UNESCO 70th Anniversary Concert at Manoel Theatre

 

This event has been made possible through the generous cooperation of our National Symphonic Orchestra, in this case under the baton of Maestro Brian Schembri; the Manoel Theatre Management Committee including its CEO Mr Sigmund Mifsud; colleagues serving on the UNESCO National Commission particularly our executive secretary Philip Cassar and at least one other National Commission member, Tanya Bayona, who first proposed the initiative to the National Commission and subsequently to the authorities concerned.

 

In addition to the highly respected professional expertise of the  musicians and conductor concerned, this concert also hosts a renowned guest artist, Sergei Nakariakov, who has been dubbed as ‘the Paganini of the trumpet’. Anyone familiar with that great violinist’s oeuvre must certainly look forward to the performance on the trumpet by Nakariakov, who has been said to play the trumpet “the way the rest of us breathe’.

 

This event probably constitutes the National UNESCO Commission’s highlight for this anniversary year. However, in spite of limited finances, the year has also been marked by various other activities, including, in conjunction with UNESCO Paris, an international conference on biosphere parks, the proceedings of which are just now being published in South Korea; exhibitions by Ruth Bianco entitled ‘Film and Fame’, and by Godfrey Xuereb entitled ‘Heritage Link’, the former showing artistic collages from film sequences, the latter Malta-centred ceramics. Shortly, in association with our UNESCO National Commission counterpart in Venice, we are hosting a one week training scheme on risk management at the University of Malta’s Valletta campus for civil defence and other practitioners in this all too important field. That is apart from other initiatives being pursued by the Commission in the fields of song and dance for UNESCO’s world memory programme.

 

Today’s concert is a fund-raising activity for Action against Breast Cancer, so any donations at the door to this very worthwhile cause would be much appreciated.  

      

I would like heartily to thank Her Excellency the President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, for lending us her patronage, and, once again, all those – musicians, administrators and colleagues - who have helped to make this singular performance happen, as well as the various dignitaries who are gracing us with their presence this morning, together with esteemed members of the general public.

I hope that all those attending enjoy the concert.