Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/655581
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 MARCH 2016 31 This Week art visual arts scene? What would you change about it? Xaxa Calleja: I would change the separation that I sometimes feel between the different arts and specifically within the visual arts scene. While I was on the residency, I was with a number of artists who had a completely dif- ferent arts background. I ended up having a lot of intriguing con- versations and comments from the artists who were completely different to me and I realised that I underestimated the importance of spending time with other art- ists. I think that the visual arts scene is still very much divided into cliques and you tend to see the same artists working togeth- er. I think that this is a pity as you sometimes need to take a risk on a different artist or curator to discover something new about yourself. Sara Pace: I believe that the scene is growing and there are several new artists on the scene who are striving to bring in a breath of fresh air into Maltese art. Yes, there are still many ar- eas where one needs to improve, such as a need for a space to exhibit contemporary art in, to recognise contemporary artists and to encourage free discussion, which may bring about further change. We do need the support of our elders and working in tan- dem would mean that the local scene could grow further. It is of no use to any of us to work separately or to have vari- ous groups all believing to be better than the other. We need to accept our differences and see where we can meet each other, namely in the passion of creating and garnering knowledge. After all, we have the responsibility to reflect our times and are the ones who will in turn pass on our knowledge to the younger gen- eration. An educator by profession, I believe that we need to give more prominence to exhibitions, bring- ing in noted artworks from the past and from the present, both from abroad and locally, as only this will encourage visits to galler- ies and museum spaces. Yes, the general populace needs to be educated, and it can only be educated by giving it what it already knows compared to what it doesn't know for it to reach its own conclusions. The Maltese have started to travel a lot in the past few years, but very few of them visit exhibitions, galleries and other cultural events. This is an impression I draw from my own travels, discussions with my peers and from watching the way society reacts to art and culture in general. Thus the way to draw people in is to make these spaces more available, more popular and advertised and less like artists' 'bastions' –one would not want to fall into the pit of kitsch but that is the thin line that artists and cu- rators have to traverse together to be able to talk to the community. The Invisible, Visible will re- main on display at The Fortress Builders Interpretation Centre, Valletta until March 30. More in- formation: https://www.facebook. Music in aid of brain research TEODOR RELJIC speaks to Malta Philharmonic Orchestra director Michael Laus ahead of an upcoming concert at the St Publius Church in Floriana – Vivaldi's Four Seasons featuring violinist Carmine Lauri, which will be a collaboration with RIDT in aid of brain research How would you describe your career as con- ductor throughout the last 25 years? What would you say were some of the most reward- ing moments of your career? When I became Music Director of the Ma- noel Theatre Orchestra, 25 years ago, it was a new experience for me. Although I had studied conducting in Italy, my main musical activities till then were as a pianist in solo and chamber work. I took up the conducting post with en- thusiasm, knowing that there was much that needed to be developed with this orchestra. The beginning was not easy, but as the years rolled on, we became used to each other. To- gether we built a wide repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary music. There were many highlights in my conducting career. If I had to pinpoint three, I would choose the per- formances of the Verdi Requiem at the Medi- terranean Conference Centre, Tchaikovsky's Pathetique in the Rossini Theatre of Pesaro and a concert with the Bratislava Philharmonic in Hannover. More generally, what would you say were some of the most important developments in the Maltese musical scene, since you became active within it? The musical scene has changed radically over 25 years. There are now many foreign musi- cians with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, and this has greatly enriched the music-mak- ing. Many more young Maltese musicians now have the possibility to further their studies abroad, especially in the UK or in Italy, with the result that the general standard is consid- erably higher now. The quality and number of musical events has also increased considerably. The music studies course at the University of Malta has enabled a number of young people to specialise in composition, performance and musicology and this has also enriched music culture on the island. There are a number of young Maltese composers with exciting and new ideas. In light of this upcoming concert, to what would you attribute the enduring popularity of Vivaldi's Four Seasons? I am always amazed at how popular the Four Seasons are, even with persons who do not usually attend concerts of symphonic music. I think that the popularity is mainly due to the fact that the music is refreshing and rhythmi- cally energetic, and is also open to a type of stylish, 'modern' interpretation, which makes it sound eternally young. I know of no other work with this sort of appeal, except maybe Stravin- sky's Rite of Spring. And on a related note, given that the con- cert is being organised by RIDT, in what fur- ther ways do you think the world of music and academic – even medical – research can collaborate more closely? Academic research is of paramount impor- tance to music. Historically-informed perfor- mance practice, which depends on research, has changed the way that music of all periods up to the 19th century is performed today. Musicologists, music historians and musicians work hand in hand to discover ways in which music was performed in the past centuries, how musical instruments of the past sounded like, and also to unearth, edit and perform mu- sical scores which have been buried for hun- dreds of years in archives. Musicians can help medical research in the most obvious manner, by raising funds, but also and especially by rais- ing awareness – I hope our upcoming perfor- mance of the Four Seasons will be a catalyst in this sense. The concert will take place on Easter Sunday – March 27 – at St Publius Church in Floriana at 19:30hrs. This special performance is being held in aid of brain research and organised by the University of Malta Research Trust (RIDT) in collaboration with the Malta Neuroscience Network. Entrance tickets at €60, €30 and €25 may be booked from St James Cavalier on 2122 3200 or online: http://ow.ly/VESsk Michael Laus (centre) The beginning was not easy, but as the years rolled on, we became used to each other. Together we built a wide repertoire