A Life in Sound
A journey through more than three decades of Renzo's artistic practice — a chronicle of performances, collaborations, compositions, recordings, sound installations, film projects and participatory work.
Spanning Malta, the UK and international collaborations, this archive brings together a selection of the projects, the people and the places that have shaped Renzo's evolving practice and contribution to the world of sound, in Malta and beyond.
1990s · 2000–2009 · 2010–2019 · 2020-PRESENT
2020 - PRESENT
2026
NORDIC RESONANCE
Music Performance · Improvisation · Field Recordings · Collaboration · Touring
An immersive sonic exploration shaped by the environmental elements of Shetland, created with flautist Richard Craig (Scotland). 2026 tour supported by National Lottery through Creative Scotland and part of Malta's Spazju Kreattiv programme 2025/2026.
UN/BECOMING
Live Performance · