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Ruben Zahra

The music of Ruben Zahra carries the fragments from a variety of musical cultures. His interest in classical, rock, jazz and world music has led him to develop a style which absorbs these influences within the music tapestry of his contemporary works. Besides his work as a composer within the classical / contemporary arena, Ruben Zahra is also very active in the Mediterranean folk music scene. In 1999 he set up a project to revive Malta’s traditional instruments and his Nafra ensemble has become the most important international exponent of Malta’s music heritage. Ruben Zahra has been invited to present concerts in major festivals all over Europe as well as in Egypt, Tunisia, USA, India and Hong Kong. In 2008 he was appointed artistic director of the Malta Mediterranean Folk Music Festival and in 2010 he bacame president of the Malta Association for Contemporary Music. In 1994 Ruben Zahra graduated from the University of Malta in Music & Theatre Studies and was awarded a scholarship by the Italian Cultural Institute to further his studies in composition with Azio Corghi at the National Music Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome. While in Italy he studied electronic music with Giorgio Nottoli and film music with Ennio Morricone. In 2000 he moved to the USA for a masters degree in composition at Mills College in Oakland, California. In 2002 he moved to Los Angeles and spent two years working for the Hollywood film industry. Since 2004 Ruben Zahra is based in Malta and works internationally as a freelance composer.

Symphony orchestra

Eternal Circle

orchestra

5:30

2001

Three Worlds

orchestra

6:30

2001

Siege

orchestra

5:30

2003

Pounding

orchestra

7:00

2007

Pastorale Pastiche

maltese bagpipe & orchestra

5:00

2010

String orchestra

Eternal Circle

string orchestra

5:30

1999

Three Worlds

string orchestra, guitar and percussion

6:30

1999

Chamber music

Mouse in the Machine

clarinet and piano

10:30

1992

the Lotus and the Rose

string quartet

4:30

1993

Arabesque

flute (piccolo / in C / in G), clarinet and percussion

4:30

1996

Initiation

bass flute and bass drum

3:30

1998

Ritual

flute and 2 perc

6:00

1998

Trance

2 perc

4:30

1998

Elements

flute and 1 perc

3:30

1998

Lament

flute and 2 perc

5:00

1998

Ħarba

piano quartet (vln, vla, vcl, pf); string quartet; clarinet quartet; woodwind quart (fl, ob, cl, bs);  trio (cl, vln, pf)

4:30

1999

Grinta

piano quartet (vln, vla, vcl, pf) string quartet; clarinet quartet; trio (cl, vln, pf)

5:00

1999

Logħba

piano quartet (vln, vla, vcl, pf); string quartet; clarinet quartet; trio (cl, vln, pf); brass quintet

5:00

2000

Ragħaj

piano quartet (vln, vla, vcl, pf); string quartet; clarinet quartet; woodwind quart (fl, ob, cl, bs); trio (cl, vln, pf)

4:00

2000

Tama

flute, clarinet and piano; flute, cello and piano

10:00

2000

Colours Within

harp solo

4:00

2001

Silk Road suite

cello and 2 perc

16:00

2002

Ninu Ninu tal-Milied

clarinet, viola, tuba

3:00

2007

PAN the Goat-God

quintet (fl, cl, vln, pf, tuba); trio (fl, cl, pf); trio(cl, vln, pf)

20:00

2008

Fragments

piano and perc

4:00

2009

Lanċa Ġejja

quartet (vln, acc, bass, drums)

4:00

2009

Thuderstruck

percussion quartet

4:30

2010

 Crimson Sunrise  violin and piano  2:40  2011

Piano

Crisi

piano solo

10:30

1992

Tama

piano solo

3:00

2000

Colours Within

piano solo

4:00

2001

Constellations

piano solo

15:00

2005

Constellations

4 hands

15:00

2007

Taqbil

piano solo (for children)

5:00

2009

Passju

piano solo (for children)

2:00

2009

Electronic

Debħa

electronic and voice

4:30

1996

Chants from the Deep

electronic

6:00

1997

Tsuru

electronic

10:00

1998

Corpus

electronic

20:00

2001

Film music

Moonlight Shining

trio (vln, tuba, pf)

3:30

2002

Bonding

trio (vln, tuba, pf)

3:00

2002

Mexican Kiss Tango

viola and piano

2:00

2002

Tears Across the Ocean

piano solo

3:30

2003

Tarantella di Giuseppe

trio (cl, acc, tuba)

2:00

2007

Fat Fanucci

trio (cl, acc, tuba)

3:00

2007

Lucia e Giuseppe

viola, piano, strings

2:00

2007

CDs

Arabesque (MALTA)
CD featuring chamber works by Ruben Zahra
© Soundscapes, 2009

All’ Interno del Suono: dagli Algoritmi alla Musica (ITALY)
CD compilation featuring ‘Chants from the Deep’ by Ruben Zahra
© Twilight Music – Rome, 2007

Global Bagpipes (UK)
double CD compilation featuring ‘Preludju’ by Ruben Zahra
© ARC Music – West Sussex, 2002

Etnika – Nafra (MALTA)
A fusion of Maltese Ethnic instruments with the contemporary
© Etnika – Malta, 2000

Biennale dei Giovani Artisti dell’Europa e del Mediterraneo (ITALY)
Double CD compilation featuring ‘Act’ by Ruben Zahra
© BGA – Torino, 1997

Publications

Maltese Folktales – Ħrejjef Maltin
Publication with CD – music by Ruben Zahra
ISBN-13: 978-999091371-2
© Merlin Library Ltd. & Soundscapes 2010

A Guide to Maltese Folk Music (MALTA)
Publication with CD by Ruben Zahra
ISBN-13: 978-99932-0-439-8
© Soundscapes & PBS – Malta, 2006

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