Biography

Maltese pianist Maureen Galea obtained the L.L.C.M. and L.R.S.M., followed by a B.A.(Hons.) degree in Music and a P.G.C.E. from the University of Malta. After being awarded a scholarship by the Italian Government, she continued furthering her studies at the Conservatorio 'Luigi Cherubini' in Florence, Italy. Besides Piano Performance as her principal study, she also studied choral and madrigal singing, chamber music and accompaniment.

Maureen graduated with an MMus with Distinction from the University of Surrey. She majored in Piano Performance under the direction of Clive Williamson, with subsidiary studies in Conducting, Criticism and Reviewing, and Musicology. Maureen attended numerous masterclasses with internationally renowned musicians including Philippe Cassard, Julian Jacobson and Artur Pizarro. She worked on Classical Improvisation with David Dolan and specialized in Czech piano repertoire with the internationally renowned expert on the subject, Radoslav Kvapil.

Maureen recently completed a PhD by Performance at the University of Surrey, under the supervision of Prof. Sebastian Forbes, her chosen area of research being performance and editing of music by Bohemian composers, in particular J. V. H. Voříšek. As part of her research, she produced six CDs of this composer's music and that of his contemporaries, and in March 2010 gave the modern premier of Voříšek's Rondo Espagnol, Op. 17 for piano and orchestra, for which she prepared the modern edition. She is steadily making a name for herself with her solo and ensemble performances of works by lesser known Czech composers, such as Koželuh's Piano Concerto for 4 hands which she performed in March 2012 with friend and colleague Margaret Roberts, and Hummel's Concertino, performed in May 2012 with the University of Surrey Chamber Orchestra.

She has been a prizewinner at several competitions in Malta, Italy and the UK. She has performed in innumerable concerts as a soloist, in chamber groups and as accompanist in the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, England and Scotland. Of particular mention are appearances at the Fairfield Hall, Hatchlands Park, Dorking Halls, the Warehouse, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Lauderdale House, the Purcell Room, Chetham's International Festival and Summer School, and various performances in the Guildford International Music Festival. She gave recitals at an annual Hummel Festival organised by 'Orpheus & Bacchus' in Bordeaux, France, and has been invited to give concerts in Prague several times. She has also given a highly successful recital on Bartok's own piano in Buda Castle, Budapest, Hungary. Maureen has performed to great acclaim for HE The President of Malta, HRH The Duke of Kent and other eminent dignitaries.

Maureen currently conducts a busy performance schedule, both as a soloist and as an ensemble player, and has recently been appointed resident pianist of the Hummel Ensemble.  She was a member of the Kantanti Ensemble and is an active member of the Guildford Chamber Choir and Surrey Cantata. She is a piano tutor and one of the music department accompanists at the University of Surrey, where she also founded and sponsors a biennial piano duet competition for students, 'Quattro Mani!'. She is also a much sought-after piano teacher in various schools in Surrey, and regularly organises educational concerts for young students.