Research
During my DMus studies I am conducting research on women composers from the late 19th century, namely USA born Amy Beach and Swedish Valborg Aulin.
It explores the unique piano styles and performance challenges in four pieces by two women composers from the late-Romantic era. Both were accomplished pianists and composers, living on opposite sides of the world: Aulin in Sweden and Beach in the U.S. They were shaped by the music of their time, but each developed her own distinct style. Aulin had formal training, while Beach was largely self-taught, yet both created beautiful piano works that deserve more attention today.
It explores the unique piano styles and performance challenges in four pieces by two women composers from the late-Romantic era. Both were accomplished pianists and composers, living on opposite sides of the world: Aulin in Sweden and Beach in the U.S. They were shaped by the music of their time, but each developed her own distinct style. Aulin had formal training, while Beach was largely self-taught, yet both created beautiful piano works that deserve more attention today.
My focus during the research is on their early solo piano pieces from 1885 to 1898. For Beach, I look at her Ballade (1894) in D flat Major, Op. 6, and 4 Piano Sketches (1892), Op. 15; for Aulin, her Piano Sonata (1885) in F Major, Op. 14, and 3 Fantastic Pieces for Piano (1898), Op. 30. Both composers show the influence of Schubert, Chopin, Grieg, and Tchaikovsky, with Beach also impacted by Liszt and Brahms, while Aulin was inspired by Schumann and her Danish mentor, Niels W. Gade( student of Mndelssohn), as well as her Paris teachers like Godard, Massenet, and Guiraud.
During my final year, I will be performing a recital consisting of those works, some of which will be the Malta premiere of works by these women composers.
In May 2024 during University of Malta Research Expo 2024, I presented a poster about the analysis of the musical piece from the performers perspective based on the Amy Beach’s Ballade in D flat Major op.6.
Music competitions
Throughout my music career, I’ve often been invited to join the jury panels for various music competitions. Currently I am serving as a jury member at the Malta Piano Festival and the Virtu Classic competition, where I get to hear some talented young pianists from all over the world.