scroll to explore

Bank of Valletta has supported this year’s opera by Gioachino Rossini – ‘Armida’

Credit & Financial Institutions

Bank of Valletta has supported this year’s opera by Gioachino Rossini – ‘Armida’

by Bank of Valletta

18th March 2024

This was the first time that the opera has been staged in Malta

As part of its community investment in the area of arts and culture, Bank of Valletta has supported this year’s opera by Gioachino Rossini – ‘Armida’, which was held at Manoel Theatre in Valletta on the 3rd, 6th, 8th and on the 10^th of March respectively.

Armida is an opera by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Schmidt. This production featured renowned soprano Elisa Balbo in the lead role along with tenors Nico Darmanin, Anle Gou and Cliff Zammit Stevens respectively, KorMalta, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and Moveo Dance Company, with costumes designed by Luke Azzopardi. It was directed by Paul Carr and conducted by Davide Levi.

This was the first time that the opera had been staged in Malta and it tells the tale of the Saracen sorceress Armida, who uses her powers to bewitch and ensnare her Crusader enemies. With Rossini’s masterful composition and the exquisite libretto by Giovanni Schmidt, this production did transport the audience to a world of magic, love, and betrayal.

This opera is a true testament to Rossini’s genius, with its intricate vocal lines, breath-taking arias, and thrilling ensemble numbers. It showcased the composer’s ability to create music that is both technically demanding and emotionally resonant, making it a true delight for opera enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

Speaking about the Bank’s involvement, Charles Azzopardi, Head CSR said ‘Bank of Valletta is proud to once again have supported the Manoel Theatre’s annual operatic production that continued to promote Malta’s cultural richness. BOV has been supporting the Manoel Theatre continuously since the year 2000 and this is a particular year for the Bank since we are celebrating our 50th year of operations. Our support of Opera forms part of our community investment in the area of arts and culture and we are delighted to note that the festival has also provided excellent opportunities for talented Maltese artists to perform alongside established foreign artists at one of Malta’s most prestigious venues’.

Director Paul Carr commented on the fact that working this past month on Armida at the Manoel Theatre has been such a rewarding and uplifting time. ‘it’s such a beautiful theatre and operates under an old-fashioned guise that is hardly found in the world today. By “old-fashioned” I mean that it still uses original flying systems, hand-operated, and in some places, old stage lighting – but this only adds to the general lovely aesthetic of a production, and I love that. When Adrian Mamo asked me to direct Armida, his one request was that I should use the ancient hand-painted backdrops that belong to the theatre; some of them well over 100 years old and painted in gousche. I loved this idea, so the production was set in a museum at a private viewing of an exhibition about the crusades – this gave me the opportunity to embrace both the old and the new in Luke Azzopardi’s stunning costume designs, that embrace the present and the past – and similarity, involving Dorian Mallia and Moveo Dance Company lifts the production onto an altogether higher plane of expression.

‘I’ve been blessed with a fantastic cast and a fairly young and vibrant chorus who have been outstanding in their verve and commitment to the production. And then there’s the orchestra under the expert direction of Italian conductor, Davide Levi. So all in all, this has been a wonderful experience and I long to do it all again!

‘But, none of this would be possible without the financial support of BOV; the arts all over the world, and in particular opera, could not exist without support, and this is so important because it enriches our lives; it takes us beyond our everyday existence – it also offers work to so many people in all aspects of theatre – it’s a huge creative machine. The continued support of organisations such as BOV in the arts sector, and in particular in Manoel Theatre and opera, is of vital importance’ concluded Director Carr.

Credit & Financial Institutions

Bank of Valletta has supported this year’s opera by Gioachino Rossini – ‘Armida’

'Credit & Financial Institutions' Related News Articles

A creditor’s obligation to assess the creditworthiness of a consumer

BOV TALKS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE BANKING WORLD

The MFSA consults on a draft Conduct of Business Rulebook for Banks

MFSA Shifts to Outcomes-Based Supervision in 2024

AIFMD II – A step closer to entry into force

The European Union Global Minimum Level of Taxation for Multinational Enterprise Groups and Large-Scale Domestic Groups Regulations 2024

BOV EXPERTS DISCUSS ECONOMY AND INVESTMENT BASICS WITH RETAIL CLIENTS

EU AML-CTF Package taking shape: Compromise text for AMLR and 6AMLD published

Changing the terms of a credit agreement and forbearance policies and measures: new obligations on lenders in consumer and residential property credit agreements

