Sigmund Mifsud’s appointment as chairman of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra some two years ago came with a self-declared set of targets andpriorities. He tells Ramona Depares about the journey so far.

It’s been almost two years since Sigmund Mifsud – the charmismatic musician known for creating a concept that married classical, rock and pop music for the first time in Malta – took the top post at the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO). In an interview that he gave to this newspaper before taking on his new role, Mifsud had identified a number of priorities that he intended to tackle during his chairmanship. I caught up with him to find out what has happened since then.

Brian Schembri. Photo: Victor Vella

“A main priority when I accepted the role was to identify a new conductor for the orchestra. I immediately kicked off a consultation process and Brian Schembri was appointed. Of course, change always brings with it a measure of anxiety, but a few months in Brian more than proved that the right decision had been taken,” Misfud says.

Why Schembri? “I’m a firm believer that you always have to work with the best talent available. Brian fits the bill not just locally, but also on an international level. Invitations for him to conduct other prestigious foreign orchestras come in regularly and as chairman of the MPO I appreciate the prestige that this brings with it. Everytime he performs abroad, Brian is not only the ambassador of our national orchestra, but also of our country. He has helped put Malta out there and we are proud of this,” Mifsud says.

Sigmund Mifsud.

During his tenure so far, Mifsud continues, he has focused on raising more awareness about the role of the national orchestra, which goes way beyond giving some concerts every year. He acknowledges there is still a lot to be done, but adds that there have been a number of significant breakthroughs, not least the fact that people now automatically appreciate the need for a national orchestra.

“Before, we had the public actually questioning the use of a national orchestra, wondering whether it was really needed in a small country.”

Today, it is a feather in Mifsud’s cap that no one questions this any more and classical performances playing to an empty theatre are, happily, a thing of the past.

“We have worked hard to create more visibility both with the media and across the board. This has created a positive ripple effect, helping us develop a more widespread and diverse audience. Nowadays, you’re be hard-pressed to find someone who is not aware of what the orchestra is doing. The switch is so drastic that not only do classical concerts sell out, nowadays – we also occasionally run repeats.”

Another priority on Mifsud’s list was to address the fact that, for the previous five years, the orchestra had not carried out any tours or foreign engagements.

“I started work on this right after my appointment and, in fact, we recently had a very successful two-week tour in China, where we played in various theatres and we have more foreign tours coming up.”

Being part of the national orchestra is not about playing a concert once a week

These tours include a performance at the Milan Expo in July followed by a performance in Frankfurt in November. There is also the possibility of a concert at the Vatican that will be broadcast by Rai. “Incidentally, such engagements serve to raise not only the national orchestra’s profile, but also that of Malta on a tourist and cultural level. I really want to consolidate the orchestra’s position as cultural ambassador, particularly given that we are in full run-up to Valletta 2018,” he says.

However, Mifsud adds, the benefits of touring are not limited to promotion of self and country. The experience can be a highly educational one both on a professional and even on a personal level. While in China, the orchestra got to play in theatres with near-perfect acoustics, “unlike many of ours”. The MPO chairman says that he uses the latter words advisedly, pointing out that he is painfully aware of the acoustic lackings of most of the orchestra’s usual performance spaces.

“These theatres allowed the orchestra to show its true capacity and the experience really pushed home the point of what is needed in Malta. The experience was incredibly motivating for all the musicians, not to mention the element of team-building as an added bonus. Playing together abroad has paved the way for a more cohesive and energetic outfit; everyone came back refreshed.”

It is evident that if there is one thing that Mifsud is passionate about it is the motivation of the musicians themselves. He places the empowerment of the individual members that make up the orchestra high on his agenda.

“Musicians need to be given space to grow artistically. This is why we now encourage them to accept private engagements that are related to their field. I also strived to give them a higher level of responsibility within the structure. For example, thanks to Brian’s artistic vision, the section principal is now involved in the audition process to a very high degree,” Mifsud says.

“We are distributing solos more fairly, we are giving the individual musician the spotlight he or she deserves. The idea is to properly invest in the orchestra and my next goal is to improve payment scales to bring them in line with what a professional musician should be earning.”

The musicians, he continues, are the heart of the orchestra. “Being part of the national orchestra is not about playing a concert once a week. It involves a lot more. If we want professionals we need to take a professional approach.”

This investment is extended to the future of the orchestra with a new partnership with the School of Music being launched in order to ensure that new blood keeps being diverted towards the MPO.

“The top pupils are offered an internship and collaboration with the orchestra. We need our top students to be more present in concerts. In recent years, the output of musicians from the school has been of about one out of a 1,000 every year. The situation needs to change fast. These students are the future of the MPO.”

Away from the nitty-gritty of daily logistics, bigger things are a-brewing for the MPO with a change in headquarters coming up on the horizon. Although Mifsud refuses to divulge more at this stage, he tells me that negotiations are already advanced.

“The new headquarters will enable us to consolidate the position of the national orchestra. We are working on a place with better acoustics where we can also plan the season independently and also include the academy. In short, we want a powerhouse of a national orchestra,” Mifsud says.

Brian Schembri conducts the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, in a concert to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Anzac Day.

Stefan Cassomenos will also perform as soloist and Carmine Lauri as guest leader.

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