Roderick Buġeja
Band Leader at the George Vella Music school within Għaqda Mużikali Marija Bambina, Banda Vittorja, Naxxar
Roderick Buġeja, started his music studies at the Johann Strauss School of Music in Valletta and also attended classes at the Pinto Band Club, Qormi. He continued to study brass instruments under the expert guidance of Paul Borġ specializing in the euphonium and later in the trombone. In 1997 Roderick obtained his FLCM diploma, in 2009 LTCL diploma and in 2013 A.MUS.LCM Diploma. While studying harmony and counterpoint with Lawrence Borġ and conducting under Joseph Sammut, former conductor of the National Orchestra and the Manoel Theatre Orchestra, Roderick also took up the viola. Currently he is furthering his studies in music composition and orchestration with Ronnie Debattista.
In November 2000, Roderick was appointed Band Master with the Għaqda Mużikali Marija Bambina, Banda Vittorja, Naxxar, for whom he has directed several music programmes some of which have been recorded on CD. One particularly memorable occasion that he directed with this same band club was the Cantata ‘Bi Twelidek Rebbaħtna’ composed by Raymond Sciberras, dedicated to the feast of Marija Bambina. 2008 sees Roderick appointed Band Master with the Duke of Connaught Own Band, Birkirkara. In this same year, he directed the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in recording two songs with the group Sixth Sinfoni. Later at the end of July he conducted again the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in a pop concert named ‘Pop Fever’ which was a great success.
He is a founder member of the KRAB Brass Quartet that later expanded to become the Versatile Brass Ensemble. Recently Roderick has been appointed as a K & G artist after spending the last two years refining Trombone and Euphonium mouthpieces with the same company.
In July 2012 Roderick has been invited by the International Trombone Association to attend the International Trombone Festival in Paris which led him to meet international artists and took part in both clinics and Trombone Choir conducted by Irvin L. Wagner. In the same year Roderick joined the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble playing the sackbut accompanying Dame Emma Kirkbey.
He enjoys composing and has so far written several marches, a waltz and a Tone Poem based on a poem written by Mario F. Bezzina, which consists in 3 movements. This piece was commissioned by the Pinto Band Club Committee where he occupies the role of assistant conductor, to celebrate the arrival of the new bells for the Church of St. Sebastian in Qormi.
