Wind

Previous conductors

James Chappell (ALCM LLCM CMI) 2014 - 2023 Mro. James Chappell ALCM LLCM CMI was born on 10 March 1970. He began his musical studies with the L'Isle Adam Band in Rabat, where he graduated as clarinetist in 1983. In 1984 he joined the Società Filarmonica Nazionale La Valette. He studied clarinet under Professor Freddie Mizzi, harmony and composition with Professor Dr. Charles Zammit and Mro. Lawrence Borg and orchestral conducting under Mro. Joseph Sammut. He obtained Associate and Licentiate diplomas from the London College of Read more

Joseph Vella 1974 - 2014 Joseph Vella, was born in Victoria, Gozo, to Ganni and Annunzjata nee Attard on 9 January 1942. His father Ganni Vella introduced him to music and he never looked back. His father was the Master of the La Stella Band. He was also involved in conducting religious music in churches. Joseph studied piano and violin under the guidance of his father. He continued his musical studies at various Colleges with the guidance of foreign Professors. In 1967 he obtained the ‘Fellowship Diploma’ in Read more

Vincenzo Ciappara 1928 - 1974 Vincenzo Ciappara was born in Valletta on 6 November in 1890 to Carmelo and Paola nee Psaila. At the age of ten Vincenzo was a student at the Liceo, but after his father won a violin he was tempted to learn music. When he was fourteen years old he started playing the violin in churches and entered the chapel of Mro. Antonio Nani. Between 1907 and 1-1939 he played with the Royal Theater Orchestra. During the last eighteen years he was the viola professor of the same Theater with the Read more

Francesco Bellizzi 1927 - 1928 Francesco Bellizzi was born in Valletta in 1891. After Vitaliti left, he was approached to conduct the Banda Konti Ruġġieru in 1928, but he could not stay there for long due to family reasons and because he was the conductor of the admiral's orchestra. After the Band passed under Vincenzo Ciappara, in the absence of this conductor he continued to conduct the Banda Konti Ruġġieru. He was also assistant conductor of the Banda San Ġorġ in Cospicua. He conducted several operas both at the Royal Read more

Giuseppe Vitaliti 1920 - 1927 Giuseppe Vitaliti was from Milan. He came to Malta at the beginning of the twentieth century to play with the Royal Theatre Orchestra. He was such a good musician that he was also a composer. Count Roger Band played Vitaliti’s Marcia Sinfonica ‘Omaggio alla Francia’ in a classical program under the direction of its conductor Antonio Agius. Having just finished his duties as conductor of the La Valette Band, in 1920 he became conductor of the Count Roger Band and Queens Own Bands in Senglea. Read more

Antonio E Agius 1902 - 1920 Antonio Agius son of Epifanio and Annda Spiteri was born in Rabat on 6 January 1849 and was baptised the next day in the Proto-Parochial Church of St Paul. He was baptised by Vice-Parish Priest Vincenz Magri. He was given the names of Antonio, Giovanni Marija, Francisku and Joseph. Maestro Antonio came from a family of musicians and his first education inmusic was probably from his father Epifanio. Towards the end of the nineteenth century Antonio was Maestro of Pinto Band of Ħal Qormi, La Read more

Frangisku Xuereb 1878 - 1902 Franġisku Xuereb was born in Rabat to Joseph and Ursola nee Dimech in the year 1853. The Xuereb family was well acquainted with the Proto-Parish of St Paul and the Archconfraternity of the Blessed Sagrament. His brother Collegiate Canon Pietru Pawl Xuereb was Procurator of the said Archconfraternity between 1870-1872 and 1876-1878. Franġisku started learning music under Maestro Epifanio Agius and at the age of sixteen he became a band player and one of the founders of Count Roger Band. His Read more

Epifanio Agius 1869 - 1878 Epifanio Agius was born in Rabat to Alessandro and Marija nee Bugeja in the year 1820. We know very little about his life but he probably inherited the musical art from his father Alessandro who was a good musician, so much so that between February 1818 and October 1822 he played the violin in the Mdina Cathedral. On 17 January 1843 he married Anna Spiteri from Victoria in the Proto-Parish Church of St Paul. They had two children, Antonio who later was maestro of Count Roger Band and Read more