Tenor Joseph Calleja is to head a world class line up of performers for this year’s BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation fundraising concert, which will feature the concertmaster at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, David Chan, conducting the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Australian soprano Jessica Pratt, who sings at opera houses around the world and has been described by the New York Times as possessing a “gleaming sound”, and Italian baritone Vittorio Vitelli will be lending their talent to the event.

All proceeds will go to the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation, set up in 2013 to provide financial assistance to promising local musical talent and underprivileged children with distinctive musical ability.

Mr Calleja, fresh from a critically acclaimed run of Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, said: “I would like to thank the artists for generously giving up their time to support a cause very close to my heart in what promises to be a memorable night.”

“The money raised by the foundation over the past five years has enabled us to give our scholars – some of whom will also be performing – an opportunity they might not otherwise have had to make an impression in the highly-competitive world of arts.

“The highlight of the year for me was 18-year-old Gozitan baritone Charles Buttigieg being offered a full tuition scholarship to study Voice at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, which has an acceptance rate of just five per cent.

“This shows that our efforts are worthwhile.”

The BOV Joseph Calleja Winter Concert will be held at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta on Saturday, December 15 at 8pm, followed by a reception at the Casino Maltese.

Tickets for the concert, available against a donation of €100 each, may be reserved through the Manoel Theatre booking website www.teatrumanoel.com.mt. Benefactors who attend the concert will also have the opportunity to meet Joseph Calleja and the guest artists during the post-concert reception.