Luke Vella

My inspiration for composition depends on the medium I am writing for, but having a performer already in mind helps the creative aspect of the piece. I like to explore with different mediums especially contemporary music and music for film. I consider innovation within composition as a key element in any composition. Melisma is an excellent music platform that offers an important stepping stone for young, emerging and established composers alike. 

Born in Rabat in 1997 Vella started music lessons at Count Roger Band Club in Rabat in 2003. In 2016 he obtained he obtained the Dip.Mus LCM in music theory and Dip.LCM in clarinet performance. In the same year his prelude Friendshipwas premiered in the Czech Republic by the Dechovy Orchestr zus Zabreh wind band during a student festival in Dolni Studenky which he conducted himself.

In March 2018 he won the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Clarinet Competition and later that year he graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in Music Studies specialising in composition as well as the A.Mus LCM in music theory. In 2021 he achieved his ALCM in clarinet performance and LLCM in composition in 2022 with full marks.

He regularly discusses his compositions with composers Alan Cassar and Stefano Torchio, studies the clarinet with Godfrey Mifsud and conducting with Roderick Bugeja and Peter Stark. Vella has performed in the UK, Sicily, Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain and France.

Vella is currently a Primary Music Teacher at St. Francis Cospicua and Music Knowledge and Understanding teacher at the Malta School of Music. He is also a clarinet teacher at Nicolo Isouard Mosta, and assistant conductor and teacher at Banda Sagra Familja Kalkara and Banda Santa Marija Ħal Għaxaq as well as conductor at Count Roger Band Club and musical director for Tikka Banda. Furthermore, Vella is following an M.MUS in contemporary music composition at the University of Malta.

He is a composer of various marches and concert music, most of which has been premiered and recorded by local wind bands. In 2021 he worked on the music for the short film In Arden, a production by Roarding Voices within Teatru Salesjan.

His Danzon was premiered on the 22nd of September 2022 in Prague alongside his work Magnam Portumon the 24th of September in Malta by Nicolo Isouard Band which has been selected by an international Jury as part of the Kottonera Foundation and later on recorded by the AFM Band. Early in 2023 his concert March On Parade and Ave Maria were premiered in Australia.