Maestro Joseph Vella’s Mass To Be Performed In New York In 2015

During the celebrations in Washington DC marking the fiftieth anniversary of Malta’s Independence, the Maltese Ambassador to the US Ms. Marisa Micallef took the opportunity to organise a cultural event to promote Maestro Joseph Vella’s Mass. The event was held at the Headquarters of the EU Delegation, where earlier this year Malta also successfully promoted the Valletta International Baroque Festival. 

The Ambassador and Christopher Hyland, who originally commissioned the Mass, had previously also had talks with the New York Choral Society in connection with performing this in New York City. During the Malta celebrations in DC the Director of the New York Choral Society David Hayes, made the very positive announcement that the New York Choral Society had decided to perform this Mass in the fall of 2015 in NYC.

This event was very well attended by EU and other ambassadors, a number of US Administration officials including the Chief of Protocol, leaders from the DC Arts world, members of the Maltese community and of the diplomatic community in Washington, including the Apostolic Nuncio to the US.

The autographed programme relating to the September 19th Malta 50th anniversary event will be added to the New York Choral Society archive which is part of the collection of the NY Library of the performing arts.

Ambassador Micallef explained how when she first heard the Mass she knew it would be her responsibility to ensure it would be performed here in the USA and the Embassy of Malta had put together this special cultural event with this in mind.

Thirteenth Year Anniversary Montage of 9/11

You are cordially invited for the unveiling of the Thirteenth Year Anniversary Montage memorializing the 185 Pentagon Souls who perished on Sept 11th, 2001.  The event will be held at the San Anton Presidential Palace - H'Attard.

The event is organised Maltese Artist Challie Turu Spiteri.

The general public is invited to attend.

Email 13anniversary9112014@gmail.com for more information or to reserve your place.

We encourage everyone to attend.

New Foundation Will Share And Celebrate Malta With North American Audiences

[Hamilton, Massachusetts] — To inspire Americans to learn about, experience and support places of great historic, cultural, and natural significance in Malta, the American Malta Foundation was created, in alliance with Din l-Art Ħelwa, the National Trust of Malta. After two years of planning, and studying the feasibility of a new organization, the American Malta Foundation (AMF) was formally launched in 2014, and is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. AMF memberships are available, and begin at $25. 

Din l-Art Ħelwa is a non-governmental, nonprofit, voluntary organization founded in 1965 to safeguard the historic, artistic and natural heritage of Malta. Since its beginning, Din l-Art Ħelwa has restored and managed numerous cultural sites of immense historic and environmental importance. As an independent American nonprofit corporation, the American Malta Foundation will help promote Din l-Art Ħelwa priorities in the United States and Canada. 

 

According to Stefanie Joy Muscat, President of the AMF Board of Directors, “In late 2012, the first conversations about the Foundation began, between myself and Luciano Mulè Stagno of Din l-Art Ħelwa. As the wife of a 2nd generation Maltese descendent, and the mother of a 3rd generation, I was actively seeking ways in which my family could have meaningful engagement with its Maltese roots. I was aware of organizations, in North America, actively fundraising and promoting the interests of NGOs in Europe and Asia. Why couldn't such an organization exist to represent Malta?” 

There are many activities currently being undertaken, and planned, by the American Malta Foundation. Among them is the North American Maltese Oral History Project (NAMOP), which represents one of the first attempts in the US and Canada to record Maltese immigrant experiences in their own words. 

The Foundation is also offering group travel to Malta. Two trips are being planning for 2015, with departures in April and October. Tours created by the American Malta Foundation allow for an intimate and exclusive view of Malta's unique culture, heritage and natural beauty. 

General information about the American Malta Foundation is available at http://www.americanmaltafoundation.org.

4th Convention For Maltese Living Abroad

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs would like to inform the Maltese diaspora and the general public that the next convention for Maltese Living Abroad will take place on 20-23 April 2015. Preparations are currently ongoing and the Ministry would like to hear from those who are interested in participation at the fourth Convention.

The Convention will consist of plenary sessions together with a number of workshops. Other activities will also be organized at the margins of the Convention. These include an arts exhibition, literary symposium and a drawing exhibition by school children across the island relating to themes linked with the Diaspora.

The working languages of the Convention will be Maltese and English.

