For Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) manager Aurelio Belli, each concert represents weeks of pressure and work behind the scenes making sure everything is in place for the performance.
And if something goes wrong, the most important thing is how to deal with it, he explained, pointing to a recent incident when a trumpet player suffered an injury just days before a concert, necessitating bringing in a replacement from Rotterdam.
“The most important thing is to stay calm,” said Belli, adding with a laugh: “I do shout a lot, but I love musicians; we’re a family here”.
“It’s not only a job; it’s a passion and we’re a family.”
Preparations for concerts begin months in advance, each concert involving scheduling rehearsals, booking venues and musicians – sometimes from abroad – and moving equipment, he explained.
“My job is quite hectic; to programme a concert, I need to find musicians. And when we have a huge orchestra [work], we sometimes need players from abroad,” he said.
“We have 65 musicians, so every day I have 65 problems,” joked Belli.
“But the most difficult part is to find a venue; if we do [Romantic composer Gustav] Mahler’s sixth symphony, for example, that’s a huge orchestra so we need a massive place.
“If we cannot find that kind of theatre – like the MCC [Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta], or somewhere outside – we cannot do it and have to find other repertoire,” he explained.
Belli said there were other issues finding suitable venues in Malta, noting that the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre in Ta’ Qali, while large enough to host the MPO, does not have acoustics suitable for an orchestra, for example.
And without a dedicated concert hall, his team is often busy moving equipment between concert venues and the orchestra’s rehearsal space in Floriana. “It’s always hectic,” he said. “At the beginning, it was very difficult but now I can handle it much easier.
What about on the day of the performance?
“My job is watching the orchestra and enjoying the moment – though problems can still happen that I need to solve!”
‘My dream was to conduct an orchestra’
Belli’s journey to the MPO began at the age of eight, when his grandfather started teaching him music. Four years later he joined his first band club.
Since then, the euphonium and trombone player has branched out into composing, arranging and conducting – the latter of which he said captured his attention at a young age.
“When you’re young you fantasise about your future, and my dream was to conduct an orchestra,” he said. “I did it; I studied a lot, and it wasn’t easy”.
He studied music theory with Paul Borg and conducting with Ivan Borg, a major in the armed forces band, before starting conducting and double bass lessons with the late Joseph Sammut, one of the country’s leading post-war orchestra conductors.
Further studies abroad followed, and for a number of years Belli played part-time in the MPO.
He continues to arrange music, penning scores for the popular annual Mużika Mużika and Rockestra events and “whatever else is needed” for the orchestra. He is currently arranging scores for a project with prominent singer Ira Losco.
Meanwhile, he continues his conducting studies with the orchestra’s resident conductor Michael Laus.
Despite fulfilling numerous functions at the MPO, Belli remains firmly committed to his role as orchestral manager, however: “I see my role as a bit of everything, but my main thing is being an orchestral manager… my first priority is my work”.
Belli’s own eclectic career could be said to mirror the broad scope of the MPO, which he explained performed a wide range of concerts due to its role as Malta’s national orchestra.
“We play pop, rock, operas, orchestral, film and musicals – we have to do everything,” he said. “We’re a government entity; we do what’s needed.”
Past and future
Five years ago, Belli’s life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Years of treatment – made possible by support from the Malta Community Chest Fund – followed, and earlier this month the orchestral manager celebrated his fifth ‘rebirthday’ following treatment.
Reflecting on his diagnosis and treatment, he said his “lifestyle, family and work had changed a lot. But I’m still pushing to be as healthy as possible.”
He explained he had decided to go public with his diagnosis in 2020 to encourage others to seek help and inform them of the treatment options available, adding that despite everything that had happened, his brass playing had luckily not been strongly affected.
Asked about his hopes for the future, Belli said he would one day like to “conduct a huge symphony… do something big for the orchestra and spend time with my family”.
How does he view his role with the MPO? “It’s always different. It’s never the same day; things always change.”
