Dionysis Grammenos returns to the island to direct the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and soprano Nicola Said in the President’s New Year’s Concert. He talks to John Cordina about his career so far and the upcoming performance.
In the end, it did not take long for Dionysis Grammenos to make it back to Malta after his first visit. Just last October, he had directed the Junge Philharmonie Wien at the Manoel Theatre, over two nights which proved to be a resounding success.
“I very much enjoyed walking through the beautiful city, feeling close to the sea, admiring the history and culture and of course, your very warm hospitality,” he recounts.
Feeling close to the sea is something very important to a Greek, he says, a sentiment that should be easy to understand for many Maltese. His affinity for Malta may also stem from the fact that he hails from another small island, Corfu – which, as it happens, has been home to a small Maltese community since the 19th century.
Dionysis was born there in 1989 and he took up the clarinet at age seven. His international breakthrough arrived in 2008, when he became the first wind instrument player to win the prestigious Eurovision Young Musicians classical music competition. Until then, only piano, violin and cello players had claimed the top prize.
He has since performed in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall, the Barbican Centre in London, the Cité de la Musique in Paris, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Konzerthaus Vienna.
A keen chamber musician, Dionysis collaborates with the Berlin Philharmonia Quartett and forms a duo with Anneleen Lenaerts, solo harpist of the Vienna Philharmonic. His debut CD, featuring works by Spohr, Nielsen and Debussy together with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, was released by French record label Naïve.
He made his conducting debut at the age of 21 with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and has since conducted a number of orchestras across Europe.
You’ll be taking up the role of conductor at the New Year’s concert, but you have primarily made your mark as a clarinettist. When did you start playing the clarinet and what drew you to the instrument in the first place?
I can still recall the feeling of watching, as a young boy, the wind bands marching on the streets of Corfu. I remember my body vibrating with the intense sound coming out of the brass and percussion while the band was passing in front of me.
The programme has the flavour of the famous Viennese New Year’s concerts
I was seven years old when I told my parents that I would like to join the band and start learning the clarinet. I was very impressed with that instrument, how complicated it looked with so many keys and how challenging it would be to play it; plus, it was always on the front line of the band. It was the main instrument for the band – akin to the violin in a symphonic orchestra.
Which musicians have proven to be a particular inspiration during your development as a musician?
It is really hard to choose just a few composers that influenced my musical development. However, I recognise the deep influence Mahler’s music had in my life and how my passion for his symphonies made me become a conductor. I can also mention Strauss, Puccini, Mozart and Brahms; for different reasons, they all played a significant role in the way I perceive music today.
Which are the greatest challenges you face as a professional musician, and what gives you the greatest satisfaction?
It gives me great satisfaction to engage with people, to share my musical ideas and enthusiasm with them and to work hard in order to achieve a specific result, a specific sound that I have in my mind. I am constantly travelling around the world in order to perform, either as a conductor or as a clarinettist, and I always feel privileged at how we, as musicians, are able to share our music every time with a different public, with people of different backgrounds, cultures, habits and musical experiences.
That said, sometimes I find it hard to maintain a good balance between per-forming/traveling and spending some quality time with my family and good friends, so most probably, that is one of the biggest challenges in the life of a professional musician.
In contrast to the Manoel Theatre performances, the President’s New Year’s Concert’s programme is aimed towards a wider audience. How important, in your opinion, are such efforts to bridge the gap between classical music and the general public?
First of all, I believe that the programme that we made for the New Year’s Concert is a wonderful blend of works that is a perfect fit for the atmosphere of those days. It has the flavour of the famous Viennese New Year’s concerts, and we hope that the audience will keep the beauty and magic of these works in their heart as they celebrate the arrival of the New Year!
I always greatly enjoy this kind of performance, where everybody participates and gets to experience the power of music so directly. I think it is a great opportunity for everyone to draw closer to the symphonic-orchestral world by having the chance to listen to all these famous melodies, from Strauss’s Blue Danube and Radetzky March to Loewe’s musical song I could have danced all night.
What are your hopes for the future?
I hope to be able to explore and discover more repertoire, both symphonic and operatic and to continue learning and educating myself with same passion as I have now.
The President’s New Year’s Concert takes place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on New Year’s Eve, starting at 8.30pm. The performance lasts an hour without intermission, to allow the audience to continue their New Year’s celebrations elsewhere.
Tickets for the event, at €10, may be purchased from the Mediterranean Conference Centre or online. Proceeds go to the Malta Community Chest Fund.
www.mcc.com.mt