Philip Ciantar
*21 May 1969
Works by Philip Ciantar
Biography
Philip Ciantar is a senior lecturer in music at the School of Performing Arts, University of Malta, where he teaches courses in ethnomusicology and related areas. Following his first degree from the University of Malta, he furthered his musical studies at the University of Durham (UK) where he graduated with an MA in music (ethnomusicology). In 2006, he graduated with a PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Sheffield. He served as Head of the Music Studies Department between 2016 and 2020. His publications include entries in world-renowned music encyclopaedias, two single-authored books for Routledge, and several articles in ethnomusicology. In addition to his work in ethnomusicology he is also active as a composer with works for voice, symphonic orchestras, brass ensembles, concert bands, and string orchestras.
About the music
Ciantar's music is mainly inspired by places and human circumstances. As a citizen of the small Mediterranean island-country of Malta, Ciantar is passionate about the sea and all it means in the context of human history. His music reflects on the past and on current human life and man's aspirations. For instance, in Fanfare for Orchestra the music becomes a metaphor for human collective and personal aspirations crossing each other in pursuit of new aims and endeavours. In other compositions, such as Għar Dalam, Ciantar depicts Malta's oldest prehistoric site in which the past and its mysteries merge and eventually become a source of curiosity and exploration. His musical style may be described as eclectic as it builds on man's experience which absorbs various sources and life experiences. The convergence of all this results in new perspectives and world views.