A touching evening dedicated to the memory of Professor Joseph Vella was organised by the AŻAD Foundation in Valletta, Malta on Friday 11th May 2018, in the presence of members of the Vella family.

Colleagues and personalities from the musical and cultural fields recalled personal and professional experiences accordingly. Acclaimed tenor Joseph Calleja paid tribute to the influence of Maestro Vella throughout his own career, from his own operatic debut until a few weeks before he passed away. Chevalier Paul Cassar and Musical Director James Chappell spoke about Maestro Vella`s influence as a pillar within the cultural communities of Victoria Gozo and Rabat Malta, whilst presenter Joe Chetcuti elaborated on the lengthy international musical experiences of Maestro Vella that rendered him an iconic figure in the local musical scene.

Pianist Ramona Zammit Formosa and soprano Ruth Sammut Casingena also contributed to the evening by interpreting some of Maestro Vella`s best known works. These included “Waħdi” (Opus 13) and “Il-Kebbies tal-Fanali” (Opus 18) , based respectively on the literary masterpieces of well-known local poets Ruzar Briffa and Anton Buttigieg.

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(photo credit: Matthew Tabone)