Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani with VIBE

Programme:
Samuel Scheidt
O nachbar Roland, a 5

Johann Christian Bach
Concerto in f ('Berlin') for harpsichord and strings

Albinoni
Concerto a cinque in g, Op. 5 no. XI

Mikel'Ang Vella
Sonata No 6 per 3 violini

Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto in d for harpsichord and strings, BWV 1052

This recital is presented on the occasion of 'The World Summit on Arts & Culture' by the Arts Council Malta and IFACCA (International Federation of Arts Councils and Agencies).
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Mahan Esfahani (Harpsichord)

Hailed as ''his instrument's leading champion'' (International Piano), Mahan Esfahani was born in Tehran in 1984 and first was exposed to the piano by his father before exploring a teenaged interest in the harpsichord. After studies in musicology at Stanford University and private studies with Peter Watchorn in Boston, he completed his training with Zuzana Růžičková in Prague. Since making his debut in London in 2009 and a stint as the first harpsichordist to be BBC New Generation Artist (2008-2010), he has enjoyed a career as a recitalist and concerto soloist in such halls as Zurich's Tonhalle, Vienna's Konzerthaus, the Cologne Philharmonie, Tokyo's Sumida Symphony Hall, New York's Frick Collection, Vancouver's Chan Centre, the Library of Congress in Washington, London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Wigmore Hall, where he is a regular guest. He played the first harpsichord recital in the history of the Proms, and returned to the Proms with his orchestration of Bach's 'Art of Fugue' for the Academy of Ancient Music, which was selected as the 'Top Ten of Classical Music' for 2012 in The Observer.

A frequent commentator on radio and television and a contributor to various magazines and publications, he works to take the harpsichord beyond the realm of early music into mainstream halls and series. A reflection of this, Mahan was shortlisted in the instrumentalist category at the 2014 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards and was nominated Gramophone ‘Artist of the Year’. Upcoming highlights include appearances in Munich's Bell'Arte Festival, Schloss Elmau, the Leipzig Bach-Festspiele, Bratislava Days of Early Music, and the Barbican in London. Collaborators include mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital and the 'queen of the recorder,' Michala Petri. His recording with Petri of Corelli sonatas, La Follia, was named Gramophone Magazine Editor’s Choice, as well as BBC Music Magazine Chamber Choice.

A disc of C.P.E. Bach's Wurttemberg Sonatas for Hyperion won a Diapason d'Or, a BBC Music Magazine Award in the Newcomers category, and the 2014 Gramophone Award for Best Baroque Instrumental Album, while a two-disc set of the complete suites by Rameau received 5 Stars in Diapason and was named Gramophone Magazine Editor’s Choice. In 2014 Mahan Esfahani signed as an Exclusive Artist with Deutsche Grammophon; his first disc, combining modern and period works, was released in the Spring of 2015 to great critical acclaim.

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VIBE (Valletta International Baroque Ensemble)

VIBE is the resident ensemble of the Valletta International Baroque Festival. It was born out of a cultural need for Malta to have its own ensemble specifically focused on the study and performances of baroque music, including a rich repertoire of Maltese baroque works.

The ensemble consists of predominantly Maltese musicians, in collaboration with foreign baroque specialists. VIBE seeks to perform music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods in a historically informed way on original instruments. The formation of the ensemble is an important legacy of the festival which has grown from strength to strength since its inauguration in 2012.