Composer and Conductor
Joseph Vella was born in Victoria, Gozo. He studied at St Michael’s Training College from where he qualified as a teacher. He studied music with his father, Mro Giovanni Vella, composition with Franco Donatoni, and conducting with Franco Ferrara. He was elected Fellow of the London College of Music in 1967 and later graduated in Music from the University of Durham, UK. In 1982. In 1994 he was appointed Associate Professor in music studies at the UM. Together with Verena Maschat he set up the Johann Strauss School of Music, Valletta in 1972.
A gifted conductor, and editor of significant old Maltese music, he performs and records his contribution to music development in Malta has been outstanding.
As a composer Vella deserves a close attention. A composer with a self-confessed loyalty to contrapuntal music, his impressive oeuvre counts 154 major works, ingrained in a personal idiom, basically atonal, that stems mainly from a neo classical tradition. These include 10 concertos 5 symphonies, 5 oratorios, 9 song cycles for different combinations, and 2 cantatas. He has also composed 150 minor works which are unclassified, which include liturgical pieces, hymns, anthems, marches, music for wind band and more.
Vella’s works have been performed all over Europe, in Canada, the USA, and Japan. He has conducted abroad quite extensively, often introducing his works to foreign audiences in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, and Japan, among others.
Vella, as a conductor has a wide repertoire. He conducted and collaborated with various orchestras amongst them: the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Prometheus Symphony Orchestra of New York, Orchestra ‘Goffredo Petrassi’ di Roma, the Yamaha Foundation Symphony Orchestra, ‘Gli Armonici’ of Palermo, and others.
Between 1970 and 1982 he was director of The Malta Choral Society and formed his own Akkademja chorus. His contribution to research is very important, having been the first to promote interest in old Maltese music which he also revived in several concerts. He has acted as member and president of several international musical adjudicating panels and likewise attended several musical conferences abroad.
Between 1970 and 2018 Vella was the Musical and Artistic Director of the Astra Opera Theatre, and La Stella Band Club in Victoria Gozo. Over these years he conducted the productions of Rigoletto, Lucia di Lamermoor, Aida, Nabucco, Macbeth, Turandot, Forza del Destino, La Gioconda, Trovatore, Traviata, Un ballo in maschera, Cavalleria Rusticana, I Pagliacci, Suor Angelica, Norma, Otello, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, and more.
Mro Joseph Vella was also the Artistic Director of the Victoria International Arts Festival between June and July. This festival is held at St George’s Basilica, Victoria.
He was also the bandmaster for 40 years of the Count Roger band club of Rabat, Malta. Vella was appointed the first resident conductor of the National Orchestra in Malta.
Vella has contributed numerous papers on music to local and foreign journals.
In October 2008, Vella was invited by the Conservative Luigi Bocchgerini of Lucca, Italy to attend and participate in the Incontri con i compositori Contemporanei.
He also took part in a special concert in honour of Giacomo Puccini where he played one of his major work: ‘Riflessioni su un Tema di Stravinsky op. 107’, for wind quintet and piano.
In 2009 Vella was one of the international composers commissioned to write a specific episode in the life of Pope John Paul II’s life for a commemorative concert organized by the Conservatorio di Musica Vincenzo Bellini of Palermo. He presented a short suite entitled ‘Music for a White Dove’.
Vella has over 30 CD’s of his works to his credit. These include The Music of Joseph Vella: Concerto for Piano and Concerto for Violin; Sinfonia con voce femminile; Vella... A Cappella, and a series of other CD’s featuring his Chamber Works. His song cycle, Seħer, was the first such work to be composed and set to lyrics in Maltese.
In April 2007, Vella received the Premio alla carriera in recognition of his work in the international music field by the municipality of Mazzara del Vallo, province of Trapani. He was also the recipient of the Ġieħ Għawdex, and Membru Ġieħ ir-Repubblika (M.Q.R.).
In November 2016, a concert of his works was presented in St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York with the participation of 4 leading American soloists, theNew York Choral Society and and the Festival Orchestra. This successful concert proved to be a highlight in Vella’s musical career.
His official opus number runs more than 150 works in almost all musical genres. Besides he has written close to 200 minor works which are not officially listed on his catalogue.
On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the inauguration of Il-Ħaġar Heart of Gozo Museum in Victoria, on Saturday 24 February 2018, an exhibtion was opened on Maestro Joseph Vella’s life. On the same day The Joseph Vella Archive was inaugurated. The archive featuring surround sound-music, manuscripts, documents and memorabilia, donated by Prof. Vella. The programme includes everything from documents and memorabilia to a performance of Vella's popular Cantilena. On this occasion ‘The Fonazzjoni Belt Victoria’ published a booklet Joseph Vella A Life For Music in il-Ħaġar Gems Series No.1.
Considered by many as giant of local music Mro Joseph Vella died suddenly at the age of 76, on Sunday evening, 25 February 2018.
The funeral took place at St George’s Basilica, Victoria on Saturday 3 March with a concelebration Mass by Bishop of Gozo, Mgr Mario Grech and several priests. The La Stella Band and the Count Roger Band of Rabat, Malta, accompanied the funeral cortege.
Joseph Vella was married to Nathalie Portelli with two sons: Nikki and Alan.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.