Euromed festival aimed at budding musicians

The first Euromed Festival for Composers has just been launched to create a platform for young musicians to showcase their orchestral works.

"The sphere of contemporary music has been neglected for a long time and opportunities have been few," Adrian Mamo, chairman of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, said.

"A number of young people are involved in the popular scene, but the chances for composers under 40 who need to find a way of expressing their musical abilities are limited," he added.

The festival was intended to address the void and offer support to something which may not immediately be commercially viable, he explained.

The festival will incorporate a competition for composers and an orchestral concert for the finalists' works. It is being presented in collaboration with the Culture Ministry, the National Orchestra and Manoel Theatre.

Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said the festival would bring about a fusion of culture and arts through music, while encouraging young Maltese composers to expand their talents.

"This festival is a completely innovative concept for Malta's cultural and music scene. It aims to create a synergy of encounters between European and Mediterranean artists whilst promoting their works and potential," council executive director Paul V. Mifsud said.

The competition is open to composers born after November 30, 1967 in the European and Mediterranean countries that are partners of the Barcelona Declaration.

The submitted works should be original and have not been publicly performed, recorded, published or awarded. The deadline for submissions of orchestral works is August 28.

The jury will consist of internationally-acclaimed figures - including Edward Gregson, one of Britain's most respected composers - that specialise in music composition.

The finalists' works will be performed by the National Orchestra on December 15 at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta. The three winners will receive monetary prizes and the work that receives the first prize will also be performed by the National Orchestra in a separate public concert.

"This is the initial concept of the festival, which aims to grow meticulously and sensitively into an international stage for upcoming musicians and to draw a specific high-culture audience," council arts executive Mary Ann Cauchi said.

The launch of the Euromed Festival for Composers is being supported by a comprehensive marketing campaign on a local and foreign platform. "The objectives are to attract artists and audiences from Malta and from the European and Mediterranean countries, and to boost interest and search for new trends in music art," she added. The project is being supported by the Malta Tourism Authority, the Mackintosh Foundation, Le Meridien Phoenicia, BPC, the university's Mediterranean Institute, the University Cultural Cooperative, the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic and the Euro-Mediterranean Youth Platform.