A Magical Night of Music
Malti
✨ Jiddu l-Kwiekeb 2026
✨A magical night of music and harmony by the Kumpanija Teatru Rjal this coming December at the Mediterranean Conference Centre ✨
Following the great success of last year’s inaugural musical concert, Jiddu l-Kwiekeb... A magical night of Music at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, the Kumpanija Teatru Rjal is preparing another spectacular evening of music and harmony entitled Jiddu l-Kwiekeb 2026. Once again, the event will take place at the prestigious and historic Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, on Saturday, 19 December 2026 at 7:30pm.
The organisers have chosen to retain the same name as last year because the idea behind the name Jiddu l-Kwiekeb (“The Stars Shine”) is for this evening to be dedicated, year after year, to those people who work behind the scenes throughout the year to make life a little easier for people in need, while offering their help and support voluntarily. Among the many voluntary associations and organisations that tirelessly do good in our country throughout the year, there is certainly Puttinu Cares, which works relentlessly with sick people and children, assisting them both in Malta and abroad with the care and support they require. For this reason, the Kumpanija Teatru Rjal will be donating part of the ticket proceeds from this edition of Jiddu l-Kwiekeb 2026 to this organisation, led by people who truly are shining stars, bringing a ray of hope to everyone who knocks on their door.
In a wonderful atmosphere, the audience will enjoy timeless musical pieces, both international and Maltese, evoking joy, entertainment, nostalgia and spectacle—not only musical but also visual, something for which this company is particularly renowned.
Taking to the stage will be well-known names including Neville Refalo, Ludwig Galea, J Anvil, Mark Tonna, Corazon, Talitha, Sarah Bajada and Debbie Scerri, together with the VOCA Choir under the direction of Nathalie Camilleri, assisted by Lara Bonnici, and the children’s choir Future Voices, led by Maria Bellia and Iona Dalli. These are names that guarantee a wonderful evening of the highest calibre, unprecedented among the productions staged by the Kumpanija Teatru Rjal. They will be accompanied by a ten-piece orchestra led by Conrad Briffa.
The evening will be hosted by Marica Cassar, another highly experienced and versatile figure on the Maltese stage.
Anyone familiar with the musical productions staged by the Kumpanija Teatru Rjal over the 34 years since its establishment will know to expect an unforgettable evening of beautiful music set against a spectacular backdrop of lighting, projections, sound and top-level choreography. This reached a new high 2 years ago when, for the first time, the company moved to the prestigious Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.
Booking is now open through ktrmalta.com or by calling 99476468.
Don’t forget that with every ticket purchased, in addition to guaranteeing yourselves a truly enjoyable evening, you will also be directly supporting Puttinu Cares. Don’t leave it until the last minute.
A Magical Night of Music
Ludwig Galea is one of Malta’s most loved cross over artists. He is also a regular local musical theatre performer, holding an Associate Diploma in musical theatre from Trinity College London.
Ludwig teaches theatre arts and musical theatre through collaborative programmes implemented by the Drama Unit.
His performance credits include several musicals and highlights, featuring works from Schonberg and Boublil’s masterpieces, alongside the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera vs Pop, and numerous other oIicial music events in exclusive venues around the island. He has also entertained audiences in theatres across Europe, including Italy, Holland, Turkey, Belgium, and Bulgaria, at the New Year’s Gala Concert, accompanied by the Varna Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also performed for Sir Cameron Mackintosh, and as a supporting act for the Simply Red concert in Malta.
Ludwig is also the recipient of a number of awards, including First and Second Prizes at the Discovery Festival (Bulgaria, 2003), 12th in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, Second Prize at the Mega Hit Festival (Turkey, 2005), Second Prize and Televoting Award at the International Maltese Song Festival (2002), First Prize and Best Interpretation in
L-Għanja tal-Poplu (2003), and First Prize at the Festival Kanzunetta Indipendenza (2008).
Neville began his singing career 25 years ago under the tutelage of esteemed Maltese Maestro Bryan Cefai. Over the years, he has participated in numerous prestigious festivals both locally and internationally, with performances in Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Montenegro.
A familiar face on Maltese television, Neville has appeared in a wide range of local programs, showcasing his talents both as a resident singer and a dramatic actor. He is also an active member of several prominent local bands, frequently touring the country and performing at various national events.
As an accomplished stage actor, Neville has taken on leading roles in many of Malta’s most successful theatrical productions. His credits include starring performances in Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, Jekyll and Hyde, Caravaggio, The Band’s Visit, Chicago, Cabaret, and Beauty and the Beast.
Renowned for his powerful rock voice and wide, expressive vocal range, Neville is especially known for his interpretations of legendary artists such as Queen and Pink Floyd, among other rock classics. His unique voice and commanding stage presence continue to captivate audiences both at home and abroad.
Starting his musical career at the young age of eleven, Mark Tonna formed part of several local bands and performed all over the Maltese islands, when in 1993, he decided to pursue his solo career.
As a singer and musician. Competing in several prestigious festivals and performing in his favorite genre, the musical theatre, he played an array of roles portraying main characters in a good number of both local and foreign musicals.
