As this year’s edition of the Malta International Organ Festival got off to a rousing start last week, Adam Brimmer interviews artistic director Joseph Lia.
How was your love for the organ born?
My love for organs was born when I used to sing in church choirs, especially the St John Co-Cathedral Choir, and then eventually when I was living abroad when I started to work as a singer with many organists.
What about the idea for the festival?
It was born from the need to use the churches as spaces for a festival. After discussing with organists about the matter, the feedback was overwhelming. We have so many beautiful churches in Malta. What was the reason they were never used as venues? I did a stint living in Russia and there I also worked with a lot of organists who said the same thing. Thus, I decided to attempt to set up a festival.
This is the fifth edition of the festival. How have you seen it evolve?
We started out very humbly, with a modest budget. Eventually, we started growing. Every year, the programme keep improving and we try to take the festival to the next level even when the funds don’t really allow for it.
The audience is growing too, and I see a good number of regulars who return to each concert year after year. I try to include music from different eras, ranging from the 16th century to contemporary compositions.
When did work for this edition start?
It starts from the second quarter of the year, which is right when I finish doing all the paper work related to the previous edition.
What are the biggest challenges organising this sort of event?
Finding funds; everything else comes very natural to me. I do pretty much everything. From admin to marketing, programming and performing .
Organ music started out as a bit of a niche area within classical music – have you seen this change since the inception of the festival?
In Malta, I have seen interest growing in organ music since the inception of this festival. In fact, now I actually get approached by various church administrators keen on taking part as a venue.
I do make sure to keep the programme very eclectic, as this helps attract different kinds of audiences – naturally, always within the realm of classical music, music that carries a certain artistic value.
The audience is growing too, and I see a good number of regulars who return to each concert year after year
The festival has been instrumental in offering a platform for organ players and musicians, both Maltese and international. This year we have names like Franco Cefai, Jurgen Grima, Jason Camilleri and Reggie Clews taking part.
We are also including works by Maltese composers like Joseph Vella, Chris Muscat, Karl Fiorini, Emanuel Bugeja, Luigi Grech and Francesco Azopardi. These composers’ works are being executed by foreign organ players, helping add an international dimension to Maltese composers.
The festival also includes an educational programme, with a masterclass and workshop for young organ players. In this way we help local communities, not only by presenting events of high artistic quality in their own town/village church, but also by encouraging and helping those who wish to embark on a career in music, even at international level. Jurgen Grima is a case in point – he has been taking part in the masterclasses for the past four editions of the festival and this year I offered him the opportunity to perform, so that he can showcase his talent.
Malta has some beautiful organs – what can you tell us about them?
Every organ is different and comes with its own individual character and sound. Some of them are modern – such as the one at St Augustine’s church in Valletta. Others are antiques, like the Santucci from the 18th century, which is housed at Our Lady of Victory Church, also in Valletta. This year the festival includes churches which do not have their own organ, but we will be taking an organ on site.
As far as artists go, who are the biggest names taking part?
There’s Stefano Molardi, who is a big name in baroque music; Olga Makarina from the Met Opera, Pjotr Ilyash on violin; and several organists like Sergio Orabona, Diego Cannizzaro, Mariella Mochi and Giacomo Benedetti. German musicians Neils Pfeffer and Christian Schmitt, together with Gail Archer from the US, should also go down well with the audiences.
What’s the next highlight on the programme?
On Thursday the Stabat Mater of Pergolesi will be performed at the Church of Mary Magdalene in Valletta. Makarina takes on the role of soprano, together with alto Dina El, under the direction of Italian Simone Valeri. The Florentine organist Giacomo Benedetti will be playing the organ.
This Stabat Mater was composed in the final weeks of Pergolesi’s life, and is scored for soprano and alto soloists, violin I and II, viola and basso continuo (cello and organ). The commission for this work was given by the same Order in Naples for which Alessandro Scarlatti had composed a Stabat Mater in 1723.
Makarina has performed as principal soloist under the baton of Valery Gergiev, James Levine, Yehudij Menuhin and Bruno Campanella. After making her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in L’enfant et les Sortileges in 2002, her repertoire has included Gilda in Rigoletto; Princess Eudoxie in La Juive; Elettra in Idomeneo; and Lucia in Lucia di Lamermoor, among others.
The Malta International Organ Festival runs until December 7 at various locations. A full programme is available online.
www.MaltaInternationalOrganFestival.com