Veronique Vella

So far I've written orchestral, chamber, solo and electro-acoustic music. In recent years I've also really enjoyed writing synth-based tracks particularly for dance performances. My latest album release was written for the dance work "21 Dances for the 21st Century"  and features chamber music works alongside electronic ones.  I also love working with the human voice. "One of the Number" also released in 2021, features the spoken word and is my first full-length music album.

In 2008, Véronique Vella became the first Maltese woman to be conferred a Ph.D. in Music Composition. After winning two Ian Tomlin Napier Music scholarships and receiving generous funding from The Janatha Stubbs Foundation, Véronique read Music at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Edinburgh Napier University. In 2003, she graduated with a First Class Honours in Music, with piano as her first study, before taking up Composition.

Vella’s music has been performed around Europe, Malaysia, Canada, Japan and the US. In recent years, Véronique has collaborated with many dance choreographers, including Gil Kerer, Mavin Khoo, Moveo Dance Company and Malta’s national dance company, ŻfinMalta. Her works for dance include music for Francesca Tranter’s 50, 000 (Malta International Arts Festival 2016), Paolo Mangiola’s Voyager and 21 Dances for the 21st Century (Teatru Manoel, 2018; Valletta Campus Theatre 2020).

Several works by Vella have been recorded by notable musicians. These include her orchestral work, Fine Line on the album Contemporary Colours, (PARMA recordings), Mara bil-lejl (Cosmos Wind Ensemble), Ċassa Quddiem Mera on the album “Riflessi” performed by soprano Miriam Cauchi, amongst others. Vella’s solo flute piece, Wens, has been performed extensively by notable flautists, such as Rebecca Hall, Aisling Agnew and Laura Falzon to name but a few. The piece was recently broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Wens features on the album by the Agnew McAllister Duo entitled Bidla (Baros Records), named after another of Vella’s compositions, written for flute and guitar. Vella’s music written for dance have also been recorded and will be released in the near future. In May 2021, Vella released her first solo debut album, “one of the number”, This is an experimental music work using spoken word. It features women from six European countries sharing their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aside from working on commissions, Véronique is also in demand as a music educator and pianist. Her most memorable piano performances to date include the premieres of her Concerto for Maria(2015) and Ritratti (2011). Both concertos were performed with the MPO at Teatru Manoel and were conducted by Mro Brian Schembri and Dr. Michelle Castelletti, respectively. Currently, Vella works as class pianist for ŻfinMalta and the Dance Studies Department, University of Malta, where she also lectures in Music.