MaltaMedia.com

“Serenata” is the title of the forthcoming event at Sagrestia Vault, at the Valletta Waterfront. As the title itself implies, the performance is going to present a number of romantic arias and songs. “Serenata”, a voice, clarinet and piano performance, is going to be held on Friday, the 20th of November at 7:30pm.

The trio tenor Charles Vincenti, clarinetist Michael Bonanno and pianist Yvette Maria Galea will be performing in this concert. The programme has a number of German Lieder songs by Schumann, two songs from Songs of Travel by Ralph Vaughan Williams, E’ Lucenvan le Stelle from Puccini’s opera “Tosca”, Tosti’s La Serenata, Verdi’s La Vita e’ Inferno”, Donizetti’s Quanto e’ bella, quanto e’ cara and the very popular Ernesto di Curtis’ Non ti Scordar di me.

The clarinet and piano are going to perform Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, by Martin Ellerby, Johannes Brahms’ Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, and Carl Maria von Weber’s Concerto in Fa minore. Tenor Charles Vincenti is a well-known classical singer. His operatic roles include Nathaniel & Spalanzani in Offenbach’s Tales Of Hoffmann, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Spoletta in Tosca, Goro in Madame Butterfly and Pang (Le Maschere) in Turandot, all by Puccini, Il Giudice And Il Servo in Un Ballo in Maschera, Roderigo in Otello, both by G. Verdi, Tybalt in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette., the Governor/ Vanderdendur/ Ragotski in Bernstein’s Candide, Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Monostatos in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana and Nikol in Il-Weghda by Charles Camilleri.

In March 2007 and in collaboration between the Manoel Theatre and OperaLaboratorio of Palermo, Vincenti sang the role of Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’ Elisir d’ Amore at the BOV Opera Festival. Vincenti also participated in several concerts and recitals; singing sacred works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Rossini and Haydn as well as Saint-Saens’ Oratorio de Noel, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Haydn’s Paukenmesse. He also sang in Paolino Vassallo’s Messa da Requiem and Messa Grande, Nani’s Requiem, Carmelo Pace’ s Trionfo di Fede and Albert Pace’s Ghanjiet ta’ Bniedem Solitarju.

As a guest performer, in August 2002 he was invited by the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, singing in the production of the Wagner Cycle – “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, organized in collaboration with Jeunesse Musicales Internationale and in November 2006 at the National Theatre of Bastia in Corsica for an operatic concert organized by “Rencontres Musicales de Mediterranee”.

Pianist Yvette Maria Galea won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music to follow a course in Further Professional Studies where she studied mainly with Jean Harvey. She has also studied with Lois Phillips, stressing on Alexander Technique, and Judith Burton, as well as attending several other masterclasses. She has performed in England and Germany as well as locally on numerous occasions, mainly in various chamber groups and duos.

Yvette is also an established private music teacher, with many of her students taking up music professionally abroad. She is the founder of the Classical Music Society, which aims to help local teachers and students work together for better standards.

Michael Bonanno was born in Toronto, Canada in 1985. Starting music education at an early age at the La Vittoria Band Club in Mellieha, he then furthered his clarinet studies under the tuition of famed clarinettist Freddie Mizzi obtaining Associate and Licentiate diplomas in clarinet performance from the London College of Music and theory lessons under the guidance of composer Raymond Sciberras.

In 2005 Michael was chosen to form part of the National Youth Orchestra and was then invited to perform with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Malta. In 2007 he participated in the 7th edition of the Young Musicians Contest organised by the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and placed second in the Mature Category. Presently, Michael is involved in many musical activities with orchestras and concert bands in various places around Malta and Gozo, whilst teaching clarinet and theory lessons at the Choral and Orchestral Society Maria Bambina in Mellieha. Michael also forms part of the Vallette Clarinet Quartet originally formed in 1999 on the initiative of clarinettist and pedagogue Ronnie Debattista.

Tickets for “La Serenata” can be obtained from the door or can be booked beforehand from Barocco Cultural Events by phoning 7968 0952 or email: bookings@baroccomalta.com. The concert is followed by refreshments.