Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1216530
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 MARCH 2020 NEWS THE Malta Philharmonic Or- chestra has lost its second ar- tistic director over differences with MPO chairman Sigmund Mifsud. Conductor Raoul Lay told culture minister José Herrera that he was unable to convince Mifsud to "remedy the malfunc- tions which hinder the normal and serene exercise of my du- ties" and that he was not able to work on the general organisa- tion of all MPO activities. "Whether it's the operas giv- en at the Manoel Theatre or in Gozo, the tours conducted by the principal conductor, the need to hire better orchestra soloists, the need to modify the defective acoustics of the Manoel Theatre, my proposals for touring especially in Chi- na, my wish to record French music records, my proposal of a good partnership with the French Embassy for hosting French highly known soloists, my proposal of building an IM- OF (International Malta Opera Factory) which first seemed to enthuse Mr Mifsud... almost all the advice I've been able to pro- vide was not listened to," Lay said in his letter of resignation. He said his proposal for a for- eign tour in China which he said would have generated income from performing in the prestig- ious Shanghai New Music Festi- val, was rejected by Mifsud. "Generally speaking, I was confronted by Mr Mifsud with the following contradiction: 'To improve the musical level of the orchestra, to make it play on an equal level with the great Euro- pean orchestras, but at the same time to keep it exactly as it is to- day!' Lay bluntly said some MPO musicians will never have the level of an international or- chestra. "I was trying to be as coopera- tive possible in order to partic- ipate in Mr Mifsud's vision of the orchestra. In fact, after these programming of two concerts, all my proposals were massive- ly rejected by Mr Mifsud," Lay said, adding that he was unable to put forward his more am- bitious artistic choices for the MPO's porgramme. "Mr Mifsud urged me, for the benefit of the orchestra, to try new supersoloists, indicating to me that the current MPO con- cert leader intended to gradu- ally move from the orchestra to a role in education. So I invited a French concert leader, and the reception of the orchestra was very cold because everyone thought I wanted to replace the current concert leader. Even to- day I do not understand the in- terest of pitting people against each other, when music needs an atmosphere of natural har- mony," Lay said. Lay also claimed Mifsud rare- ly answers the phone, "sets ap- pointments to which he does not go, changes his mind on major artistic issues, is basically unreliable in a relationship that requires real follow-up." Lay's departure follows that of Maestro Brian Schembri, the principal conductor of the Mal- ta Philharmonic Orchestra in 2017 Schembri had resisted changes in the conditions of his contract and was adamant that Mifsud – who is also the conductor for the MPO's Rockestra per- formance – recognises that he was still the orchestra's artistic director. Mifsud is himself a former or- chestra member, and was ap- pointed executive chairman in 2013. He has contested the last two general elections on behalf of the Labour Party. MPO director Raoul Lay resigns Lay is a conductor and composer, formerly the director of the Ensemble Télémaque that he founded in 1994