Composer

One of the twentieth century's most eminent Maltese composers, Carmelo was born in Valletta, the son of Anthony Pace and Maria Carmela née Ciappara.  His 500 compositions which cover the whole spectrum of musical genres attracted local and international acclaim and awards.

He was educated at St Augustine’s College and received his early music education (theory and violin) under his maternal uncle Vincenzo Ciappara, and as a viola player with the Italian Opera Company in Malta.  He joined the Royal Opera House orchestra as a violin player in 1928 by which time he had already started composing. He studied for a further nine years under Carlo Fiamingo and Thomas Mayne, grounding himself thoroughly in harmony, counterpoint, composition, and orchestration. He obtained diplomas in theory of music from the Royal Schools of Music, London and composition diploma from the London College of Music.

From 1930 until almost the end of his long life Pace, who despite his brilliance was a much-loved and unassuming person, taught a vast number of students, a great number of whom moved on to successful musical careers. As composer his output is one of the most prolific and varied of any Maltese composer. Many of his compositions won awards in local and international competitions. Practically no genre or musical form was left untouched by him. He also engaged in some conducting but, apart from composing and teaching, he was happiest playing in chamber ensembles.

Pace’s great contribution to musical life in Malta was varied. He broadcast frequently on Rediffusion on the history and the appreciation of music. Many of his works have been published and performed abroad. In 1946 he published a collection of his music appreciation broadcasts followed by A Handbook of Musical Forms (1950).

Pace was awarded first prize for Composition in the Rediffusion Competition, an event sponsored by this worldwide broadcasting corporation, for four consecutive years (1955-1958), and another first prize for Chamber Music from the Performing Right Society of London in 1962 and again in 1972. In 1975 Pace won the first and second prizes in the Chamber Music Competition from the Manoel Theatre Management Committee.

Some of Pace’s compositions have been performed in England, Wales, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Egypt, France, India, the USA, Sweden, Japan, Norway, the USSR, and Argentina.

In 1966 Pace was awarded the Gold Medal from the Malta Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce, and in 1971 the Gold Medal by the Confederation of Civic Councils of Malta. In 1964 he was nominated Knight of the Order of St John (Russian Grand Priory), in 1986 he was presented with the Phoenicia Award (Cultural division), and in 1992 he was made Officer of the National Order of Merit (U.O.M.).

Pace was the first Maltese composer to use native folk tunes in his music. He never married and he bequeathed his music archives to the Cathedral Museum. The manuscript scores of his four operas are preserved at the Manoel Theatre.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.