Brillanti, the show that has turned a spotlight on the brightest local talent to see who shines the brightest has come to a close last night. Anyone who saw the final knows just what an extravagant affair it was and how much the five finalists were pushed to be their very best.

After a year of ups and downs and hours of beautiful music, five finalists had the opportunity to perform on the stage of the Manoel Theatre and compete for the chance to be crowned the Brillanti winner. 

Julian Azzopardi, Daniel John Caruana, Samuel Cutajar, Georg Zammit and Kristy Spiteri all left their hearts and souls on the stage. Moving the audience with breathtaking performances, each artist created something beautiful, but only one could be crowned the most Brillanti. 

Winning the 10K prize and the unmissable opportunity to play alongside a full-sized professional orchestra, this act truly stunned all listeners, including the special 5-person jury which was present for this evening consisting of regular jury members Wayne Marshall, Albert Storace, and Nicola Said together with special guest judges Alan Chirchop and Giuliano Mazzoccante.

Pulling on the audience’s heartstrings with his impressive abilities on the violin, Samuel Cutajar is crowned the winner of Brillanti’s first season. 

In addition to going home with his prize, Cutajar will soon be taking to the stage once more. This time, he’ll be accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan and conductor Alan Chircop, as well as presenting a concert at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on the 9th of July as part of the Malta International Music Festival.

This will be followed by a second concert, this time in a venue beyond our shores, where he will once again be taking on the soloist role alongside a full international orchestra.

Tickets for the Malta concert tonight are already available, and you can get a 30% discount on tickets by using the code ‘LOVIN30’ during checkout.

These prizes have been made available thanks to the generous support of the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC), who are one of Brillanti’s main sponsors.

The Foundation’s President, Konstantin Ishkhanov, noted that “It’s been wonderful to see so many exciting young talents being discovered during this first season, and I hope that thanks to the opportunities that this programme has provided all of them, and especially Mr Cutajar, will be able to continue developing their skills and realising their full potential”.

Ministers Chris Fearne, Owen Bonnici and Clayton Bartolo, among various other esteemed guests, had the privilege of watching the five finalists perform their final act in person. 

“It’s important that we have these kinds of events, and it’s important that they deserve, because only in this way can we continue to elevate the level of artistry that comes out of Malta and Gozo”, Bartolo said. 

Bartolo is aware that it is these kinds of programmes and events that will continue to elevate the level of artistry that emerges from Malta and Gozo. He also continued by congratulating Joseph Chetchuti, Creator and Producer of Brillanti, and the rest of the team for creating Brillanti as a space where local artists can showcase their talents. 

“This is an arrangement between the organisers who are Brillanti, and the entity, and it is very
important that, where arts funding is concerned, this comes from various sources, and it is a
good thing for there to be various sources from where producers like Joseph and his team can continue to further their projects”, concluded Bonnici. 

He speaks about how crucial it is for multiple funding facets to be made available when it
comes to the arts. It’s only through these schemes and some innovative thinking that Joseph
and other artists alike can continue to create projects like this.

Now that the lavish first season for Brillanti has wrapped up, get ready for an even bigger better second instalment as Brillanti goes dance next year! The team will be focusing on the dance talent found on our island, and auditions will be opening soon,  so if you know someone who’s got some sick moves or you would like to shoot your shot, keep an eye out for applications. 

Tag someone Brillanti!