L'Ghabex Concert held on 29th August 2008

Simon Abdilla, Cello

Simon Abdilla Joslin started his cello studies at the age of 9 with Monica Attard Miggiani. Three years later he placed first in the Young Musician of the Year Competition (Malta). Simon furthered his studies abroad when he was awarded a scholarship to study with Prof. Derek Aviss and Arthur Davison at the Trinity College of Music, London. He later also studied at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome under Salvatore Degirolamo and Jorge Schultiz. (first cellist of the Teatro dell' Opera di Roma).  Simon attended a number of master classes by Julia Lichten, Stefan Popov and Daniel Veis and has made numerous concert appearances both as soloist and chamber musician in Malta, England, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Vatican City, Egypt, Tunisia, Greece and the USA. As a soloist he has premiered various works by leading Maltese composers including Charles Camilleri and Joseph Vella.  Simon has been invited to perform as soloist with the National Orchestra of Malta, the Accademia Musicale Siciliana, the Orchestra dell' Meditterraneo, the Upper Austria Youth Orchestra and the Filarmonici di Bologna in prestigious venues like the Manoel Theatre, Meditterranean Conference Centre, United Nations Head Quarters, Sala Mozart (Bologna), the Teatro Politeama Garibaldi and the Teatro all' Massimo.  Simon has recorded for both radio and T.V. and is responsible for cello tuition at Malta's main music institution, the Johann Strauss School of Music.  Simon is a graduate of the Music Studies Programme of the University of Malta and is also a board member of ESTA-Malta (European String Teachers Association), 
Simon plays a fine French cello  'Honore Derazay' circa 1860.

Lydia Buttigieg, Piano

Lydia Buttigieg started music studies at a very young age.  She continued studying advanced technique and interpretation under various distinguished pianists, including Mro, Michael Laus LRSM and the late Baron Joseph Drago Cuzkieri Testaferrata LRSM.  She attained various Diplomas such as LTCL, LLCM, ALCM and ATCL in pianoforte and harp playing.  Lydia obtained her Bachelor’s of Arts (Hons) Degree in Piano Performance in 2004 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D Degree at Napier University, Edinburgh.   Her dissertation consists of the introverted lyric expression of Carmelo Pace’s chamber works. She has participated in various concerts, both locally and abroad and has given recitals both as a soloist and as an accompanist.  Her repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary and has taken her to Scotland, England, Greece and Germany.  As her second instrument, Lydia plays the harp in which she specialises in Gaelic/Irish music and has given recitals at the President’s Palace and Sala Isouard among other venues.

Christine Camilleri, Violin

In 2002, driven by a love for music instilled in her by her family of musicians, Christine Camilleri started playing the xylophone and the glockenspiel under the tuition of Mro. Joseph Grech. She then continued to play these mallet instruments with the Mnarja Band, based in her home village, as well as with the renowned Gozo Youth Wind Band and Orchestra. In September 2007 she had the opportunity to accompany the Armed Forces of Malta Band at the Manoel Theatre, performing the xylophone duet The Two Imps. Lately she has also started to take guitar lessons, an endeavour which will obviously help nourish her musical career. Christine started singing at the age of nine with the local village choir and two years later joined the Helping Hands children's choir. She has been taking part regularly in musicals ever since.  In 2004 commenced advanced vocal training under the tuition of Pamela Bezzina. Through the latter's introduction, she also had the opportunity to perform alongside the musician, composer and singer, Paul Giordimaina. Christine has continued to enhance her singing experience by joining several local choirs as a contralto and performing with a number of bands as a backing vocalist and also as the lead vocalist with the band Spectrum.

