Charles Galea
Theory Tutor at the George Vella Music school within Għaqda Mużikali Marija Bambina, Banda Vittorja, Naxxar
Charles Galea is an emerging composer from Malta. He embarked onto studying elementary guitar and music theory back in 2005 in a rather challenging but exciting approach. Despite the fact of being in his late thirties, and needless to mention the countless number of other personal commitments, Galea was not impeded in pursuing the lifelong dream of learning the enchantment that makes music truly inspiring.
By self-motivation and determination in December 2010, Galea completed his Recital Diploma and in 2011 earned Honors in Bachelor of Music Diploma.
Shortly thereafter, Galea started experimenting with music composition with other musicians, teachers and students within the subject, eventually leading him to collaborating with Reuben Pace, from whom insightful information and significant guidance into music composition was acquired. It was December 2012, where a variation of Pace’s theme, composed by Galea himself, was performed at Sala Isouard, Manoel Theatre.
Galea embarked on an ambitious project, that of writing a string quartet, Souls. He finished this project within 4 months and the work was performed at the St. James Cavalier, Valletta on the 2nd of November 2013.
In 2014, he also was tasked to compose a festive march named Il-Primo for the Kristu Sultan Band Club in Paola, of which he became Assistant to the Maestro in 2015.
In 2015, mentored by Raymond Sciberras, he presented and obtained an ALCM Diploma in Composition from the Thames Valley University in London, while teaching voluntarily Theory of Music in the Paola Band Club.
In March 2017, ‘46664 (Mandela’s Cell)’, a piano piece, written in a contemporary idiom, was chosen to take part in the New Composers and Performers Concert in Teatru Salesjan Sliema. It was performed magnificently by the distinguished Mr. Alex Vella Gregory.
In 2018, he presented and obtained a LmusLCM Diploma in Composition, music evaluation on a set work and Orchestration from the Thames Valley University in London. Also, in 2018 a piano piece called ‘Romanza in un Pomeriggio d’Autunno’ was shortlisted in the distinct competition 7 Notes Experiment by the Armenian composer, Serj Tankian. The whole experience can be found on https://www.7notesexperiment.com/
In 2019, ‘Porta Coeli’, an organ piece, was shortlisted in the Hearing Orpheus Today composer competition.
In 2019, Galea, contributed musically as part of a team, as a composer, in a project of a Thesis of a second degree in the University of Malta, presented by Mr. Ray Axiaq, named Painting Sound: An Investigation of the Relation between the Motions of Sound and Abstract Painting. In 2019, he presented and obtained an FLCM Diploma in Art Music Composition from the Thames Valley University in London.
In 2020, two contemporary string quartets, were adjudicated as winners in the Malta International Composition Competition™ earning Galea a Special Diploma Prize Winner as Europe’s Most Promising Composer of 2020.
In 2020, completed a Diploma course in the University of Malta, Diploma in Wind Band Studies.
At present, Galea is still committed to his musical journey and is supplementing his studies in instrumentation, music technology, practical issues in playing and conducting, solfege techniques and orchestration, while gaining experience in applying theoretical knowledge into novel compositions of artistic music.
