Maltese jazz pianists 'lack' formal training

World renowned Dutch jazz pianist, Mike del Ferro, who is performing at the Caraffa Stores in Vittoriosa tonight, has pointed out the sad lack of formal training for the talented local jazz pianists.

Highlighting the lack of jazz education in Malta, he said he respected the local jazz pianists even more for being self-taught.

Overseas, there were entire jazz departments in conservatories, but this was, unfortunately, not the case in Malta.

Mr del Ferro held workshops for local jazz pianists during his stay prior to tonight's concert.

Jazz required more attention and the idea was to organise more workshops, scholarships and foreign, professional input. But the problem was the costs of bringing over international musicians to Malta.

"Jazz musicians perform in hotels day in day out, but that is where they are going to stay. They can feel frustrated because they would love to do more," events organiser Rosetta de Battista said.

The solo jazz pianist is performing on a Lm13,000 Yamaha C5, the only grand piano of its sort for rental, bought by Joe Piscopo of Olimpus Music, who recognised the need for a top-quality piano for both foreign and local performers.

For Mr del Ferro himself, jazz means "freedom... I like to be able to express my own ideas, rather than someone else's. The challenge in jazz is playing the same piece in different ways through improvisation.

"No matter how much I respect classical music, you are always stuck to the score and a repertoire that has been played so amazingly well by so many other people."

He spends about three hours a day at his piano and would "go crazy" without it. "I cannot imagine a life without music," he said.

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