The

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Proposal for EU Funding Culture Programme 2007 - 2013 2008

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

Introduction

The Project

Partners

Funding

1
 The
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Proposal for EU Funding Culture Programme 2007 - 2013 2008

About Us
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

The Orchestra was founded on 1st April 1968 and was originally known as the Manoel Theatre
Orchestra. It comprised a number of musicians who previously formed part of a chamber orchestra in
the employ of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Navy (Malta), better known as the C-in-C Orchestra
that was disbanded one day earlier. It was the orchestra in residence at the homonymous theatre and
regularly performed operas and symphonic concerts under the direction of its resident conductors
Joseph Sammut (1968-1992) and Michael Laus (1992-1997).

In September 1997 the orchestra became an independent body and was officially named as the National
Orchestra of Malta. Ten years later, in December 2007, precisely during the Budget Speech by the Hon.
Prime Minister Dr. Lawrence Gonzi, the Orchestra was given the go ahead to start the process to
augment its musicians compliment to Philharmonic levels. The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra or Orkestra
Filarmonika Nazzjonali in Maltese was launched on the 12th January, 2008, on the occasion of the
official Euro change-over celebration concert marking Malta's entry into the Eurozone.

The predominant influences of the various cultures in the Mediterranean Region has not only affected
the Maltese way of living but left indelible marks on the development of the Malta Philharmonic
Orchestra. The demanding repertoires by Italian, English, German, French, Austrian and Russian
composers among others, so much imbedded in local music tastes, has often seen the Orchestra
performing as a large symphony orchestra thanks to the excellent co-operation that the Malta
Philharmonic Orchestra enjoys with important Orchestras in Europe.

The Orchestra's extensive calendar of events consists mainly of symphonic concerts at the Manoel
Theatre, the Mediterranean Conference Centre and other venues apart from opera productions in Malta
and Gozo as well as abroad.

Since January 2005 various projects were taken assiduously to tackle our musicians' performing
standards. Co-operation programmes with foreign orchestras were initiated which led to various learning
and cultural exchanges. In the run-up to the orchestra's growth, various musicians have been invited
from one of the leading orchestras in the Czech Republic, the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, to play in
concerts with our own musicians, whilst similar opportunities with other orchestras in Europe were
developed, particularly also with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Pesaro, Orchestra e Coro di Milano La Verdi,
Orchestra e Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana and others.

The Orchestra toured for the first time, in its previous chamber formation, during the season 2001-02. In
Belgium the Orchestra performed at the City Hall in Brussels under the direction of Michael Laus, who
still occupies the post of resident conductor to date, while in Sicily, in collaboration with the Teatru
Manoel (Malta) and Operalaboratorio of Palermo, it took part in a five-performance production of
Mozart's Cosi' fan tutte at Palermo's Teatro Orione. In June 2003, the National Orchestra participated in
the production of Leonard Bernstein's Candide at Rome's Teatro Argentina, followed by a concert in the
evocative ruins of Villa Adriana in Tivoli.

1
 The
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Proposal for EU Funding Culture Programme 2007 - 2013 2008

In August 2006 the members from the string sections of the Orchestra teamed up with the Brno
Philharmonic Orchestra through EU's Leonardo Mobility Project which enabled a number of our string
musicians to join one of the world's top orchestras in workshops and two concerts held at the Spilberk
2006 Festival in Brno, Czech Republic, under the direction of Petr Altrichter and Leos Svarovsky
respectively. In January 2007 the Orchestra joined the Orchestra Sinfonica di Pesaro in two concerts at
the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta in Malta and the Teatro Gioacchino Rossini in Pesaro,
Italy, under the direction of Paolo Ponziano Ciardi and Michael Laus respectively.

More recently, in March 2008, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra performed Rossini's La Cenerentola on

two consecutive nights with great success at the Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano, Switzerland

Among the many distinguished conductors and soloists who have performed with the Orchestra one can
mention Peter Stark, Charles Olivieri-Munroe, Paolo Ponziano Ciardi, Rene Clement, Brian Schembri,
Eugeme Kohn, Jonathan Butcher, Alexander Rudin, Sergei Glavatsky, David Campbell, Roberto Cominati,
Andrea Griminelli, Igor Ardasev, Carmine Lauri, Lukas Vondracek, Mats Rondin, Cecilia Gasdia, Ghena
Dimitrova, Miriam Gauci, Joseph Calleja, Andrea Bocelli, Jose` Carreras, Kate Aldrich, Daniela Dessi, Fabio
Armiliato and the Royal Choral Society of London.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra is traditionally invited by the President of the Republic of Malta to
perform in state concerts in honour of the various distinguished visiting Heads of State.

The Orchestra is a predominant exponent of Maltese composers and one of its ambitions is to promote
Maltese compositions beyond our shores and make them known to important international music
centres as well as to a wider public around the world.

1
 The
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Proposal for EU Funding Culture Programme 2007 - 2013 2008

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra shall continue to organise community projects from time to time.
Music education programmes bring the orchestra and its music to the widest possible audience through
interactive music making, performing for children of different ages and involving them in creative talks
and workshops.

The Project

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra believes that as the highest musical entity on the island, employing
only professional musicians we feel duty bound to extend our services not only to the audience during
concerts but also to the younger generation school children in order to recognize from a young age
the importance of music in our lives.

We have already started a school education project, where school children meet the orchestra, learn
about the different instruments and also get the chance to play some of the instruments themselves.
This activity has proved to be very much welcomed in schools and has created a big demand for this
initiative. It is our pleasure to participate in such projects and it makes our aim that to enhance music
education in our schools a successful one.

We would now like to take further this school education project, together with another two European
Union countries (still to be identified possibly Arturo Toscanini Foundation Parma, Italy and another
country) and therefore apply as per strand 1.2.1 of the Culture Programme 2007 -2013. The project will
be aimed at school children aged between 5 16 years and their teachers.
The project is split in two main parts:

Production, Translation & Printing of Audio Visual music education material to be used in schools
by the 3 countries

Production of a musical concert involving students from all the three countries involved in the
project

1
 The
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Proposal for EU Funding Culture Programme 2007 - 2013 2008

Production, Translation & Printing of Audio Visual music education material

The idea is to produce what we will call, a Teachers Resource Guide. This guide in the form of a book
together with a DVD will include:

Information about the entities participating in the project (ex. The Malta Philharmonic
Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini Foundation Parma, Italy and XYZ school of music)

Information about the different types of instruments and their families (ex. String family violin,
viola, cello etc.)

Information about different music genres (ex. Opera, Symphony, Pop, Chamber etc.)

Simple scientific experiments relating to music, example below:

Create your own Glass Xylophone

Materials needed:
8 drinking glasses of the same size and shape
Pitcher of water
Metal spoon

1. On a flat surface, like a table, place same sized and shaped glasses near each other but not
touching.
2. Then fill each glass with a different amount of water.
3. With your spoon, tap on each glass. Do you hear different sounds?
4. Then, tap on different parts of each glass. Again, what do you hear?
5. Play around with the amounts of water in each glass until you feel like you have all the notes in
"Mary Had a Little Lamb."

1
 The
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Proposal for EU Funding Culture Programme 2007 - 2013 2008

Production of a musical concert

The project would come to an end with a grand musical concert involving students from all the three
countries involved in the project. These students will perform, together with the Malta Philharmonic
Orchestra . The concert will be held in Malta in one of the main theatres the Mediterranean
Conference Center or the Manoel Theatre.

The concert is to include music originating from all the three countries involved in the project, therefore
making this enhancing intercultural dialogue and exposure.