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Roderick Bugeja
Currently principal trombone player with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Roderick Bugeja, was born in 1978. At the age of eight, he started his music studies at the Johann Strauss School of Music in Valletta and also attended classes at the Pinto Band Club, Qormi. In 1989 he actually started playing the trumpet with this same band club. He continued to study brass instruments under the expert guidance of Mro Paul Borg, specializing in the euphonium and later in the trombone.
During this period, Roderick entered a couple of National competitions organised by the Malta Band Club Association and the Malta Society of Arts, where, on both occasions, he was placed second by an international panel of judges.
While studying harmony and counterpoint with Mro Lawrence Borg, and conducting under Mro Joseph Sammut, (former conductor of the National Orchestra and the Manoel Theatre Orchestra), Roderick also took up the viola.
In 1995 Roderick obtained his LLCM diploma. In 1997 he achieved his FLCM diploma and in 2009 the LTCL diploma.
In November 2000, Roderick was appointed Band Master of the Victory Band Club, Naxxar, where he has directed several music Programmes some of which have been recorded on CD. One particularly memorable occasion came when with this same band club, he directed the Cantata ‘Bi Twelidek Rebbahtna’ composed by Mro Raymond Sciberras, dedicated to the birth of Virgin Mary, titular feast of Naxxar.
In 2003, in Rome, he partecipated in Leonard Bernstein’s Operetta Candide under the musical direction of Mro. John De Main.
In 2007 Roderick was chosen to play as principal trombone with the “Bewald Symphony Orchestra of Stockholm, under the baton of Manfred Honeck. He has also performed as soloist, playing the euphonium with international artistes such as Robert Childes
As a musician with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Roderick has had various opportunities to play in concerts featuring internationally renouned artistes such as Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Julian Lloyd Weber and Sayaka Shoji as well as under the batons of Eugen Kohn, Leos Svarovski, Peter Stark, Charles Olivieri Munroe. Rene Clement and Michael Laus .
2008 saw Roderick appointed Band Master of the Duke of Connaught’s Own Band, B’Kara. In that same year, he directed the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, recording two songs with the group Sixth Sinfoni. Later, at the end of July, he conducted again the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in a pop concert named ‘Pop Fever’ which was a great success.
He is a founder member of the KRAB Brass Quartet that later expanded to become the Versatile Brass Ensemble. In October 2009 he formed the Crossbones Trombone Quartet.
He enjoys composing and has so far written several Marches, a waltz and a Tone Poem (based on a poem written by Mario F Bezzina), which consists of 3 movements. This piece was commissioned by the Pinto Band Club Committee where he occupies the role of assistant conductor, to celebrate the arrival of the new bells for the Church of St Sebastian in Qormi.
In his free time, Roderick, who is interested in aviation, obtained his private pilot licence.
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Christine Vella
Christine started studying the saxophone at the tender age of 9 years at the Victory Band Club of Naxxar. Subsequently she continued her practical studies with Noel Beck whilst studying music theory with Lawrence Borg and Yvette Maria Galea. Over the years, under the guidance of these teachers, she sat for numerous musical diplomas, her latest being the Fellowship of the London College of Music. Lately, she also took up lessons for improvisation and conducting with Mro. Joe Debono and Mro. Joseph Sammut respectively.
After winning the “Young Musicians Competition” she was awarded a scholarship at the London College of Music at Thames Valley University in London, where she studied mainly with saxophonist Steve Cottrell.
Christine regularly takes part in concerts and musical productions, often featuring as a soloist. These include appearances with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra under the batons of renowned conductors Brian Schembri and Michael Laus amongst others, the annual pantomime held at the Manoel Theatre under musical direction of Kevin Abela for whom she also acted as sub-conductor, numerous lunchtime concerts held at Sala Isouard, musicals, various concerts organized by village bands and privately organized concerts. She is also a member of various ensembles namely the Big Band Brothers, the Joe Brown Big Band and the Sassofoni Saxophone Quartet, of which she is a founder member. She also had the opportunity to perform abroad, namely England, Italy and Tunisia.
Currently, Christine is a saxophone tutor and an Assistant Conductor at the Victory Band Club. She also holds a Masters degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence and is a full-time I.C.T. lecturer at MCAST.
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Charlene Farrugia
Still in her very early twenties, Charlene Farrugia has been described by legendary pianist Gary Graffman (Head of Keyboard at Curtis Institute and piano teacher of pianists such as Lang Lang) as “a pianist of exceptional talent.” After finishing her musical education in Malta with Ms Amodio Chircop, and later with Michael Laus at the University of Malta, Charlene continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, graduating with an MA in Piano Performance from the class of Diana Ketler, together with a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (LRAM). She is currently a student of Boris Petrushansky.
Charlene is the first prize winner of 10 national and international piano competitions, namely EPTA competition, EMCY, Victoria Arts Festival competition, Stradivari-Lufthansa competition, Young Musicians Contest, VIII Concorso Pianistico Città di Solarino and in V Concorso Musicale di Palermo. She has given solo recitals in France (Conservatoire Superior), Ireland (Municipal Art Gallery), Malta (Manoel Theatre, MCC, Sala Isouard, St. James Cavalier, Robert Sammut Hall, San Anton Palace, The Palace Courtyard, Casino Maltese) Croatia (Tone Peruska Hall), Hungary (Bekescaba Conservatoire), Philadelphia (Centennial Hall, Agnes Irwin School Hall, Merry Place Park), Italy (Conservatorio Nicolo Paganini), Monaco (Princess Grace Theatre), and U.K (St. James Church Piccadilly, Blackheath Halls, The Forge Venue, Jacqueline du Pre Hall, Marylebone Church, Duke’s Hall). In London, she also appeared as soloist with Blackheath Halls Orchestra in Grieg’s Piano Concerto.
At the age of 13, Charlene was the youngest Maltese soloist ever to appear with the National Orchestra of Malta. Her performance of Mendelssohn’s 1st Piano Concerto, which is nowadays still remembered by many music lovers, was received by a standing ovation. Her other solo appearances with this orchestra were in Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos, and Grieg’s Piano Concerto at the MCC in 2009.
Her teachers and coaches have included Gary Graffman, Peter Donohoe, Marios Papadopoulos, Pascal Devoyon, Simon Mulligan, Márta Gulyás, Nicola Eimar, Andrew Zolinsky, Franco Foderà, Siegfried Mauser, Marcantonio Barone, Janusz Skowron, Danuta Mroczek-Szlezer, and Manuel Villet (the official accompanist of the late Yehudi Menuhin).
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