It gets better with every concert. Not only are we regaled with a tremendous diversity in the programmes presented, but the chamber ensemble formations change so that we get to see more instruments played on. This evening it is the turn of Duo Aldante, namely, Parisian performers Pierre Henri Xuereb (viola) and Vincent Beer-Demander (mandolin) who will team up with Gregory Daltin (accordion) to give a concert of works by Bach, Piazzolla, Beer-Demander, Cosma, Shostakovich and Ravel. Last year, Duo Aldante had performed with world-famous harpist Fabrice Pierre and we all remember the high level of excellence these musicians from Paris had reached. We anticipate a similar success this evening!

Pierre Henri Xuereb graduated with full honours from the Conservatoire de Musique d’Avignon and won first prize from the Paris Conservatoire in the Viola class of the famous Serge Collot at the age of sixteen. He perfected his studies at the legendary Juilliard School, New York, followed by a postgraduate course at Boston University. Auditioning for Pierre Boulez in New York, he joined the Ensemble Intercontemporain as a soloist for two years. He has collaborated with many prestigious ensembles and orchestras, namely, Audubon, Tchaikovsky Trio, Rosamonde and Talich Quartets, and the Tel Aviv Symphony Orchestra, amongst others. He has also performed in various Festivals, appearing alongside Pascal Devoyon, Natalia Gutman, Jean-François Heisler, Vladimir Mendelssohn, and others.  Pierre Henri has recorded numerous CDs for the labels Timpani, Harmonia Mundi and Deutsche Grammophon and he also teaches master classes in music festivals worldwide. He works closely with the famous Martinů Quartet, with whom he performs in complex chamber formations. He is currently Professor of Viola at the famous Paris Conservatoire and at the Ecole Nationale de Musique de Gennevilliers.

Vincent Beer-Demander is the recipient of numerous first prizes of prestigious competitions all over France, including the famous Ecole superieure de musique, Paris, and others in Europe. After studying the mandolin with Florentino Calvo and Ugo Orlandi, composition with Régis Campo and chamber music with Alberto Ponce, he embarked on a hugely successful career, with performances taking him all over the world.  Apart from teaming up with renowned musicians such as Riccardo Sandoval, Roland Dyens, Roberto Alagana and others, Vincent has also performed with The National Orchestra of France, Capitole of Toulouse, Opera Bastille, National Orchestra of Montpellier, Philharmonic Orchestra of Nice, and many more. As a versatile composer and also a critic and writer of books published in Germany, Canada and Spain, he has been commissioned works by famous musicians but still champions the original repertoire of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. He holds a higher degree in ancient instrument performance and teaches at the legendary Paris Conservatoire and at the Mandolin Academy, Marseille, where he is responsible for the artistic direction of the Academy. His discography reflects his musical eclecticism.

Gregory Daltin hails from Toulouse, where he commenced his musical studies. He embarked on his professional career as Assistant Professor of accordion performance at the Conservatoire de Bordeaux. He is an expert in the interpretation of classical, contemporary and jazz music and has performed extensively with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Ensemble de musique contemporaine Pythagore, Orchestre de la Cité d’Ingres, Orchestre de Chambre de Toulouse, and many more. He regularly collaborates on important projects with the National Cinema, Toulouse, and is a regular at major film festivals. An avid chamber music player, he has teamed up with well-known musicians, namely, saxophonist Didier Labbé, singers Mouss and Hakim of Zebda fame, baritone Omar Hasan, and major soloists from the legendary Opéra de Paris, not to mention violist Pierre Henri Xuereb, mandolinist Vincent Beer-Demander, flamenco guitarists Bernardo Sandoval, Kiko Ruiz and Yvan Cassar, and South African percussionist Thlalé Makéné. He has numerous CDs to his credit and his performances have electrified audiences, earning him rave reviews from critics.

An added point of interest is the venue for this evening’s concert. It will be held at the Public Reference Library in Vajringa Street. Concert starts at 8pm. Don’t miss it – we’re not likely to hear (and see) a similar chamber formation in Malta in the near future!