Those interested in attending the Convention are invited to express their intent of participation by filling in the form that may be downloaded from http://mfa.gov.mt/library/2015Convention%20-%201stNotice+Form%20(FINAL%20-%204July2014)%20(3).pdf. This form is to be sent via email on convention2015.mfa@gov.mt. Alternatively, the form may be sent to the following postal address:

The Director
Directorate for Maltese Living Abroad
Directorate-General for Political, European Affairs and Maltese Abroad
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Palazzo Parisio, Merchant’s Street
Valletta – VLT 1171
Malta

All forms (by electronic mail or by post) must reach the Ministry for Foreign Affairs by not later than Thursday 14 August 2014 (12.00hrs CET).

Festival Barokk għal Gżira Barokka - lecture minn Kenneth Zammit Tabona

Fil-15 ta’ Mejju 2014, l-Ambaxxata tar-Repubblika ta’ Malta f’Washington D.C., b’kollaborazzjoni mad-Delegazzjoni tal-UE fl-Istati Uniti, kellha l-pjaċir li torganizza lecture minn Kenneth Zammit Tabona, il-Viċi President tat-Teatru Manoel, fuq l-identità barokka ta’ Malta, b’konnessjoni ukoll mal-Valletta International Baroque Festival, li huwa d-Direttur Artistiku tagħha. 

Dan il-lecture kien ir-riżultat ta’ laqgħat li l-Ambaxxatur Micallef kellha mad-Delegazzjoni tal-UE dwar is-suġġett tal-kultura ftit wara li waslet f’Washington, fejn kienet iddiskutiet ix-xewqa tagħha li l-Valletta International Baroque Festival u l-identità barokka ta’ Malta b’mod aktar ġenerali jkunu magħrufa aħjar min-nies ta’ D.C..

L-esperta tal-mużika storika Tina Chancey u l-kollegi tagħha mal-ewwel ħolqu l-atmosfera billi daqqew sonata mill-kompożitur Malti Michelangelo Vella (1710-1792), li kienet l-ewwel darba li qatt semgħuha udjenzi Amerikani.

Is-Sur Zammit Tabona imbagħad afaxxini l-udjenza bit-taħdita tiegħu fuq l-istorja w il-kultura ta’ Malta. Iffoka speċjalment fuq il-perjodu tal-Kavallieri ta’ Malta u kif dawn kienu ġew Malta u mhux talli baqgħu fuq il-Gżira iżda iffjorixxew u għamlu lil Malta attur ewlieni fix-xena kulturali tal-Ewropa fis-sekli sbatax u tmintax. Spjega kif il-belt Valletta kienet mibnija u tkellem dwar l-maestà tat-Teatru Manoel. Wara li kien pinġa stampa daqstant dettaljata, is-Sur Zammit Tabona mbagħad spjega l-kunċett tal-Valletta International Baroque Festival u qal kif Valletta ġiet magħżula bħala l-Kapitali Ewropea tal-Kultura għas-sena 2018.

In-nies fl-udjenza mbagħad kellhom l-opportunità li jistaqsu xi mistoqsijiet lis-Sur Zammit Tabona dwar dan is-suġġett u biex jitkellmu miegħu b’mod aktar informali matul riċeviment ċkejken li ġie organizzat wara t-taħdita. Fuljetti promozzjonali dwar Malta kienu disponibbli għall-parteċipanti tal-avveniment matul il-lejla.

Il-lecture kien organizzat bħala parti mill-programm Conversations in Culture tad-Delegazzjoni tal-UE, li huwa serje kulturali li jsir kull xahar fil-Delegazzjoni tal-UE mniedi sabiex jenfasizza l-kulturi diversi tat-28 Stat Membru tal-UE. Il-lecture ifforma wkoll parti mill-programm tal-hekk imsejjaħ Xahar Ewropew tal-Kultura, li qed jiġi organizzat għat-tieni darba matul ix-xahar ta’ Mejju mid-Delegazzjoni tal-UE.

L-Ambaxxata tixtieq tirringrazzja t-Teatru Manoel, u speċjalment lil-President tat-Teatru, Michael Grech, tal-għajnuna li taw sabiex dan l-avveniment seta’ jsir.

The President receives H.E. Mrs Gina K Abercrombie-Winstanley

 

The President, H.E. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca receives H.E. Mrs Gina K Abercrombie-Winstanley, Ambassador of the United States of America, on a courtesy call.

The President receives a courtesy call by Mr Louis Vella, Honorary Consul General in Francisco, United States of America