performed by Forma Antiqva Celebrating trailblazing female artists of 18th-century Spanish theatre—business-minded musicians and singers who broke barriers, claimed their place on stage, and demonstrated their artistic capabilities with courage and resolve. Chirping of the Nightingale (Children's event for families) Sunday 11th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque Performed by Lautten Compagney Lautten Compagney brings classical melodies to young listeners through a dynamic fusion of period-authentic performance and contemporary approaches, transforming historical compositions into engaging, inventive arrangements. 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 performer channels eight warring operatic characters through rapid costume transformations and theatrical presence, complemented by daring musical reimaginings performed on plucked instruments. A Vivaldi Celebration Saturday 17th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque An evening of Vivaldi concertos showcasing the Concerto for 4 Violins, featuring accomplished violinists Charlie Siem, Carmine Lauri, Anna Kosinska, and Samuel Cutajar alongside cellist Maximilian Hornung. The Quattro Stagioni Extravaganza Sunday 18th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque Vivaldi's celebrated Four Seasons concertos remain the Baroque era's most recognizable masterwork. Performed by virtuosi including Maximilian Hornung, Charlie Siem, and Carmine Lauri, this performance promises to be the festival's 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 revolutionised European musical expression through its distinctive compositional voice, celebrated musicians, and widespread artistic impact across the continent. Pelopida Friday 23rd and Sunday 25th January 2026 Teatru Manoel Main Stage Baroque Opera Pelopida: A Newly Recovered 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 collaborates with Teatru Manoel to present Girolamo Abos' Pelopida, a long-lost composition finally brought back to the stage. Led by Maestro Giulio Prandi with a design team of Maltese creatives—Luke Azzopardi crafting costumes and Anthony Bonnici designing sets—this long-awaited revival is realised at last. Drawing on the historical account of the Theban military commander Pelopidas, the opera traces his journey from banishment to becoming a revolutionary figure amid turbulent times in ancient Greece. The narrative centres on his determined campaign against despotism and his struggle to restore liberty to his homeland. Through explorations of honour, personal sacrifice, and moral justice, Pelopida embodies the struggle against tyrannical rule.