Last September, the idyllic Scottish city of Edinburgh welcomed two Maltese girls, Francesca Aquilina and Nicola Said. These two sopranos went there after winning the Ian Tomlin Scholarship which has given them the opportunity to pursue a music degree at the Ian Tomlin School of Music at Napier University. A year on, and they will be joining past scholarship winners in a recital on 4 September at the Music Room, St James Cavalier. GALLARIJA talks to the two girls to find out more.
What was your first reaction when you found out that you got the scholarship?
FA: It was a mixture of shock and excitement but I was also very scared and overwhelmed.
NS: I started screaming with happiness. It was 2 o’clock in the morning, and I had just come from a BBQ and checked my email! I must have woken up the neighbours!
How did it feel to be in a new country and a new environment?
FA: Edinburgh is lovely, the people are warm and the place is beautiful. At first it was strange being in a new country and I did miss Malta very much, but now even after just a year I feel as though it’s my second home.
NS: Scotland is a beautiful country, and Edinburgh is a nice city. It was enriching to have a change and be exposed to different lifestyles and cultures.
Why did you apply for the scholarship?
FA: I had always been very interested in going to Napier especially after hearing about Clare Debono. My voice teacher Gillian Zammit really encouraged me to apply as she thought that the course was ideal for my musical development.
NS: For as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to go abroad to study voice. This scholarship gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dream. The dream of becoming a professional singer had diminished for a while, but being there experiencing a piece of it makes the dream grow and become more realistic
What would you like to be doing after you finish your studies?
FA: Performing! If it were up to me I would study and perform all my life!
NS: I want to do a post-graduate degree in singing, hopefully opera studies, and in the meantime as well as afterwards, I hope to make an international career in singing.
The concert on 4 September is going to be a showcase for what you have achieved so far. What will you be singing, and why did you choose the pieces?
FA: For this concert I am singing four Debussy songs. I find French song quite challenging as there is a certain elegance and refinement that is needed to really bring out the meaning of the song. For me singing is all about emotion and really making the audience understand and feel not only what I am feeling as a performer, but what the composer intended the audience to feel.
NS: I will be singing three songs from Rossini’s Serate Musicali: La Pastorella delle Alpi, L’Invito, and La Danza. I chose these because I’ve been meaning to learn a few from the collection as I think they’re perfect recital pieces. They’re very entertaining and require good technique and skill.
How do you find the culture scene in Malta? Any exciting performances you attended recently?
FA: The culture scene in Malta has really grown and we cannot complain of lack of performances. Last month I took part in MADC’s production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was Shakespeare with a twist and I think it was very exciting and interesting for both performers and audience alike.
NS: It’s quite varied. Over the past few years it has become more abundant. We also bring over quite a few international performers which make it all the more interesting. However, I think that classical music should be better promoted for the younger generations. Well I’ve attended quite a few events, but the most exciting has been that of Joseph Calleja in Mdina. It was amazing! Seeing and meeting a Maltese classical artist who has made it internationally is very inspiring, and makes me all the more hopeful, encouraged, and enthusiastic.
Classical music is often seen as the reserve of the few. Do you agree?
FA: I think anyone can appreciate classical music but people are still not ready to listen to it with an open mind. When most people think of classical music they imagine fat women with horns on their heads singing never-ending arias. This is really not the case anymore. People just need to rediscover it and look at it from a new angle.
NS: Yes, it is often seen as such. However, if an effort is made to attract a wider audience, then it wouldn’t have to be that way.
The stereotype of a musician is of one locked up inside
practising all day long. True?
FA: Well, I can’t exactly say that I am a stereotypical musician then! Yes long hours of practice are needed and you can never listen to enough music but that does not necessarily mean that you need to be locked up all day. Naturally when I have exams or concerts then I would add the extra hour or two to my practice routine but I can honestly say that I have never spent a whole day locked up inside!
NS: NO not true!! You don’t have to be a ‘nerd’, to put it bluntly, to like classical music! Actually when Fran and I say that we’re classical singers, we get some odd looks!
Are there any persons you look to for inspiration?
FA: Quite a few! As a singer and performer my number one idol (apart from Maria Callas of course) is my singing teacher Gillian Zammit. She is my idol, my
teacher and my friend, and I would not have come as far as I did without her. On a personal level there is my family and a couple of very special friends who support and pull me through the tough times and even the good times.
NS: I admire Joseph Calleja because he’s made it in the outside world. Claire Debono is also doing well; my parents for all their support…they’re such an inspiration because they would do anything to help me fulfill my dreams.
Most embarrassing moment on stage?
FA: My microphone has a nasty habit of staying on while I am backstage, and I have said a couple of things while my microphone was on that I really would have preferred had they remained in the confines of the room I was in!
NS: One time when I was playing piano in a concert, people started clapping too early, and I messed up the rest of the piece. The next night, I was so worried they would do it again, I messed it up anyway!! I wanted to die!