The latest innovative musical project to be explored by Allan Withington is certainly to take to the stage in Norway in Spring 2021.

'Il Maestro' sees the professional trumpet player and MD of Norwegian champion Stavanger Brass Band explore what characteristic traits create the perfect conductor — from introvert to extrovert, timidity to aggression, austere coolness to red hot passion.

Ideas and myths

Utilising a small ensemble of just 5 trumpets, five percussionists, poetry and a trio of contemporary dancers alongside Allan improvising as a soloist, it will also explore questions of power, charisma, talent and communication, as well as helping to debunk some of the preconceived ideas and myths that surround the making of a conducting 'Maestro'.

"That ultimate decision will be in the hands of the listeners,"Allan said when speaking to 4BR from his home in Bergen.

"I've wanted to explore this topic for some time — especially after so many years working and observing so many orchestral conductors. The complexities are obvious but there are certain traits and characteristics that are possible to define and to see in action that defines the way their make their music."

Perfect Il Maestro

He added: "I wanted to find if it would be possible to blend these elements into an 'X Factor' that creates the perfect 'Il Maestro' by combining music, poetry and dance together."

Five 'character elements' are explored and interpreted by five different dancers accompanied by the small ensemble and the reading of a short poem — each relating to how the conductor displays their musical personality — both true and false — to the players and to the audience.

"We follow the dancers taking on different personalities in order to create the art and the perfect Maestro. We see how their adopted personalities affect each other, their surroundings and their audiences.

Can all these traits then work together to express, interpret, communicate and move emotions in the right or wrong way — and who decides if they have done it successfully or not?

That decision lies with audience after the performance — but I hope it will lead them to a greater understanding of the different types of musicians are attracted to conducting and how their personalities differ in achieving their musical outcomes."

We follow the dancers taking on different personalities in order to create the art and the perfect MaestroAllan Withington

Started work

Allan has already started work on the project with the acclaimed Swedish dancer, Isabell Gisselgard (below) and said the combination of music and interpretive dance draws together two distinct but complementary art forms.

"Isabell's feel and understanding for the music and her own insight into working with artistic directors of her own brings an extra level of death to what we want to achieve. It's been such an exciting project already and its going to be fascinating working with five different dancers.

Il Maestro will premiere in Stavanger in March 2021 and will also be performed at a later date in Bergen.