Gaulitana: A Festival of Music is back on March 28 for its 19th edition.
The annual springtime endeavour presents a multifarious programme of events aimed at enriching Gozo’s cultural output. Held in multiple venues around the island, international and local artists star as the month-long cultural bonanza seeks to engage with aficionados and new audiences alike.
The 2026 festival includes a focus on choral performances as the Silesian Chamber Choir Ad Libitum commence proceedings with three events, interpreting Fauré’s Requiem and Mozart’s Coronation Mass, as well as a concert of Polish a capella oeuvres.
For the opening concert, the Polish ensemble joins forces with the Gaulitanus Choir in a choral double-bill ushering audiences into Holy Week.
Five weeks later, the New Hampshire Friendship Chorus will open the OPERA+ Weekend in style, setting the tone for three days of musical excellence brining the festival to an end.
Other notable events at Gaulitana include an Easter Sunday salon evening with Ivor Novello and a showcase concert by the Opera Nova Project. The eclectic mix of musical styles is further reflected in the chamber formations presented, from saxophone and piano to voice and guitar, from violin and piano to solo mandolin, in addition to a cello duo concert interspersing baroque sonatas with Eastertide readings commissioned for the occasion.
The wide-encompassing calendar is mirrored in the works performed, including a number of premieres such as a hymn by Pierre Louis Attard marking 800 years from the passing of St Francis of Assisi.
In parallel, the educational programme GAULearn is presented in schools, kindling Gozo’s cultural ecology through musical awareness sessions and the #opera4me project.
This edition marks the 10th opera at Gaulitana as the festival celebrates the 125th death anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi with the highlight event Il Trovatore.
The full-scale production of this masterpiece imbued with melodies and vocal fireworks features a star-studded international cast, the Gaulitanus Choir and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Enrico Castiglione under the baton of Colin Attard.
Gaulitana: A Festival of Music, organised by the Gaulitanus Choir, is principally supported by the Investment in Cultural Organisations – Gozo of Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Gozo & Planning, and partnered by Bank of Valletta Foundation, VisitMalta and APS Bank.
Gaulitana runs from March 28 to April 26. Festival events are free of charge and no reservations are required. Booking for Il Trovatore is available on www.teatruaurora.com or via the ticket helpline 7904 5779.