Glen Inanga and Jennifer Micallef, the piano duo reputed to be amongst the most outstanding in the UK today, is making an increasing impact on an ever-widening international audience. They hurry about the world making music at all points – from Africa to Japan and beyond. Jennifer was recently on a visit to Malta to make preparations for her forthcoming wedding in April next year. I am a fan of theirs and she volunteered to come to my office for this interview.
What seems to give both of them delight in music is the whole process of making it. The results – memorable performances, a growing fame, people telling them how enjoyable they found it and discovering more and more of the world through travel. They go on, glamorous and assured, to absorb wider and more varied experiences. They rejoice in the whole adventure of an itinerant musician’s life. They like meeting people and travelling and they are always vividly curious about everything and anything.
As Jennifer sits composed in my office, a simple young girl with no make up but a star, she tells me: “I have had an incredible 12 months. Most of my time has been spent touring, giving masterclasses, organizing a major festival in the Caribbean and also trying to do some teaching.” The Micallef-Inanga Piano Duo have won several prestigious prizes. Both their CVs are formidable.
Jennifer continues: “Performing has given me the opportunity to meet some amazing people, tour some of the most fascinating places and do things which otherwise would not have been possible.”
Last year Glen and herself received an invitation to tour for three weeks in Japan. Prior to their concerts in October, a film crew was sent to London. Jennifer continues: “We had no idea what we were in for! A team of television crew spent a few days with us. They explained that they wanted to show the Japanese that we were ‘normal’ human beings. We were filmed at the gym, in restaurants and bars, mingling with friends and shopping. We were interviewed and I talked quite extensively about Malta and Maltese culture. Let me tell you that the Japanese are absolutely fascinated by Malta.”
Glen and herself were very excited about playing in Japan – although it was to be their third visit. “But this time we were going to perform and team up with a variety of percussion bands. The Japanese are an extremely organized society so before we left London we had an exact idea of the amount of concerts that we were to perform in: the repertoire, the seating plans of the audience, even the make of the pianos was listed in the contract!”
When Jennifer and Glen landed in Tokyo the welcome they received in Japan confounded all their expectations. “We were taken to this immensely large dome and saw hundreds of people assembling a massive stage with a huge screen on top. This was the stage for our concert. The filming done in London was shown on television commercials on this gigantic screen whilst we were playing. We decided that we would improvise some Jazz and also play some standard repertoire. Everyone was brilliant with us. A full-time translator was employed to help us communicate with the musicians. Glen astounded us all by learning Japanese words super fast. On the night of the concert we had over 4,000 people in the audience. This was a night that I shall never forget. There was a buzz in the air that is hard to describe.”
Jennifer and Glen gave several concerts on other Japanese Islands. “We were greeted so warmly. We also travelled from one concert hall to the other on the bullet train. Our audiences were incredible. We could tell that they were listening to every note, looking at our every movement on stage. This was an audience that really appreciated live performance. We were amazed at the music facilities. Each concert hall had more than four brand new pianos – they treated these instruments with respect. We were asked to choose a concert stool out of a selection of about 10 stools. I had never seen such an array of concert stools backstage before!”
In Tokyo they teamed up with a well-known Saxophonist and played in the Mitsubishi building, on one of the busiest streets in city. What we did not realize was that our performance was being relayed live onto these giant screens outside where people could watch and listen to our Jazz improvisations. Glen and I left Japan with very fond memories. We met some lovely people and we shall be returning there next year.”
As soon as Jennifer and Glen returned to London from Japan they were notified that their double-disc with Hyperion Records had won some major awards. “This was a huge achievement for us. We won Gramaphone disc of the Month, Sunday Times (London) Disc of the Week, Disc of the Month (ABC Australia). We were astounded.”
Once in London and they embarked on another major tour in the West of Africa. “This was a huge contrast from Japan. Chaos and confusion are the order of the day in Africa. There is something about this continent though that is fascinating and draws us to it, again and again. The people are warm and generous, there are children everywhere usually following me. Glen does not get much attention in Africa since he is originally from Nigeria. This is probably the only country where I seem to attract more attention than Glen does!”
She speaks enthusiastically: “Africa is a world of two extremes. The very rich and the very poor. In our past trips to Africa we dined and wined with the very wealthy but we also wanted to work with the less privileged kids and give some masterclasses and workshops and we managed to do so successfully. The kids are desperate to learn more. There is a wish to improve and become better people and better musicians. We found this really touching. Lots of these kids wanted us to give them more lessons and spend more time with them.
