This evening Victoria International Arts Festival presents a vocal recital by mezzo-soprano Marvic Monreal accompanied by pianist Christine Zerafa. Mezzo sopranos are not easy to come by and good ones come even rarer. Blessed with a beautiful and warm voice, Marvic is presenting a programme of Baroque and Early Classical arias by Handel, Purcell, and Mozart; Lieder by Schumann, Brahms, Fauré and Richard Strauss, and operatic arias by Bizet. Songs by Quilter and Bellini will also feature. Certainly a wonderful mixture of diverse styles that suit Marvic’s rich mezzo voice.

The concert will be at the Aula Mgr G. Farrugia and starts at 8pm.

Marvic Monreal is a Maltese mezzo-soprano who started her musical education under the supervision of Gillian Zammit. Three years ago, she participated in the Debutants’ Concert organized by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, she has appeared in numerous productions and concerts, most notably singing the solo part in Duruflé’s Requiem with MPO. Currently, Marvic is furthering her vocal technique and music studies at the famous Royal Academy of Music, London, under the tuition of Elizabeth Ritchie and James Baillieu. Here, she has performed roles such as the flower maiden in Wagner’s Parsifal, Ramiro in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera, Minsk Woman in Dove’s Flight, and Lucretia in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia.  She has also taken part in the Royal Academy Opera’s production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress.  Marvic’s beautiful and expressive mezzo voice has also won her the role of Marthe in Gounod’s Faust with Winterbourne Opera, Salisbury, in July. She also looks forward to performing the title role of Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Teatru Manoel, Valletta, in collaboration with the Valletta 2018 Foundation this October. Marvic also holds a degree in Tourism Studies from the University of Malta. Her studies in London are supported by the Malta Arts Fund, BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation, and the Janatha Stubbs Foundation.

Christine Zerafa is a Maltese pianist who has appeared both as soloist and chamber musician in various major venues and Festivals in Europe and the U.S.A., including the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, St James Piccadilly, the National Gallery, the Chiesa di Santo Stefano al Ponte, Florence, Lotherton Hall, Leeds, and the Carriage House Centre for the Arts, New York. She has been a recipient of various awards, including the national Bice Mizzi Competition, the RNCM Clifton Helliwell Memorial Prize, and the ensemble prize in the VFIMF International Competition. Recently, she was awarded the Scott Huxley Prize for pianoforte accompaniment and the Eric Brough Memorial Prize at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where she is currently studying. Christine gained a MMus in solo performance from the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music, under the tuition of Normal Fisher and Paul Hanes, after which she moved on to further her studies with Andrea Lucchesini at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, Florence. Having a great passion for collaboration with singers and instrumentalists, she is currently reading for a MMus degree in pianoforte accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music under the tuition of Michael Duseek, Malcolm Martineau, and Ian Brown. Her studies are kindly supported by the Janatha Stubbs Foundation, the Malta Arts Scholarships, and the Gilling Family Scholarship.