Charles Camilleri

Charles Camilleri (7 September 1931 – 3 January 2009) was a Maltese composer, acknowledged as one of Malta's main composers.

Camilleri was born in Ħamrun and, as a teenager, had already composed a number of works based on folk music and legends of his native Malta. At the age of 18 he abandoned a career in law for that of music.

He moved from his early influences by Maltese folk music to a musical form "in which nothing is fixed and his compositions evolve from themselves with a sense of fluency and inevitability". He composed over 100 works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, voice and solo instruments.

Camilleri's work has been performed throughout the world and his research of folk music and improvisation, the influences of the sounds of Africa and Asia, together with the academic study of European music, helped him create a "universal" style.

Camilleri is recognized as one of the major composers of his generation. His works include the now famous Malta Suite, Maltese Dances, A Maltese Overture - Din l-Art Helwa, operas in Maltese, a ballet based on the Knights of Malta and the oratorio Pawlu ta' Malta. His piano piece Cantilena, is currently part of the Grade 5 Trinity Guildhall piano syllabus. The Missa Mundi for solo organ was described by its first publisher as "the organ's Rite of Spring".

The Malta Suite was written when he was only fifteen years old, while holidaying in Gozo. He was quoted as saying that I was then as I am now, much in love with the folk music of the Maltese Islands known as għana. Its four sections are Country Dance, Waltz, Nocturne and Village Festa. This suite was featured in the album Malta: the music of Charles Camilleri, that was released by the Enterprise label in 1970, where the music was played by the New London Orchestra under the leadership of Patrick Halling and conducted by Maestro Joseph Sammut.

Camilleri died on 3 January 2009 at the age of 77. His funeral took place two days later at Naxxar, his long-time town of residence. Flags across Malta were flown at half-mast in a national tribute to him.