Mirian Cauchi, Voice

Miriam Cauchi is a firmly established Maltese soprano, making a name for herself both in her native country and overseas. Graduating with full honours from the Sofia State Music Academy in 1997, she furthered her studies in Milano with Juliette Bisazza Zanni and attended master classes with Magda Olivero in Barcelona.  She is the winner of the Gheorghi Slatev Cherkin Competition and the Bulgarian XIV National Competition Svetoslav Obretenov.  Possessing a rich, clear and velvety voice that enables her to tackle a wide range of repertoire from Italian bel canto opera, oratorio, to lieder and contemporary works, Miriam has performed extensively in Malta, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Bulgaria, and the USA. Miriam Cauchi is also very much in demand for recitals with pianoforte and chamber ensembles.  She is a consummate interpreter of lieder by composers as diverse as Rachmaninov, Dvořák, Fauré, Grieg, Liszt, Gershwin, and Richard Strauss. She is a major ambassador of Maltese vocal music, singing and recording important compositions by Abos, Camilleri,  Isouard, Vassallo, Vella and Zerafa. Her operatic repertoire includes L’Elisir d’Amore (Adina), Lucia di Lamermoor (Lucia), Pagliacci (Nedda), La Boheme (Mimi), Le Villi (Anna), Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica), Turandot (Liù), Rigoletto (Gilda), I Capuleti e I Montecchi (Gulietta). Oratorios and cantatas include Abos’s Stabat Mater, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Mass in C, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Vassallo’s Requiem and Lloyd Weber’s Requiem.

Tatjana Chircop, Violin

Tatjana Chircop started studying violin and piano at the age of 4. Her mentors included Brian Schembri, Mario Bisazza and Antoine Frendo in Malta. By the age of 16, she had obtained Associate and Licentiate Diplomas of Trinity College, London, in both instruments and in 1995 was admitted Fellow of Trinity College, London. In 1991 she was awarded a scholarship at the Conservatoire National De Region, Lyon, France, where she studied with Veronique Riou and Roger Germser. She attended master classes with the Debussy String Quartet and also played under the baton of Emmanuel Krivine. In 1999, she took part in the Aberdeen festival in Scotland and attended master classes with the Edinburgh Quartet as part of the Shell Expro Music School. From 1988 to 1997 she was the principal second violinist and a full time orchestra member at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta, Malta. Between 1997 and 2002 she was the sub-leader of Malta’s National Orchestra and between 1989 and 2007 she taught at the Johann Strauss School of Music, Valletta. She has formed part of the Vitis String Quartet, the Issa Ensemble and is currently a member of the recently formed Crossbreeds, the St James Consort, the Musique de Chambre: Pro Arte, the Moods String Quartet and the Janascharco Trio. She has recorded for Maltese television and radio and premiered works by Jean Bouvard, John Simpson as well as several Maltese composers. She was winner of several Associated Board Prizes, the Trinity College Bronze and Silver Medals, the Exhibition Award for small countries and in 1991 was first Prize Winner of the Bice Mizzi Vassallo music competition. Her performances as soloist and in chamber ensembles have taken her to Italy, France, Germany, England, Scotland, Brussels, Syria and North Korea. Ms Chircop is an Assistant Lecturer at MCAST and is also a youth and community worker.

Nadia Debono, Violin

Nadia Debono, born in Malta in 1978, commenced her music studies at the age of 6 with Mro. Joseph Psaila and later with Mro. Mario Bisazza. In 1995 and 1996, Nadia was selected by the Orchestre Des Jeunes de la Mediterranee to participate in a 120-strong international orchestra on a European and Mediterranean tour.  Nadia made her debut as a soloist in 1997 performing Mozart's violin concerto no.3.  In 1999 she was a guest violinist with The MichailJora Philharmonic Orchestra of Bacau, Romania, during their performance in Malta and she participated in The Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland with the Issa Ensemble.  That November she formed part of a professional String Quartet representing Malta in Genoa, Italy during the IX Incontro Internazzionale dei Conservatori di Musica del Mediterraneo.  In 2000 Nadia founded Versatil Musik, to present chamber music recitals focussing on repertoires by baroque, modern and contemporary composers.  In July 2001 Nadia organized and led a sizeable string chamber orchestra to accompany world-renowned bass player Charlie Hayden and pianist/director Alan Broadbent and the Quartet West, during their participation at the Malta Jazz Festival.  In 2002, she was twice invited to join the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland as first violinist, where she performed in a concert by the world-renowned violinist Maxim Vengerov, and in another featuring the whole Wagner’s Ring Cycle.  Both concerts were held in Limerick, Ireland and at the Birmingham Symphony Hall, England under the direction of Mro. Alexander Anissimov.  Since 2003 she has been a regular performer of chamber music with The MEDIT Chamber Players, The St James Consort and the Pro Muzika Ensemble, performing in Malta and various European and Mediterranean cities.  In 1996 she was appointed as a full time violinist with the Manoel Theatre Orchestra.  She is currently Sub-principal First Violinist with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, a position she has held since 2001.  She recently attended special master classes with Mro. Hans J Nigel.  
Nadia plays on a violin by Sebastian Klotz, Mittenwald, circa 1750.

