News

Malta Mon Amour

This is the title of a concert of Maltese works which was played in the Sala Puccini at the Conservatorio di Milano on Saturday 1 September. The occasion, organized by young composer/conductor Andre Paul Huber, featured three works  by Andre Paul himself (Soliloquy for Clarinet, Double Bass and... Read More

Pinocchio in Musica

This year is the 50th Anniversary of the foundation of the Fondazione Nazionale Italiana Pinocchio. To mark the occasion, the Fondazione’s committee decided to commission a new work celebrating the adventures of the well known puppet.  Andrea Ottanelli was entrusted to write a libretto... Read More

Victoria International Arts Festival Closing Concert

The closing concert of the Victoria International Arts Festival was played on Monday 9th July in a Grand Concert featuring the Laudate Pueri Choir and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. This year being the 15th Edition of the Festival, the Committee and I decided it would be a good idea if I... Read More

Malta Arts Festival

One of the featured concerts in this year’s Malta Arts Festival presented the Parisii String Quartet  from France.  On the 10th of July, at the Auberge de Castille they gave a concert together with Maltese guitarist Simon Schembri.  The quartet included an incisive performance of my own... Read More

Inaugural Concert – Victoria International Arts Festival

The opening of this year’s fifteenth edition of the Victoria International Arts Festival was celebrated by the participation of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.  This concert, which I conducted, featured one of my major works, namely the Concerto for Violin.  Soloist was Italian virtuoso... Read More

Concorso Mozart

I attended this event Quinto I Vicentino, Italy, (18th - 20th May) with a sense of great involvement.  Not only was I asked to Chair the Jury, but I was also very much a part of the performing side, in that each discipline involved had to include one of my pieces as a test piece, namely, Flute... Read More

Batera Duo

Up-and-coming duo musicians Philip Attard (saxophone) and Christine Zerafa (Piano) held a very successful recital at the St James Music Room on the 29th of April.  These young players gave a very good interpretation of my Sonata for Saxophone Alto and Piano.

Spotlight on Chris Muscat

The event (Sala Isouard, Manoel Theatre, 26th April) highlighted the works of young composer Chris Muscat.  The interpreters were the ProMużika Ensemble. As part of the programme, the organizers asked the composer to include a work each by two older composers who influenced his work.  He... Read More

Der Komponist und Dirigent-Joseph Vella. Visit to Salzburg

From the 22nd to the 26th of April I was in Salzburg, Austria, for two projects.  In the first instance on the 23rd I was invited by Prof. Sabine Coelsch-Foisner to give an illustrated lecture about my work as a composer and conductor at the University of Salzburg.  During the lecture, three... Read More

Recording in Paris

From the 16th to the 19th of April I was in Paris to supervise the recording of my Concertino for Cornet and Brass Band.  The performers were soloist Alexis Demaiily, and the Paris Brass Band, the same musicians who had given the Concertino its world premier (also in Paris) last year.  The... Read More