Applicants for PBS orchestra conductor miffed at lack of interview

Applicants said that they were never called in for an interview or informed as to whether they had been short-listed or not.

5 August 2014, 9:58am
by Matthew Vella

2 min read

Joe Brown and Mario Abela (left and right) were announced as directors of the PBS orchestra but other applicants for the post say they were not interviewed

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Applicants for the post of ‘conductor’ or musical director for a 40-musician orchestra for the Public Broadcasting Services, have told MaltaToday they were never called in for an interview.

Despite applying for the position when the vacancy was announced on 5 January, the applicants say they learnt that it would be Maestro Joe Brown and Paul Abela to lead the orchestra from a TVM broadcast.

The applicants – who insist they had the necessary experience in conducting international events – said that they were never called in for an interview or informed as to whether they had been short-listed or not.

They agreed that while Brown and Abela were certainly suited for the post, “the fact that we were not called up for an interview opens PBS to the charge that the vacancy was an excuse to have Brown and Abela appointed without question.”

Both Brown and Abela have been associated with musical productions for Labour television One TV. In 2007, Brown led a 12-piece band accompanying some of Malta’s best-known singers for Labour’s May Day festivities, while in 2011, Abela was one of the personalities taking part in a musical tribute for One Productions’ twentieth-year anniversary.

Frederick Testa, head of drama at PBS, who is now also artistic director for the orchestra, told MaltaToday that he was unconnected to the selection process.

“I was drafted in to take charge of the orchestra’s musical productions after the selection of Brown and Abela to lead the orchestra. I cannot answer on how the selection process took place,” Testa said.

The Public Broadcasting Services’ orchestra is a new concept to the national broadcaster. Yesterday, applications for the selection of some 40 musicians closed, with auditions scheduled to start on Tuesday, 5 August.

The debut of the PBS orchestra will be in November 2014 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, with a show called ‘A Night at the Theatre’ and later on, a Christmas special and a tribute to Cole Porter and Noel Coward.

Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...