Godfrey Mifsud, Clarinet

Born in Malta in 1978, Godfrey Mifsud started his musical studies locally at an early age under Ronnie Debattista and furthered his clarinet studies in the United Kingdom with British clarinet virtuoso David Campbell while participating in master classes with international soloists Andrew Marriner, Philippe Cuper, Reinhard Wieser and Howard Klug. After winning various local competitions he made his public debut with the Malta National Orchestra in 1997. In 1999 he was featured as a young artist at the International ClarinetFest held in Ostend, Belgium and in 2000 and 2001, he performed as a guest artist at the Aberystwyth Musicfest. Since then Godfrey has performed as a soloist locally and internationally with various orchestras including Orchestre Camerata Con Cor(d)e, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Berne Youth Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Wind Orchestra and is also featured as a recording artist on Meridian Records and Divine Art (UK).  Godfrey Mifsud graduated in Music Education from the University of Malta and through a bursary by the Stubbs Foundation graduated Master of Music from Christchurch University in Canterbury, UK majoring in clarinet performance under the guidance of David Campbell. Following his achievement he was awarded a scholarship by Christchurch University to further his studies. Godfrey currently holds the post of clarinet tutor at the Johann Strauss School of Music in Valletta, Malta and is a tutor in Performance Studies at the University of Malta.

 

Ruth Portelli, Voice

Ruth Portelli was born in 1989 and resides in Qala, Gozo. She is currently attending the University of Malta following a course in Tourism Studies.  Ruth was recognized as a singer at the age of four during a prize day ceremony at school. From then onwards, she has successfully competed in various festivals in Gozo and Malta. She took part in various concerts, namely, the editions of the Gozo International Celebration in Qala, the Nadur Christmas Concert, the Qala International Folk Festival, and also accompanied the well-known tenor Aldo Busuttil as a guest singer during his recent concert.  Ruth is a soprano soloist in the Chorus Urbanus choir and the main singer of the Menhir Qala Folk Group.  Ruth is currently attending voice lessons under the tuition of Ms. Yvonne Galea.  She has had the opportunity to sing abroad in Slovenia, Lanciano in Italy, Vrnjacka Banja in Serbia, and, next September, in the Czech Republic.

Renzo Spiteri, Percussion

Renzo Spiteri is a versatile percussionist and creative artiste whose name has become synonymous with innovation and performances of outstanding artistic calibre. From Greenwich Village (New York City) to the Sahara Desert, from the National Concert Hall (Dublin) to Beijing (China), his concert schedules have taken him on a beautiful musical journey across the globe, collaborating with world-class musicians and using the universal language of music to bring different cultures together. Renzo is an internationally endorsed artiste for Toca Percussion, Paiste Cymbals and Gibraltar Hardware, and is supported by Olimpus Music (Malta).

Sarah Spiteri, Violin

Sarh Spiteri started her musical studies in Malta.  After obtaining her LTCL diploma, she won the Bice Mizzi Vassallo Music Competition in 1990, enabling her to continue her studies in Lyon, France.  She has also followed a number of international master classes in violin technique with B. Belkin and in computer music with G. Nottoli at the Accademia Chigiana, Siena.  Sarah holds a BA (Hons) in Theatre Studies, and a post-graduate degree in Drama Therapy from the University of Surrey, Roehampton.  She has a number of CDs to her credit, featuring works by Camilleri, Isourad and Bugeja.  Currently responsible for music projects at St. James Cavalier - Centre for Creativity, she has successfully launched and is currently managing the Valletta Lunchtime Concert Series held at St. Catherine of Italy Church and Sala Isoaurd, the series Meet the Composer held every month, and Intimate Letters Series held in Palaces and halls around Malta.  Sarah is also the leader of the St. James Consort, a 13-piece string ensemble.  For the past two years, she has directed her own adaptations of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf for children at the Manoel Theatre.