Mark published his first CD album “Before my Eyes” in 1996 where he wrote most of the songs featured in the album. He also wrote the music and lyrics to a couple of local musicals and numerous songs for other fellow singers.
His career also took him abroad with performances in numerous countries including Italy, Dubai, Tunisia, The United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Turkey, Austria, Spain, Germany, The United
States, Australia and Canada.
Talitha Dimech is a musical theatre performer, singer, and actress accredited by Guildhall and Trinity College of Music, with training in classical voice and SLS. Her theatre credits include Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, Morgan in And Murder It Is!, originating Lena and Tiberia in Caravaggio the Musical, Cinderella’s Stepmother in Into The Woods, and Jill in Jack & The Beanstalk.
Other productions include Sweeney Todd, Jekyll & Hyde, Seussical, Dracula Spectacular, The Ragged Child, Tin Pan Ali, The King & I, Rock Nativity, Sound of Musicals, and Għażiż Francis. She will play Janet in The Rocky Horror Show later this year. Talitha has appeared in the TV productions Dellijiet and Santa Monica and has performed as a guest singer at Beyond The Barricade, The Malta Beer Festival, Earth Garden, the Bay Music Awards, Xirka Rock, Rockwired and at The Royal Opera House. She continues to perform as a solo artist and with The Apollos, and works professionally as a makeup artist.
J Anvil, born Ian James Vella on August 4, 1975 in Attard, Malta, is a Maltese singer, dancer, and TV presenter. He began performing as a dancer at the age of 11, excelling in modern jazz, Latin American, and ballroom styles, and went on to win Malta’s national dance championship for five consecutive years alongside his partner and later wife, Nadine.
Inspired during his work as a dancer and choreographer at the Malta Song for Europe in 2004, he pursued vocal training and soon became a familiar face in Malta’s music scene. He competed multiple times in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest between 2005 and 2012, achieving his best result in 2005 with “You”, which remains one of his most popular songs. composed by Augusto Cardinali, with lyrics by Giovann Attard.
You, chosen among more than a hundred others and was one of the 22 finalists competing to win the honor of representing Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, finishing in third placing with only few points away of winning.
Beyond music, J Anvil established himself as a television host, presenting shows such as Bailando, Happy Days, and Lux Design. He continues to perform, host, and produce entertainment programs in Malta.
In The first edition of Muzika Muzika a national local festival Ian ended up in the semifinals together with his daughter Jade with the Song Binti.
Debbie is a well-known figure in the Maltese music scene. In 1997, with the song Let Me Fly, she represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest, which led to numerous successes and opportunities in Australia, Canada, the United States and Cyprus, where she collaborated with various artists. She has won several prestigious awards both locally and abroad.
Debbie has also performed in various musical productions alongside some of the leading names in Malta, including Spiteri Lucas Entertainment, Kumpanija Teatru Rjal, Yada Dance Company, Teatru Malta and Balzunetta Productions. She is also known as a presenter of numerous television and radio programmes.
Her extensive repertoire includes the albums Having You, Tbissima and Tgħannieqa mingħand il-Maltin, as well as the CD singles Born to Love, Let Me Fly, Era the Dance Show and Perfect Timing. Her Maltese-language musical release Jien mill-Ġdid was accompanied by a music video. In 2023, in collaboration with Mark Spiteri Lucas, she achieved second place in Għanja tal-Poplu with the duet Meravilja.
Debbie was selected by the Indian High Commission in Malta to perform a popular song commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. She is also a member of the popular Animae Gospel Choir.
Corazón Mizzi is a Maltese singer, songwriter, presenter and writer with extensive experience in the performing arts. With her original songs, she has won the L-Għanja tal-Poplu festival five times, including the most recent edition.
She has released two albums in Maltese: Hawn Jien (2014), with arrangements by Dominic Galea, and Għall-Bejgħ (2020), a project with the National Philharmonic Orchestra featuring arrangements by Aurelio Belli.
For many years, she was a leading presenter on TVM and hosted various national events. Alongside her artistic career, Corazón is a Notary Public and runs an active notarial practice
Sarah Bonnici is a Maltese singer/songwriter who rose to international attention following her Eurovision entry ‘Loop’ in 2024. Trained in voice, dance, and piano, from a young age she has performed across Europe and the Middle East, including in Italy, Spain, Germany, Dubai, and the UK, amongst others.Following her success in Eurovision, Sarah released multiple chart-topping singles. She has also performed twice at Isle of MTV, opening for major international acts such as RAYE and Nelly Furtado.
Sarah served as a Coach on The Voice Kids Malta and was one of the songwriters behind Malta’s 2025 Eurovision entry, ‘Bella’. She has recently released her debut visual album, ‘something i had to lose’, which encompasses six original tracks that flow together through musical interludes, a script, and visuals, altogether forming a short film told through her original music.
MARICA CASSAR began her training in dramatic arts at the Manoel Theatre Academy at the age of 13. From a young age, she worked in theatre, television, and visual production, both as an actress and as a producer. Between 1999 and 2009, she was the Director of Image 2000, a company that produced a large number of visual programs and drama productions for Maltese television, including Fenomeni and Santa Monika, which was later also made
into a feature film for the cinema. She has also starred in leading roles in various theatrical productions. Since 2014, she has been the PR and Fundraising Manager for Caritas Malta.
