A young Maltese composer is making waves internationally

A Maltese composer has completed not one but two master’s degrees in music and worked on the score for a trailer of the upcoming blockbuster The Odyssey.

He achieved all this by the age of 23.

From a young age, music has always been present in Craig Saliba’s life. At five years old, he adopted his father’s passion for the bagpipes and began learning the Scottish instrument. By 14, Saliba performed at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo with Wallace Pipes and Drums. He also performed at the Basel Military Tattoo.

“I went on to learn how to play the piano and also the guitar, which remains my favourite instrument,” he said.

Like many children, Saliba was taught ‘school first, hobbies later’ but he knew music would become a major part of his life. At secondary and sixth form, he focused on music before specialising in composition for media, film and theatre at the university.

“From a young age, I knew music was what I wanted to focus on, and I put my mind to it,” he said.

During his degree, he applied for a master’s programme at Berklee Valencia, in Spain, the international campus of the Berklee College of Music.

“They only accept 30 students every year but I thought I had nothing to lose if I applied,” he explained.

His application was accepted and he studied scoring for film, TV and video games at the Spanish college.

A young Saliba playing the bapipes with Wallace Pipes and Drums.

Hands-on

He recounted how, during the course, the students focused less on theory and were more hands-on, meeting game developers and animation groups and writing scores of music for their productions.

A highlight of the master’s programme was travelling to London to record his orchestral composition Il-Baħħar tal-Lejl (the night sailor) at the AIR Studios. There, he recorded, conducted and mixed the piece himself. He described stepping into that studio where countless film scores were recorded, like The Dark Knight and Interstellar, as a “one of a kind” experience.

His composition would lead him to be awarded the Music Diamond Prize by the 2025 Global Best Creative Awards, an international platform celebrating music, design, film and branding.

After graduating from Berklee, Saliba moved to Los Angeles and started an internship with RedCola, a music production company that focuses on film and TV.

Saliba conducting at AIR Studios.

Growing up, Saliba said he loved watching films and listening to the tracks, so it was a “no-brainer” to focus on music production in media.

“I had the opportunity to work with a team of conductors for the trailer of The Conjuring 7,” he said. “We arranged the two-minute track, understanding where the build-up begins or where the seconds of silence go. It’s like arranging a jigsaw puzzle.”

Determination

A career highlight was working on the score for one of the trailers of the upcoming epic The Odyssey. “I worked with a team of three people, and we arranged the production of the track for the trailer. It was an intense period but we all knew what to do and worked well together.”

As to his inspiration in terms of producing music, Saliba said he turned to what he knew and experienced.

“When I was studying abroad, I missed my family and Malta, so I would write music around those feelings,” he explained. “When I am up there conducting and performing, I just fully enjoy the moment.”

Earlier this month, Saliba also graduated with a Master of Music in Composition at the University of Malta, the only student to graduate in his course. He currently works remotely at home in his converted studio but plans to take the next step in his career.

“I am now planning to move to Los Angeles to focus on film and TV music production. I also wish to become an assistant to a composer in LA and work alongside them,” he said.

Though still in the beginning of his career, Saliba wants to inspire younger musicians and, hopefully, composers to show them that music is not simply a hobby.

“Growing up, we have been told you cannot make a living through music, but when you are determined, work hard and don’t lose heart, it is possible to make a living from music.”