“We felt that people really appreciated music. Lavish receptions were held in our honour. Many people could not understand the concept that Malta has a population of merely 300,000 people when Nigeria has more than 80 million people.”
The next major project for the duo was the Cayman Arts Festival “Glen and myself had played on this island in the Caribbean a number of times in the past. We had come to realize that there were not many cultural events on the island and decided that we would set up our own festival. We had been working on this idea since late 2002 and finally in February this year our dream became a reality. We worked on raising the funds through various companies. We also contacted well-known artists in the US and UK and booked them to come to the Cayman Islands to perform. We got in touch with all the schools on the island and organized a huge amount of workshops for school children.”
The Festival was held between the 5th and 14th of February and Jennifer spent almost two months in the Cayman Islands working with the press, advertising the festival, greeting the artists and ensuring that everything would go according to plan. There were jazz concerts, world music, classical concerts and masterclasses held on a daily basis. Jennifer continues: “We had plenty of support, especially from multi-national companies and all the events were an absolute sell-out. This was a huge success for Glen and myself since we had put in so much effort into this Festival.”
The couple returned to London, elated and exhausted and took a break from touring and performing for a month. Since then the duo has been performing in the UK mainly and is preparing for concerts and recordings which started in September. Some of the concerts are in the US, UK and also Japan. Jennifer added somewhat nostalgically: “I do hope that we shall be invited to come to perform in Malta soon since we love playing for Maltese audiences.”
Jennifer has a sister, Cynthia, who moved to London four years ago to study at the London School of Economics. Cynthia remained in London after her studies were over and is working at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in the strategic and corporate planning department.
Any other musicians in the family? Jennifer explains that she has been surrounded by music since she was very young. Her grandfather, John Micallef, is a brilliant musician. “He is what we call an all-rounder. He plays several instruments amongst them the violin, piano, accordian, guitar, mandolin and yes, other instruments as well. He has spent his whole adult life teaching music, playing in events and also conducting big band orchestras,” Jennifer explains. Mr Micallef has also composed several pieces one of which was transcribed for two pianos so that Glen and Jennifer could play it. “It is a piece based on Maltese folk music and we premiered it in the London Dome.”
I’ve seen Glenn and Jennifer on stage and not only are they ‘geniuses on two pianos’ but they invariably look glamorous. So we turn to some girl-talk. Where does she purchase her clothes? “I work mainly with two designers from Korea – Kis and Honey Park. They have designed clothes for various actresses and celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Helena Kristensen and others. I met them at a party and they designed our first set of clothes. Kis is great at ensuring that my dresses fit my persona. They combine new and innovative designs making my dresses look very feminine and glamorous.” They also match Glen’s outfits so that there is always a subtle dress combination on stage. “The audience loves it,” says Jennifer. “We have always taken great care and pride in what we wear on stage. For us the visual impact is just as important as the music we play. Unfortunately for us Kis and Honey have gone back to Korea now and therefore we are on the lookout for new up and coming designers.”
They must spend hours practising I suggest. “Practising really depends on the amount of concerts we have. If we have a tour and need to learn several pieces then we would be practising for about six hours a day. We do most of our practising individually and then we rehearse together once we know our parts. We rehearse so that we can give the pieces a life of their own and make sure that they become part of us. We practise long enough to make sure that we are completely confident and at ease with each piece especially since we play all the pieces from memory and therefore you have to be doubly confident that no matter what happens during a concert – whether you are nervous, excited or tense – you will always be in top form.”
I looked at the trim, lithe girl sitting in my office. How does she keep slim? “I’m Maltese and love my food. But since I am on stage often I really need to take extra special care of what I eat. I have my own gym trainer and I have a gym training session with him every six weeks. He gives me an intensive programme and I follow it four to five times a week I try to avoid foods with sugar, pre-packaged foods and foods with high salt content. I try to maintain a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit, fish and fresh meats.”
So much success and talent but has she got a special love anywhere in her life? “Yes, I have a boyfriend.” Well, let’s talk a little about him then. “We met backstage after I had just given a concert. He came to introduce himself. He is Maltese but was brought up in Australia. He is an aerospace engineer and lecturers at Imperial College. We are getting married next year on the 2nd of April in Malta. In fact this is why I came for a short break, to make preparations for our wedding.”
So, here’s to the next chapter in the life of the talented Jennifer. Let’s hope we shall see her and Glen play in Malta if not before the year is out at least early next year, before the Season is out.