VOCA Choir is nowadays regarded as on one of Malta’s leading choral ensembles. It was formed back in 2010 by a group of singers who had previously members of the choir Enkor and longstanding members of the choir Voices. Over the years, new soloists and choristers continue to join the growing VOCA choir, which now consists of over 30 voices, organised in four-part harmony (SATB).
Ms. Nathalie Camilleri, Choral Director
The choir is under the musical direction of Ms. Nathalie Camilleri, a seasoned pianist and a teacher of music for more than thirty (30) years, graduated in pianoforte from the Trinity College of Music and the Royal School of Music. She is accompanied by Ms. Lara Bonnici in the musical direction of the Choir, with a Associateship (ATCL) and Licentiateship (LTCL) in Musical Theatre and a grade 6 in piano and musical theory.
VOCA perform in various styles and genres including spiritual, gospel, pop and folk, always aiming to engage and entertain. Each year the choir prepares new work, often involving original harmonies and including some original pieces from time to time, which are penned by some of the members of the Choir with a background in musical theory and composition. The Choir performs not only in English and Maltese but also a number of other languages including Italian, Spanish and even Swahili. The Choir even seeks to organise a concert every two years, which raises funds for other charitable organisations, with the last concert - VOCA: The Journey - being organised by the Choir in aid of Puttinu Cares back in 2019.
More specifically, VOCA members have over the past years performed in Holland and Ireland, with the most recent overseas performances being in Brussels where the Choir was invited by the prestigious Interkultur to be part of the festival “On Stage in Brussels” and in Rome in June 2023 where it sang during the International Choir Festival. VOCA choir also took part in the Malta International choir festival where it performed in the final night at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.
After two quiet years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, VOCA Choir had a particularly successful 2022 with its very first collaboration with Wintermoods main singer and established artist Ivan Grech. Through this collaboration, the Choir managed to give two (2) major performances - one in the Manoel Theatre back in June 2022 and another one during the 2022 edition of the Notte Bianca where the choir was honoured to perform in the majestic Pjazza Teatru Rjal with Ivan and his band once again. Moreover, during the Christmas period of 2022, the Choir collaborated with renowned Maltese artist, Mr. Trevor Zahra, who penned original lyrics in Maltese to some of the most famous tunes for the Festive Season. The Choir performed these songs in a number of special occasions, including live on national television on the occasion of the annual Christmas greetings delivered by the leaders of the State as well as in a major concert held on 29 th December at the Parish Church of Żejtun. One of the highlights during 2023 for the Choir was its performance during Notte Bianca, held on Saturday, 7 th October 2023, where the choir delivered a medley of songs from the magical world of Disney with original harmonies written by the Choir’s very own director.
Ms. Lara Bonnici, Assistant Choral Director
This medley was a great hit with the audiences and gave a considerable boost to its popularity amongst the Maltese public. On Saturday, 5 th October, 2024, VOCA was once again involved in delivering a performance during Notte Bianca, this time on the stage in St. George’s Square. The performance, bearing the title “Kantaw Magħna” (Sing with Us), involved Malta’s largest karaoke with audiences singing great musical numbers along with the Choir.In 2025, the Choir continues to go from strength to strength, with highlights including performing in the beautiful Cathedral of St. Paul in Mdina in March 2025 as well as delivering a unique flash-mob rendition of Queen’s famous “Bohemian Rhapsody” during a special event held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre for a multinational company based in the Netherlands.
Future Voices is one of Malta’s most vibrant children and youth choral ensembles, dedicated to training young individuals in voice and performance. It was established over ten years ago by Ms. Iona Dalli, an experienced educator with a passion for early childhood, music pedagogy and music production, to create a welcoming space where children and young people could nurture their artistic talents. Over the years, new choristers continue to join the ensemble, expanding its reach as a recognized community initiative registered under the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education.
The choir is under the musical direction of Ms. Iona Dalli, who integrates vocal health, movement and teamwork into rehearsals, alongside Ms. Marija Bellia, an established vocalist in the local music scene who co-leads the ensemble. Together, they guide members in developing vocal technique, stage presence, mic control, and multi-part harmonies.
Future Voices performs a broad range of styles and genres, including modern pop arrangements, musical theatre standards, festive holiday pieces, and traditional Maltese music. The choir engages in diverse projects, from community festivals and televised broadcasts across Malta to international events. Future Voices Choir was also part of the concert “Jiddu l-Kwiekeb” presented at Dar il-Mediterran in December 2025. Over the years, the ensemble has also taken its young performers abroad to stage venues in Tunisia, Sicily, and London, with a major highlight being a performance at Disneyland Paris in 2024. Through these opportunities, Future Voices continues to guide young singers in developing their confidence, sharing their passion for music, and experiencing international stage performance.
Ms. Iona Dalli,
Choral Director
Ms. Marija Bellia,
Assistant Choral Director