The Oratories Programme of Events - Season 2025-26

The Jesuits’ Church Foundation is proud to unveil the Programme of Events for Season 2025–26, a year-long journey through music, scholarship, and literature. Building on the Oratories’ tradition as a meeting place for thought and creativity, this season offers a programme that is both rooted in heritage and alive with fresh perspectives.

This season’s music recitals highlight both familiar masterpieces and lesser-known works, ranging from the Baroque to the Romantic period. The public lectures bring together scholars from Malta and abroad to present new research on history, philosophy, and culture. The literary events, presented in Maltese, give space to the language and voices that shape the island’s contemporary cultural life.

The programme offers audiences the chance to engage with music, thought, and literature in ways that connect the past with the present.

Music Recitals

Season Opening Concert: Ravel & Bizet Anniversary

Thursday 9th October 2025 at 19:30

Gillian Zammit (soprano), Elaine Mercieca (piano)

Trockne Blumen: Music for Flute

Thursday 23rd October 2025 at 19:30

Laura Cioffi (flute), Maria-Elena Farrugia (piano)

Sonatas & Fantasias for Cello

Thursday 6th November 2025 at 19:30

Simon Abdilla Joslin (cello), Maria-Elena Farrugia (piano)

Saint Cecilia’s Day Concert: Celebrating Female Composers

Saturday 22nd November 2025 at 19:30

Opera Nova Project

Preghiere: The Virgin Mary in Opera

Thursday 4th December 2025 at 19:30

Mariah Costa (soprano), Sofia Narmania (piano)

Christmas at the Oratories

Thursday 18th December 2025 at 19:30

Grace Feltoe (soprano), Gisele Grima (piano)

Baroque Trio Sonatas: Corelli & Beyond

Thursday 15th January 2026 at 19:30

Bernard Curmi (violin), Teona Debono (violin), Christopher John Mercieca (cello)

Beethoven’s Legacy: The 19th Century Violin Virtuoso

Thursday 29th January 2026 at 19:30

Stefan Calleja (violin), Stephanie Quintano (piano)

Er und Sie: French & German Romantic Art Songs

Thursday 26th February 2026 at 19:30

Mariette Borg (soprano), Joseph Cutajar (baritone), Maria-Elena Farrugia (piano)

Opera Caritatis: An Oratorio by A. Vella Gregory

Thursday 12th March 2026 at 19:30

In collaboration with Opera Nova Project

Brunetti’s Stabat Mater (1764)

Thursday 26th March 2026 at 19:30

Marvic Baldacchino (soprano), Graziella Debattista (mezzo-soprano), Maria-Elena Farrugia (piano)

The 18th Century Flute

Thursday 9th April 2026 at 19:30

Fiorella Camilleri (flute), Maria-Elena Farrugia (piano)

Dialogues: Music for Piano Trio

Thursday 23rd April 2026 at 19:30

Isaac Camilleri (violin), Sophia Farrugia (cello), Kellyann Spiteri (piano)

Warda: Songs for Springtime

Thursday 7th May 2026 at 19:30

Marouska Attard (soprano), Elaine Mercieca (piano)

Tempi Assai Lontani: a Verdi & Respighi Anniversary

Thursday 21st May 2026 at 19:30

Alexandra Camilleri Gambin (soprano), Elaine Mercieca (piano)

In Die Iudicii: Music for the End of the World

Saturday 6th June 2026 at 19:30

Follie Armoniche (Roma)

In collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority

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Literary Events / Attivitajiet Letterarji

(Dawn l-attivitajiet huma bil-Malti / These events are in Maltese)

L-Għargħar tal-Imwiet

Il-Ħamis 30 t’Ottubru 2025 fis-19:30

Caldon Mercieca (kittieb)

BELTIN: Stejjer Dumnikani

Il-Ħamis 27 ta’ Novembru  2025 fis-19:30

Bi Sħab mal-Għaqda Festi Esterni San Duminku

Milied ma’ Trevor Zahra

Il-Ħamis 11 ta’ Diċembru 2025 fis-19:30

Trevor Zahra (kittieb) bis-sehem mużikali ta’ Laura Bruno uMark Spiteri Lucas

Kutri u Kotba: Letteratura Ġdida

Il-Ħamis 8 ta’ Jannar 2026 fis-19:30

Bi sħab ma’ Klabb Kotba Maltin

BELTIN: Stejjer Karmelitani

Il-Ħamis 5 ta’ Frar 2026 fis-19:30

Bi Sħab mal-Għaqda Festa Madonna tal-Karmnu, Valletta

Il-Kastell Interjuri ta’ Santa Tereża t’Avila

(kitba ta’ Mario Azzopardi)

Il-Ħamis 19 ta’ Frar  2026 fis-19:30

Bis-sehem ta’ Marvic Doughty u taħdita minn Rev. Prof. Charlo Camilleri

Pesta u Pandemija: Albert Camus u Żminijietna

L-Erbgħa 29 t’April  2026 fis-19:30

Awturi varji minn Aphroconfuso flimkien mal-Profs. Toni Aquilina

Attività bil-Malti u l-Franċiż

Bi sħab mal-Ambaxxata Franċiża ġewwa Malta

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Public Lectures

Mgr. Pietro Dusina’s Apostolic Visitation of 1575

Thursday 16th October 2025 at 18:30

Professor Emeritus Stanley Fiorini

University of Malta

Corpus Inscriptionum Melitensium: The Latin Inscriptions at the Jesuits' Church

Thursday 13th November 2024 at 18:30

Skye Vassallo

Malta Classics Association

Girolamo Manduca's De Sancto Publio

Thursday 22nd January 2026 at 18:30

Rev. Prof. Jonathan Farrugia

Faculty of Theology, University of Malta

Fun, Frenzy & Fracture: Maltese Carnival During British Rule

Thursday 12th February 2026 at 18:30

Prof. Vicki-Ann Cremona

School of Performing Arts, University of Malta

Freedom for Rose Spiteri: A Case of Women's Activism 

Thursday 5th March 2026 at 18:30

Dr Simone Azzopardi

Department of History, Faculty of Arts, University of Malta

The Order of St John and Female Monasteries in Malta

Wednesday 18th March 2026 at 18:30

Prof. Petra Caruana  Dingli

Edward de Bono Institute for Creative Thinking and Innovation, University of Malta.

To Hold Creation in a Sentence: How the Sanskrit language articulates the nature of becoming.

Thursday 16th April 2026 at 18:30

Professor Emeritus Michael Zammit

University of Malta

Jesuit and other Clerical Contributions to Early Antiquarian Practices in Malta, 1536–1768

Thursday 14th May 2026 at 18:30

Jonathan Borg

Superintendence of Cultural Heritage

The First Maltese: Unravelling Malta’s Hunter-Gatherer Past

Thursday 28th May 2026 at 18:30

Prof. Eleanor Scerri 

Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Germany

Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta

Prof. Nicholas Vella 

Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta