When Angelo Borg opted to start studying the saxophone instead of the pianoforte some 10 years ago, little did he realise what the future would hold in store in terms of opportunities. When he landed a scholarship at the University of West London – London College of Music last year, he saw his musical accomplishments going one step further towards excellence.
At 28 years of age, Angelo has been the latest Maltese musician to benefit from the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce’s biennial scholarship, which is offered to the winner of the Young Musicians Contest. This scholarship, which is sponsored by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, is a 15-day-long experience, which every young musician aspires to have at least once in a lifetime.
The Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce has been offering students such scholarship opportunities in London for a number of years, with one student being selected every other year. The Society also offers in-house scholarship opportunities to 22 students every year. Selected students are those who place first during annual exams in crafts, arts, or music courses organised by the Society. Such scholarships are in the form of three-month-long courses held at the Society itself.
“When I decided to specialise in the saxophone I did so through a mix of self-motivation and my father’s encouragement. I started attending lessons with Mro Archibald Mizzi at the De Paule Band Club Paola and furthered my studies with Ivan Borg and Joseph Vella at the Johan Strauss School of Music in Valletta. Then again, I am inspired by great saxophonists whom I admire, the likes of Claude Delangle, Daniel Gremelle and Amy Dickson.”
Angelo continues, “I was interested in participating in the Young Musicians Contest as I knew about it through The Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce which hosts the London College of Music examinations. I have been sitting for exams with the College, principally in saxophone performance for the past four years. I wrote myself in for the mature category within the contest, which I won and was awarded as the overall winner”.
The scholarship experience started off last February and for two weeks Angelo Borg attended the London College of Music in London. His lectures in B.Mus and M.Mus courses included Tools for Understanding Music, Music in Industry, Music Education Workshops, Orchestration and Arranging and Live Event Management. He also attended for jazz workshops with Pete Cook, who is also responsible for LCM’s big band.
He excitedly points out that, “I also joined the LCM’s big band during two rehearsals. At the London College of Music I also received individual saxophone tuition with Martin Robertson who is a saxophone professor at the Royal College of Music. While in London I attended the British Saxophone Congress held at Blackheath Halls and Trinity College of Music. It consisted of seminars, discussions, masterclasses and live performances by world-renowned saxophonists such as Antonio Felipe Belijar, Amy Dickson, Naomi Sullivan, Martin Speake, Mario Marzi, Oded Tzur and so forth. A session was also given on breathing, long notes, articulation, tuning, scales and developing musical colour. Personally, I received a master class from the Spanish saxophonist Antonio Felipe Belijar. It was an extraordinary experience and throughout this two-week scholarship I got the necessary motivation to continue developing my musical talent within saxophone performance. It gave me the opportunity to meet world-class saxophonists such as Martin Robertson, who inspired me during his teaching. I would like to thank the Malta Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce and the University of West London – London College of Music for making this scholarship possible”.
The next scholarship will now be awarded at the Young Musicians Contest in October 2012. For further information contact The Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce on 2124 4339 or visit www.artsmalta.org