Stephen Attard

Mro. Stephen Attard (1 January 1966 – 17 September 2024) was a Maltese composer, pianist, music educator and arranger from Gozo. He was known for his contributions to sacred music, chamber music, choral repertoire and music education in Malta, and was regarded as one of Gozo’s distinctive musicians of his generation.

Early life and family

Stephen Attard was born on 1 January 1966 in Victoria (Rabat), Gozo, into a family with a strong musical tradition. He was the youngest of two sons. His father, Ġużeppi Attard, was a bandsman and his mother, Lelina Attard, a soprano. Members of his wider family included several prominent Maltese musicians, among them his grandfather Mro Ġanni Vella and his uncle Prof. Joseph Vella, both composers and conductors. His elder brother, Colin Attard, later became a conductor and served as maestro di cappella of the Gozo Cathedral as well as conductor of the Leone Band of Victoria.

Attard began formal music studies at the age of five.

Education

Attard received classical training in pianoforte and obtained professional diplomas at an early age:

ATCL (Associate of Trinity College London) – 1981
LRSM (Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music) – 1982
FTCL (Fellowship of Trinity College London) – 1984

He later completed a Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree at the University of Malta in 1990 having had Italian as his Main Subject Specialization. His thesis dealt with a detailed personal and artistic profile of Mgr. Gużeppi Farrugia (1852-1925), known as “tal-Vers”.

Career

Teaching

Attard worked for many years as a music educator, most notably at the Gozo School of Music, where he taught piano, music theory and musicianship. He was widely respected for his pedagogical approach and for mentoring young musicians.

Performance

A trained pianist, Attard was active as an accompanist and collaborator with singers, choirs and instrumentalists. He performed regularly in Malta and Gozo and participated in concerts abroad.

Composition and arranging

Attard composed and arranged music in a variety of genres, including sacred music, chamber music, piano works, choral music and stage productions. His music combined classical forms with lyrical expressiveness and elements drawn from Maltese cultural and spiritual traditions.

Among his earliest large-scale works was the rock opera Ġwanninu, with a libretto by Fr Effie Masini and Emanuel Cordina. The work was staged 44 times between 1985 and 1988 and became one of the most successful theatrical music productions in Gozo at the time.

He collaborated closely with choirs, including Schola Cantorum Jubilate, contributing original compositions and arrangements that entered their regular repertoire.

Cultural and spiritual work

Attard was a founding-member, in 1990, and resident pianist of Gaulitanus Choir together with his brother Colin Attard, the choir’s founder-director, and his mother, soprano Lelina Attard.

He founded and directed Fundazzjoni Arti Fontana, an organisation promoting artistic expression linked with spirituality and community life. His personal spirituality influenced much of his sacred output and cultural activity.

Musical style

Attard’s music has been described as lyrical and reflective, rooted in classical technique while drawing inspiration from Maltese identity, landscape and religious tradition. His output shows stylistic range, from sacred liturgical music to contemporary and popular influences in stage works.

Death and legacy

Stephen Attard died on 17 September 2024 at the age of 58. His death was widely mourned in Gozo and Malta, particularly within musical and cultural circles.

In 2025, Gaulitana: A Festival of Music paid tribute to Attard with performances of his works, including posthumous premieres. His legacy continues through his compositions, his former students and his contribution to Gozitan and Maltese musical life.

List of works

Title	Genre / Forces	Notes
Ġwanninu	Rock opera	Libretto by Fr Effie Masini and Emanuel Cordina; staged 44 times between 1985 and 1988
Quddiesa Madonna Ta’ Pinu	Sacred mass	Revised and completed shortly before his death; posthumous performances
Trittiku Neo-Romantiku Malti	Chamber music (string trio)	Based on themes by Giuseppe Caruana; premiered at Gaulitana 2025
Capriciosa in Do Maggiore	Choral / instrumental work	Performed by Maltese choirs
Ninni… buzz	Choral work	Frequently performed in choral repertoire
Various sacred hymns and liturgical settings	Sacred vocal music	Performed in churches in Gozo and Malta
Piano and chamber works (various)	Instrumental music	Featured in concert programmes such as Stephen Attard… da Camera
L-Aħħar Tislima Lil Ġorġ Attard	Funeral March	Included in a Cassette by Soċjeta Filarmonika La Stella Band Club
Redemptio (B'Tifkira lin-Nannu Tiegħi Mro. Ġanni Vella)	Funeral March	Included in a CD by Soċjeta Filarmonika Leone Band Club
Garelli	Festive March	Included in a CD by Soċjeta Filarmonika Leone Band Club
Patier (B'Tifkira ta' Ġiuseppe Agius)	Funeral March	Included in a CD by Soċjeta Filarmonika Leone Band Club
Ġwanni 12 24 b'tifkira ta' Carmelo Agius)	Funeral March	Included in a CD by Soċjeta Filarmonika Leone Band Club
Liż-Żiju l-Profs @ 75	Festive March	Included in a CD by Soċjeta Filarmonika La Stella Band Club