Regarded as one of the most outstanding and sought-after pianists to emerge from Malta, described by international pianist William Fong as "a musician of high intelligence and artistic vision", loved by her audiences for her passion and sensitivity, Joanne Camilleri is a rising star in the world of music.
Joanne regularly performs a wide-ranging repertoire both in her native Malta and around Europe. Her performances have taken her to Tunisia, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man, around the UK, as well as to America and Asia. She has been invited to perform at prestigious functions including those at the President's Palace in Malta, at the German Ambassador's Residency and the American Ambassador's Residency, as well as other concerts organised under the auspices of the Ambassadors for Ireland, UK, Tunisia and China. Commemorative events have seen her perform alongside other prominent international musicians such as British pianist Ann Rachlin at the age of 13 at the National Manoel Theatre in a Mozart Night, alongside Russian pianist Vladimir Ovchinnikov in a millennium year concert of Twentieth Century Music and alongside London Symphony Orchestra leader Carmine Lauri in a concert to celebrate Malta's Independence Day in London. As concerto soloist and orchestral pianist, she has performed with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and British Orchestras, collaborating with distinguished conductors such as Wayne Marshall, Lancelot Fuhry, Clark Rundell, Eric Hull, Philip Walsh, Karl Jenkins and Michael Laus.
An avid chamber musician, Joanne has worked with many professional partners in various ensembles, performing in the acclaimed Chamber Music International Festival (RNCM), the Malta Arts Festival, and the Victoria International Arts Festival on several occasions. She also performed in various festivals while touring Sweden and the UK on several occasions, as former member of the Camilleri Trio, with whom she also premiered a number of works, including a score for a silent film by Yasujirô Ozu which was recently recorded and released on DVD by the British Film Institute.
Having a keen interest in 17th- and 18th- century repertoire, Joanne also plays the harpsichord and organ continuo with the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble (VIBE), with whom she regularly performs. In 2017 they were invited to tour Madrid, Paris and Berlin as ambassadors to mark Malta’s EU Presidency. She has collaborated with baroque music specialists such as harpsichordists James Johnstone and Nick Parle and baroque violinist Catherine Martin, while playing with the Ensemble as well as during performances as part of the Valletta International Baroque Festival. Her doctoral thesis, which focused on Johann Sebastian Bach: Aria with 30 Variations - An Insight into its Style, Structure and Interpretation, was complemented by an acclaimed performance of the work, that was described as a "monumental feat" performed with "superb confidence", bringing "to each variation an insight that never failed to be intriguing" [The Sunday Times of Malta]. Joanne has given a number of solo recitals dedicated to the repertoire of the baroque era and specifically of works by J. S. Bach. As a recording artist, she has released two solo CDs entitled In Bach’s Footsteps and Bach's Goldberg Variations.
Joanne was regarded as a highly gifted musician from a very young age. She was tutored locally by Vincent Borg and then by Ingrid Calleja in her higher grades, while complementary studies in theory and aural awareness were pursued with Prof Dion Buhagiar, Davinia Galea, Yvette Galea and Anthony Spiteri.
Joanne placed first in all the then-available Maltese competitions, one of which was the prestigious Bice Mizzi Vassallo Music Competition, which gave her the opportunity to attend the Lake District Summer Music Academy, UK. At 17, she was the youngest pianist on the advanced solo course, where she enjoyed her first taste of international music-making.
Several international musicians have been influential to Joanne's musical development. She has participated in Masterclasses with acclaimed musicians such as Marcel Baudet, Sergei Dorensky, Franco Fodera, Nelson Goerner, Ruth Harte, Daniel Hoexter, Stephen Hough (on one occasion working with him on one of his own compositions), Jin Ju, Nina Kazimrova, Steven Osborne, Stephen Savage, Cynthia Turner and Akico Wakabayashi; while chamber music Masterclasses included those with Ian Brown, Yair Kless, Christopher Rowland, Jeremy Young, Marco Von Pagee, Jesper Svedberg of the Kungsbaka Piano Trio and the Piano Duo Jennifer Micallef and Glen Inanga.
Her seasonal participation at the Lake District Summer Music Academy, made possible through the aid of scholarships, has been inspirational, giving Joanne opportunities to work with international pianists including Arnaldo Cohen, Ben Frith, Klaus Hellwig, Renna Kellaway, Leon McCawley, Thomas Sauer and Barry Snyder; and members of internationally renowned chamber ensembles, namely the Chilingirian String Quartet, the Sorrel String Quartet, the Skampa Quartet, Trio Ondine and Gould Piano Trio. During the course, Joanne performed in several Young Artists Concerts in Ambleside, Windermere, Grasmere and Hawkshead, and was also invited to give a solo recital to the LDSM Patrons.
A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK, Joanne holds a Bachelor of Music Degree with First Class Honours, a Postgraduate Diploma in Piano Performance with Distinction and a Master of Music in Performance with Distinction in Performance. At the end of her first year of studies at the RNCM, Joanne was also awarded a LRSM Diploma in Piano Performance with Distinction. She was also the first pianist to be awarded a Doctorate of Music in Performance by the University of Malta.
While at the RNCM, Joanne was tutored by one of Britain's foremost pianists and tutors Carole Presland and by Russian virtuoso Alexander Melnikov. In her last year at the College, she was one of twelve students selected to take part in the prestigious Gold Medal Weekend - a showcase for the College's most outstanding students - where she performed a solo recital to high acclaim. While reading for her Doctorate Degree in Performance, Joanne was mentored by Michael Laus, resident conductor of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
Joanne is winner of many prestigious scholarships and awards, including the Associated Board International 4-Year Scholarship, a two-year Scholarship from the Janatha Stubbs Trust, Ruth Hewitt Scholarship, Alfred Clay Scholarship for Piano, Clifton Helliwel Memorial Award, and Peter Frankl Prize for Piano. Competition successes include 1st prize winner of The Maltese Youth Music contest, twice 1st prize winner of the EPTA (Malta) Piano Competition, 1st prize winner of the Bice Mizzi-Vassallo Music Competition, and Concerto Award (RNCM). In 2005, she was presented by the Maltese Council for Culture and the Arts as one of Malta's young highly gifted artists to the European Cultural Foundation Europamusicale Board of Trustees in Munich.
Joanne currently combines her busy performing schedule with a love for teaching.
Joanne's dexterous playing has been described by international pianist William Fong as "…a mesmerizing display of technical bravura, at complete service of the music… This was playing of the highest calibre, a performance that entirely captured the essence of the work. Absolutely compelling music-making and pianism from a musician of high intelligence and artistic vision."
