A recital at the Teatru Manoel in aid of Richmond Foundation on the 30years anniversary since their inception. To celebrate this milestone, internationally renowned violinist Carmine Lauri and guitarist Simon Schembri have been invited to deliver an outstanding repertoire to raise awareness on mental health.   The marriage between music and mental health will be presented at this year’s ME CSR initiative with a soiree dedicated to raise awareness for mental health.

Carmine Lauri, started playing at the age of four and furthered his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Maurice Hasson. Carmine is the Co-Leader of the London Symphony Orchestra for the past 18 years, the Concertmaster of the Oxford Philharmonic, and Guest Leader of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to leading the LSO, Mr. Lauri has also been a featured violin soloist in many films, including Star Wars, Harry Potter and The Queen, among others. He has two solo compact disc recordings to his credit, Bravura and Violin Extravaganza. Carmine has performed extensively worldwide, including performances in the presence of various Heads of State. His country acknowledged his talents, which bestowed upon him the National Order of Merit – M.O.M. (F’Ġieh ir-Repubblika), and he is a recipient of the 2015 Gold Medal for the Arts. He is a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music and coaches young students in orchestral sectional rehearsals on a regular basis.

Simon Schembri, a brilliant guitarist who studied at the Royal Schools of Music in London and completed his studies with Alexandre Lagoya in Paris. He has received numerous awards, including from the Guitar Foundation of America and the American Young Concerts Artists Foundation. Simon has performed at many festivals in France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Turkey, England, and his home country of Malta. He has collaborated with esteemed musicians such as the Quatour Debussy, Parisii, and Arpeggione Quartets, flutist Philippe Bernold, harpist Christine Icart, and soprano Alexia Cousin. In addition to his performances, Simon is passionate about the development of the guitar and has undertaken a research project with Madrid luthier Ignacio M. Rozas to improve the instrument’s sound qualities.

The soiree will cover pieces by Jacques Ibert, Maurice Ravel, Jules Massenet, Nicolo Paganini, Isaac Albeniz, Astor Piazzolla, Jaime M. Zenamon