Mro Brian Schembri has been dismissed from his role as artistic director and principal conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
"This decision is an absurd contradiction with the general consensus that the unquestionable and notable artistic development that the orchestra has gone through these last few years was the direct result of my contribution," Mro Schembri said in a Facebook post.
In June Mro Schembri did not turn up for a performance and sources had told Times of Malta that there was “a massive clash” between Mr Schembri and the National Orchestra’s management.
READ: Maestro Schembri ‘abandons’ final national orchestra performance
In today's post, Mgr Scembri said the decision to dismiss him was taken last month unanimously by the members of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) Board, under the executive chairmanship of Sigmund Mifsud.
I have never in my life been treated so basely and disrespectfully by persons in authority who were supposed to support me in the job they themselves engaged me to do
"I will not here - as yet - enter into details as to why such a humiliating decision was unfair, abusive and, in my opinion, illegal. For the moment, all I can say is that I have never in my life been treated so basely and disrespectfully by persons in authority who were supposed to support me in the job they themselves engaged me to do, that is to develop the orchestra to the levels that, by common consent, were hardly imaginable before."
Mro Schembri said that there was much he had wished and planned to do to continue developing the orchestra into an artistically high-level professional ensemble, but nothing would change the fact that together with the musicians, he had succeeded in leaving the orchestra in a much better state than he had found it.
"I wish all my musician colleagues the very best for their own future. I sincerely hope that in spite of all, our common wonderful chapter in the history of the MPO, which has been so vulgarly aborted by the absolute arrogance and incompetence of the various authorities, may still serve as a foundation for future necessary development."
