Battoned up and rearing to go

You have distinguished careers as both a conductor and as a pianist. Which is the dearest to your heart and why?

In both, I am only interested in the musical moment of transformation from an ideal written-on-paper sounding in the imagination, to work into a live performance of real sounds.

It seems that any Maltese or Gozitan artiste who wishes to pursue a full-time career in the arts has to leave Malta to do so successfully. What drove you to continue your musical career in France?

With one orchestra, no real opera season, no real concert halls and insufficient financing, a full time career often needs to be developed on the continent. However, these limitations present opportunities for pioneering work for the establishment of a professional infrastructure. Much has been done; even more has still to be tackled.

Returning to Malta to dedicate my life to these ends, after an intensive period of eight years studying in Kiev and Moscow Tchaikowsky Conservatoires, life's hazards led me to change my plans. The story has been published and discussed too often to justify another go. Destination France was a chance result of a mixture of delusions, treachery, frustrations, youthful adventurous energy and luck. Obliged to leave, I threw the dice and the number that came up was a job as assistant conductor with the then principal conductor of the Orchestre du Capitole and Opera Theatre in Toulouse, Michel Plasson.

For an island of just over 400,000 souls we seem to have a disproportionately large number of accomplished musicians, past and present: Oreste Kirkop, Joseph Calleja, Carmine Lauri and yourself. Why do you think this is?

Talent is God's gift. It answers to no mathematical proportionality equation of pro-ratas to population or to geo-racial formula. It happens, it is there or it is not. How many know that on a small island such as Gozo, one can regularly hear a Sunday Mass to the sound of an excellent choir singing Palestrina led by the extremely talented Maria & George Frendo? That is one enormous accomplishment. The fact that even in our territorial, infra-structural and organisational poverty, talent still occasionally finds the microscopic crack in this granite wall of claustrophobic limitations, seeping out into a world of high-level of accomplishment, is indeed a miracle.

We have often heard it is said that the artistic environment in the Maltese Islands is somewhat conservative. Would you agree?

One can only move forward from a given point, which is what one conserves from past actions/experience. Through the unlimited forces of mediocrity and power-hungry rationality, life often ends up conserving the unnecessary or even the harmful.

Let's learn a little more about the younger Brian Schembri. Where were you born, grow up, were educated

I was born at the Blue Sisters' Hospital St Julian's when my family, mostly of Valletta origins and a Dingli connection, was residing in Ħamrun. My childhood education till I left for Russia, was in Ħamrun Egyptian Sisters school, then Wentworthville School in NSW, then High School Ħamrun, Lyceum Ħamrun and eventually the Students Club St Paul Street, Valletta (where I spent my two sixth-form years skiving most lectures).

Being the youngest fessudu at home I was practically appropriated by brother Giuseppe and sisters Veronica and Natalie, who seemingly all had a passionate teaching vocation, giving me endless extra hours of lessons on practically all main school subjects, till my music lessons started in earnest with my father, which was my mother Giovanna's brilliant idea. My father Carmelo was a very active clarinetist and is a great music teacher (he taught a number of highly talented Maltese musicians including, clarinetist Lino Pirotta, guitarist Simon Schembri, pianist Stefan Cassar, among others). I also did some theory studies with the ever-beloved Carmelo Pace.

As a classical musician, do you have any time for other forms of music such as jazz, pop?

I enjoy a good jazz session and ethnic music of all origins, especially in as authentic a form as possible, as well as a selection of more commercial products such as Beatles, Battisti, Gainsbourg.

We understand that you were recently appointed as musical consultant to our national theatre Teatru Manoel. How did this come about?

Some years ago, I was asked by the Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and the then Minister of Culture Francis. Zammit Dimech whether I was interested in participating in Malta's musical scene in a more regular role than I had been allowed till then, I naturally agreed. After long months of reflection, the authorities decided that my competence, experience and qualities could be best used as music consultant to Teatru Manoel.

If money were no object what artiste or artistes would you most like to bring to perform at The Manoel Theatre?

One should think about programming in relation to the holistic project that a music season is by definition. It is not just a wish list of names, however prominent and not always a question of money. More than a series of performances, it is one cobblestone in the path of a long-term artistic vision, defined into a policy by visionary specialists and implemented by an efficient professional system. Example: Joseph Calleja, obviously, does not depend on Teatru Manoel to perform in Malta and the Maltese public has access to his performances, but how can a national institution with a serious music season discard the extremely rare possibility of involving one of the country's most prominent, successful and busiest artists in its history? Mr Calleja greeted my request with great enthusiasm and generosity, but to date, my proposal is still waiting for a Teatru Manoel decision. Further, I am informed that the opera festival is mainly attended by foreign tourists, while the Maltese public, which flocks to Gozo for any opera production and passionately overfills our piazzas to attend operatic concerts seems to shun it. This explains my stubbornness to encourage, as far as my function allows, the Manoel to invest intensely in an efficient administrative and artistic decision-taking system. At a certain point, concrete decisions have to be taken in an efficient, creative and visionary and energetic manner, based on a passionate belief and love for the artistic and the spiritual role of our national entity that is Teatru Manoel.

In many people's eyes you have achieved enormous success. But how much further do you think you can go? And what plans do you have lined up?

Success is a relative concept, flexible according to a particular point of view, situation and moment. Conscious of my achievements, enormous to some, modest to others, I have also developed a self-flagellatory quality, which renders me immune to appreciation. I still prefer positive reactions to negative comments however. In my personal world-view, success is not about public relations and marketing. Striving for independence of will and intention, an artist aims at the most profound and intimate convictions about art. This naturally depends on talent, hard work, and deep constant reflection, but above all on the desire to navigate the foggy spiritual world one calls art. Believe me, this is one lifetime plan... I have been at it for years and maybe my last week's performance at Teatru Manoel may have just been that one step nearer towards the right, never-ending path.