The 15th edition of Gaulitana, the annual springtime international music festival now established as major arts event in Malta, started on March 5th and will end on 27th. The China Cultural Centre in Malta was invited to organize the “In Harmony” exhibition on traditional Chinese musical instruments and the “Romantic Virtuosism” piano recital. This is the first collaboration since the pandemic began. The event is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malta.

An exhibition of traditional Chinese musical instruments took place on March 5 at Banca Giuratale in Independence Square, in downtown Victoria, Gozo. The exhibition was the inaugural event of the online Gaulitana International Music Festival opening in the presence of Yang Xiaolong, Director of the China Cultural Centre in Malta, Colin Attard, Artistic Director of the Gaulitana International Music Festival, and John Xuereb, Director of Culture in Gozo.

The exhibition showcases the uniqueness and diversity of traditional Chinese musical instruments and the richness of their performance, allowing the audience to appreciate the traditional Chinese musical concept of “Great Music and Harmony with Heaven and Earth”.

The exhibition consists of two parts. The first part, “Chinese Instrumental Music”, presents a selection of nine traditional musical instruments, including guzheng zither, ruan (four-stringed Chinese lute), erhu (2 strings fiddle), pipa (Chinese lute) and bamboo flute. It is supplemented by texts that introduce the shape and material, timbre and rhythm, playing style and application of different instruments.

The second part, “Kun Opera Costumes”, presents traditional musical instruments and scenes. It showcases the three sets of costumes of the famous traditional play “The Peony Pavilion”, namely, the Zheng Dan, Guan Sheng and Wu Dan, introducing the evolution history, artistic characteristics and modern heritage of Kun Opera. The ingenious combination of musical instruments and costumes reflects the perfect fusion of traditional Chinese instruments, music, drama and music. The audience can comprehend and appreciate the rich cultural connotations they carry, absorb the nourishment of oriental art, and feel the rippling sound of music through the millennium.

The theme of this year’s Gaulitana Festival is “Looking into a New World”, which aims to call on different cultures and peoples around the world to unite and cooperate to overcome the difficulties, and create a better future together. The 25-day festival is composed of 10 events including symphony, piano recitals, violin and musical instrument exhibitions, all free of charge and reservations required.   Founded by Artistic Director Colin Attard, Gaulitana Music Festival has grown into the premier international music festival on the Maltese island of Gozo. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival had to be suspended in 2020, postponed in 2021, held in a combined online and offline format, and was held in 2022 with the support of the President of Malta, the Malta Arts Council, the local cultural sector and private sponsors in Gozo.

“In Harmony” Exhibition of Traditional Chinese Musical Instruments

Date: 5 – 20 March 2022

Venue: Banca Giuratale, Victoria

Reservations: bookings.gaulitana@gmail.com

For more information about the festival, please visit www.gaulitanus.com or https://www.facebook.com/gaulitana.