After spending the past two years in Florence as part of the Mascarade Opera programme, Gozitan baritone Charles Buttigieg will return home to perform at the Grand Hotel.

The Closer to the Voice concert, on 4th July, marks Mr Buttigieg’s first major performance in Gozo since joining the Mascarade Opera development programme.

The concert will feature opera, bel canto and verismo repertoire, alongside a selection of Neapolitan songs.

Joining him on stage will be soprano Chrystelle Di Marco and tenor Alan Sciberras, under the musical direction of Mro. Mark Gauci. The evening will be compered by Keith Demicoli.

Mr Buttigieg, 27, started studying music under the direction of Mro Dr John Galea before continuing with the late soprano Juliette Bisazza. His development has also been supported by the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation.

A graduate of the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, he has performed roles including Marcello in La Bohème, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and Figaro in The Barber of Seville with Opera Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center.

He has also appeared with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra alongside Diana Damrau, performed at Opera Naples, and was a quarter-finalist in the Operalia competition founded by Plácido Domingo.

Most recently, Buttigieg performed in Parma, Italy, with Mascarade Opera, taking on the role of Notaro in Donizetti's Don Pasquale and King Alfonso XI in La Favorita.

He said that performing in Gozo holds particular significance after two years abroad, bringing him back to the community where his musical journey first began.

Tickets are available through showshappening.com