VIDEO
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
