Musicians from all over the world gather in Malta for the first time this week for the Bisyoc International Youth Orchestral Exchange for the first time. Director Julian Gibbons tells Adam Brimmer about language barriers, missing instruments and the sound of silence.

It’s an exciting week for Malta’s budding musicians, as Bisyoc, an international youth orchestra exchange programme that was set up by British music director Julian Gibbons, kicks off with a series of workshops at the Archbishop’s Seminary, Rabat, and a trio of performances that will take place in various locations around Malta.

The cultural activities in the evening are particularly important to us. It’s how the participants get to know each other – by dancing and having fun

Gibbons hit upon the idea of bringing the world’s young musicians together in 2001 after a successful stint conducting the European Medical Student Orchestra.

Fresh from the vibrant diversity of working with this orchestra, he decided to create a new course with a similarly international mix of individuals. With connections from a great many countries at his fingertips, tutors soon started coming forward, bringing the first students with them.

“Our primary goal is to bring young people from different cultures together, through the connecting language of music,” Gibbons says, while listing a mind-boggling array of participating countries ranging from England to Portugal, Switzerland, Norway, Romania and Germany, to name a few.

Bisyoc takes place over 11 days and offers the perfect opportunity for young musicians to be exposed to a diversity of talent within an intercultural setting.

The summer project offers an eclectic mix of chamber music concerts and workshops; however, it is not just about the music. Socialisation plays an equally important part.

“We run a full programme of sport events and outdoor activities whereby young people can mix with each other and see the surroundings,” Gibbons says.

“It would be such a waste to come to an island like Malta and not have a look around and give the youngsters an opportunity to get acquainted with a new country. The cultural activities in the evening are particularly important to us. It’s how the participants get to know each other – by dancing and having fun.”

This year, 15 specialist tutors have committed their time to the programme, allowing 80 multinational participants to gain further insight into their preferred instrument and into the art of composing music.

“Both avenues of learning are currently being explored, through playing every day, intense work with instrumental tutors and also thanks to the New Music workshop being led by composer and multi-instrumentalist Jim Pywell.

“This workshop is particularly exciting because Jim will be creating a new musical piece called Green Piece, using only the instruments the students have at hand and utilising ideas conceived during the workshops.”

Despite a sterling background, Gibbons is somewhat shy when it comes to blowing his own horn.

The musician was born in Bournemouth, England, in 1966, to a musical family.

“I played the violin and then started studying the horn. The natural step was to start playing in youth orchestras,” he says.

While studying history at Durham, Gibbons became conductor of the St John’s College Orchestra before moving to Munich to further his studies on the horn.

He finished this musical journey in Switzerland and currently teaches at the music schools of Weil am Rhein and Bad Sackingen in the south of Germany.

The Bisyoc project is certainly an ambitious one that cannot but bring a number of challenges with it. The mere thought of the potential language barriers would be enough to bring on a headache to anyone. However, Gibbons shrugs it off with a smile.

“I cannot remember any great difficulties and we generally manage to communicate in English, in some form or fashion: you do get the odd exception with students who cannot speak even the barest minimum of English, but their friends generally pool in with translations and, somehow or other, we manage.

“Italian is considered the unofficial language of music and we tend to use that during rehearsals.”

Still there are other hurdles to overcome, starting with everyone’s pet peeve: funding.

“As a charitable organisation, the challenge is sometimes to get the correct number of participants from each country to qualify for funding. That said, we encounter more problems when it comes to equipment transportation and availability. This turned out to be an issue particularly in Malta; it was very difficult to borrow instruments like harps and percussion.”

He mentions being asked by a particular outlet to pay €1,000 to rent a harp for a week, an amount the organisation certainly cannot afford.

“Suddenly we are faced with this situation where there are two harp players coming to Malta but only one harp is available for them to play.”

The conversation turns to the performances the students will put up in Malta. The repertoire lists pieces by Shostakovich and Daugherty, both of which get Gibbons rather nostalgic.

“Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 is one of my favourites. I have fond memories of playing it in a youth orchestra when I was 17. The score appeals to young people, although it is a very difficult piece to perform.”

He believes that despite its complexity, this is an excellent way to introduce the students to Shostakovich – “one of the most important composers of the 20th century”.

The programme also includes works by Daugherty, whom Gibbons regards as one of the most played American composers of today.

“It is important to include modern pieces alongside the classics to expose young people to the potential of contemporary music.”

When the concert ends, Gibbons is eager to explore Malta further. “I’m looking forward to just getting to know the island, meeting the locals, swimming in the Mediterranean, enjoying the sun and eating the renowned Maltese food. I have planned a week-long holiday and intend to explore both islands.”

The musician admits that he finds it necessary to also take a break from music.

“I do not casually listen to music very much. To be honest, when I am not learning scores for my next programmes, I prefer to listen to the sounds of nature or just enjoy the silence!”

The Bisyoc International Youth Orchestral Exchange concerts are being held at 8.30 p.m. on Friday at St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Valletta; on Saturday at the Gozo Ministry courtyard, St Francis Square, Victoria; and at 8 p.m. next Sunday at the President’s Palace courtyard, St George’s Square, Valletta (in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund). Tickets are available at the door.

www.bisyoc.com