As the International Spring Orchestra Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary, internationally-acclaimed composer Karl Fiorini speaks to Iggy Fenech about the chain of events that established the classical music festival and the role classical music plays in the Maltese mindset.

One of the most widely-held misconceptions is that classical music is the preserve of the upper classes, the wealthy and the culturally educated. It is the sort of music people who have never known a day of fun in their existence would enjoy... the soundtrack to their fancy lives lived within their gilded cages.

The above is surely a presumptuous statement, but hardly one that has never passed through the minds of the many who were dragged to a classical music concert only to discover that they didn’t know most – or any – of the pieces that were being performed.

Over the past 10 years, the International Spring Orchestra Festival has aimed to eradicate that way of thinking; and, along with the many other classical music fixtures on Malta’s cultural calendar, has brought about a revolution in the way the Maltese spend their downtime.

Yet, with no conservatoire on the island and no official music academy to create awareness, this annual festival is still going against the grain by trying to break through the boundaries set by the high and low culture believers.

“Indeed, listening to classical music can be challenging for some,” says Karl Fiorini, the festival producer and a respected composer himself. “But that’s what actually makes it special.

“It’s about getting out of your comfort zone and appreciating the work being done by the musicians. Yet, they also have to be the ones who challenge the audience and get them to truly listen to what’s being offered. But how many music students come to these concerts? And music teachers? The mindset can’t and won’t change if those who are meant to be at the forefront of this shift don’t turn up in the first place.”

Throughout our two-hour conversation, Karl is adamant about the fact that many local musicians don’t show interest in the classical concerts that are held. “And, moreover, many of those teaching instruments have never performed in front of an audience. I believe that really limits them as educators, too,” he says.

To counteract this, the festival holds a number of master classes alongside the concerts to allow local musicians the chance to learn from international masters. In fact, this year Karl has teamed up with Education+ to bring three esteemed percussionists and a soprano over to Malta in January, February and March to work with two selected schools.

Most of the repertoire we have this year has never been listened to publicly in Malta, even though it’s rather well-known abroad

“This means that 40 pupils will be getting hands-on experience in the field – and their experience will then, with the help of their teachers, be turned into a piece to be performed during the festival,” he says. “Ultimately, the idea is to motivate them and drive them towards classical music.”

Undoubtedly, the festival has evolved greatly since it was first held in 2006 – but it has always remained true to its values, particularly that new music was to be brought to our shores, and that bringing high culture to the masses shouldn’t have to be about compromising on its authenticity or the creativity behind it.

“Most of the repertoire we have this year has never been listened to publicly in Malta – even though it’s rather well-known abroad – including Beethoven’s sensational 1808 Choral Fantasy,” he says.

In ParisIn Paris

Apart from setting the programme himself, Karl will also be premiering a new piece composed by himself on the last night of the festival, “something that I believe every festival should do,” he says.

Karl’s journey towards establishing the festival is one that is rather telling about the ferocity of this festival’s aims and the success it has achieved. “It was during one of those uncertain times in my life where I was dealing with many personal things,” Karl says. “I was just 25 when a friend suggested I should start an annual festival. I had no idea where to start or how to go about it but, somehow, here we are!”

Considering that this year tickets are selling for as little as €5 and that children under 15 go in for free, the line-up for the 10th anniversary is impressive. In fact, it will include local legends like Brian Schembri and Miriam Cauchi, as well as famous international names like Jean Dubé, Hans-Peter Hoffman and Minha Park. The list of venues is also noteworthy, with the Manoel Theatre, San Anton Palace, Pjazza Teatru Rjal, the Grandmaster’s Palace and Palazzo Pereira all being used to set the scene for the 15 concerts.

“Yet, the festival will also be an experience for the senses. Each one will commence with a 25-minute talk about what the audience will be listening to, thus giving the music a context and a history – something that is indispensable to truly enjoy a piece of classical music.

“Following the concert, we will serve wine and food, providing a space for audiences to discuss how they liked the music, what moved them and anything else they wish to share. This is the Greek way of doing theatre and a way that truly expands an audience members’ appreciation of the genre and his or her interest in culture behind classical music.”

Of course, it takes months of preparation to create something like this. But Karl and his team’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. So much so they have a list of artists signed up for the festival that will take them all the way into 2019.

The International Spring Orchestra Festival takes place between April 1 and 9. Tickets are available online or from the Manoel Theatre’s Booking Office by calling on 2124 6389 or sending an e-mail to bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt.

www.ticketline.com.mt

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.