BOV launches revamped cutting-edge website

The HSBC Malta Foundation supports Three-Year UM Research Project through RIDT

Bank Of Valletta extends Partnership Agreement with Heritage Malta

BOV RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION FEATURING WORKS BY NOEL GALEA BASON OFFICIALLY INAUGURATED

Goal-line Defenders: Scoring Victory Against Financial Crime with the Three Lines of AML/CFT Defence

Agreement reached on the establishment of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (“AMLA”)

FIAU Thematic Review on Company Service Providers when providing Company Formation Services

Directive 93/13/EEC and mandatory statutory or regulatory provisions in consumer contracts

2023 SEES 151 BOV EMPLOYEES GRADUATING

BOV SELLS PORTFOLIO OF NON-PERFORMING LOANS

MALTA Nomad Residence Permit, New Tax Rules.

BOV Boosting Employee Retention through Occupational Pension Schemes

Keeping Tabs on Market Perception and Knowledge about Investments

BOV Announces Profit Before Tax of €163.5 million as at September 2023

Proposed amendments to the Exclusive Economic Zone Act and ancillary laws

MFSA Circular regarding various amendments to the Investment Services Rulebooks

MiCA Update: Consultation Process on the Proposed Updates to Chapter 3 of the VFA Rulebook

Continuing to disclose the topic EU funding for Startups ¦ Startup Definition

BOV keeps up momentum in educating customers about scams

Auditing iGaming Entities

Malta: a state-of-the-art regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies

ESMA issues Second Consultation Package under MiCA

Standard and Poor’s (S&P) upgrades Bank of Valletta’s rating to stable

BOV Asset Management Seminar Discusses Best Practices in Investments

BANK OF VALLETTA ACQUIRES NEW FUNDING TO RELAUNCH THE BOV SME INVEST PACKAGE

BOV Introduces New Digital Portal to Update Customer Records

EU Court’s Landmark Ruling: Restricting Financial Ties to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing

ESMA and EBA issue Inaugural Consultation Packages under MICA

ESMA issues public statement in relation to sustainability disclosures in prospectuses

FIAU publishes its AML / CFT Supervisory Plan for 2023 – 2024

Reforming Digital Payments – Introducing the new Payment Services proposals

APS Bank delivers best-ever half-yearly results, to pay interim dividend

New Digital Experience For BNF Bank Customers

Proposals for an improved European Banking Union framework – Part II

Proposals for an improved European Banking Union framework – Part I

Opposing trade mark registrations in the realm of financial institutions

Over 24,000 customers respond to BOV’s call for feedback

BOV puts Mobility in the Spotlight on World Bicycle Day

BOV Goes Green for Mental Health

BOV Volunteers at GSSE 2023

The new notified PIFs framework: MFSA publishes consultation document on regulatory changes

MiCA obtains green light from European Council

ESMA postpones annual IFRS amendment of ESEF to 2024

BOV Launches Investor Education Sessions

MiCA – Landmark crypto regulation approved by EU Parliament

BOV ISSUES WARNING ON SCAM CALLS

BOV Asset Management Limited launches the Global Multi-Asset Thematic 60 Fund managed by Fidelity International

MALTA COUNTRY ANALYSIS REPORT

INFOCREDIT GROUP AMONG THE SPONSORS OF MALTA FINANCIAL CRIME COMPLIANCE CONFERENCE 2023

Business Decisions that undermine the Compliance Culture – Part 5

BOV Offers MAPFRE MSV Life Capital Guaranteed Product

Business Decisions that undermine the Compliance Culture – Part 4

Becoming a Data Driven Organisation

Business Decisions that undermine the Compliance Culture – Part 3

BANK OF VALLETTA PROMOTES HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AND ROTA INITIATIVE

Business Decisions that undermine the Compliance Culture – Part 2

ELTIF 2.0 published in the Official Journal of the European Union

The INSIGHT Interview: David Power, CEO of BNF Bank

Sustainable Finance and the Impact on the Financial Services Sector in Malta

Bank of Valletta commemorates International Women’s Day

EU’s Green Taxation: Tackling Climate Change through Tax

The classification of cryptoassets under the new Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation

Business Decisions that undermine the Compliance Culture – The MLRO Reporting Lines

Welcome to “Enterprise Innovation” ¦ 23 February 2023 at Salini Resort Hotel

Brussels forecasts 3.1% economic growth for Malta, second-highest in EU

BOV Managers Discuss Customer-Driven Strategies

More ATMs For BNF Bank Customers

Digital Operational Resilience for the Financial Sector