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THIS WEEK MUSIC maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 APRIL 2017 4 Ahead of their upcoming concert at the Malta Society of Arts, London-based pianist Marcelle Zahra and f lautist Boris Bizjak speak to TEODOR RELJIC about 'Music from the Heart of Europe' Could you tell us a little bit about your musical partnership, and what motivated you to begin performing together? We've known each other for a few years now and we've been good friends since we first met through a mutual friend. Although we have frequently talked about a duo idea in the past, we didn't start playing together until last year. As musicians do, every time we meet up we would often talk about music, musicians, current concerts we are involved in and we would fre- quently share ideas and inspire each other to create new projects. It was only a matter of time until we decided to join forces and start working on a selection of pieces; firstly we wanted to check out how we would feel playing as a duo and also we wanted to try out playing the programme we prepared in a concert setting. Having known each other before we combined efforts made it easier to obtain the musical communication required and the dynamic between us felt right instantly. We both live in Blackheath, South East London and our first concert was in June 2018 in a small local theatre. Since then we've played a few other concerts in London and now we're very much looking for- ward to our next destination: Malta! How would you say your previous musical experience is reflected on the work that you've put into preparing for 'Music From the Heart of Europe'? Musically we both come from a simi- lar background – we have both spent many years studying our instruments, we have both invested countless amount of hours of practice (which is still ongoing and so it will remain!), and both come with a substantial package of performing experience, all attributes which contribute to the commitment, preparation and time needed to put together and perform a full concert programme. Practice is of the utmost importance to maximise the impact of the musical learning process and also aids in the de- velopment of the technique required, fine motor skills and muscle memory. No matter how well you play, the dis- cipline of daily practice is an essential part of a musician's life. Playing an in- strument is a lifetime skill and we're always learning and drawing on new ideas to apply to our interpretations from listening to different recordings, playing and practising together, as well as from actually testing repertoire on the performance platform. We both Teodor Reljic "The concert 'Music from the Heart of Europe' will take the audience on a journey of Romantic music for flute and piano, written by composers from across Europe" An uplifting experience that feeds the soul Marcelle Zahra and Boris Bizjak