Charles Galea

Charles Galea is an emerging Maltese composer whose musical path began in 2005, when he took up elementary guitar and music theory. Despite starting his studies in his late thirties, Charles remained determined to pursue his passion for music, overcoming challenges and personal commitments with unwavering dedication.
 

By December 2010, Charles had completed his Recital Diploma, and in 2011 he earned an Honours Bachelor of Music Diploma. His journey into composition began soon after, through collaborations with fellow musicians and composers. He was mentored by Reuben Pace, whose guidance played a pivotal role in shaping Charles’s early development in composition. In December 2012, a variation on one of Pace’s themes composed by Charles was performed at Sala Isouard, Teatru Manoel.
 

Charles composed his first string quartet Souls in 2013, completing it in just four months. The work premiered at St. James Cavalier, Valletta. Under the mentorship of Raymond Sciberras, Charles earned his A.L.C.M. Diploma in Composition in 2015 and began teaching theory of music.
 

In 2017, his piano piece 46664 (Mandela’s Cell) was selected for the New Composers and Performers Concert at Teatru Salesjan, performed by pianist Alex Vella Gregory. Charles went on to achieve both the L.mus.L.C.M. (2018) and F.L.C.M. (2019) Diplomas in Composition from Thames Valley University.

Charles’s work has received international attention. His piece Romanza in un Pomeriggio d’Autunno was shortlisted in Serj Tankian’s 7 Notes Experiment, and Porta Coeli was recognized in the Hearing Orpheus Today competition. In 2020, Dark Plum Satin, a composition written for strings reflecting the struggle of living with ALS, won him the “Europe Most Promising Composer” Special Diploma at the Malta International Composition Competition.
 

Charles completed the Diploma in Wind Band Studies at the University of Malta in 2020 and in 2023 completed a pedagogy teaching course at the Institute for Education. Today, he remains actively involved in composition, orchestration, and music education. His focus is now on guiding and inspiring others, combining theory with practice in a way that celebrates creativity, learning, and the joy of music-making.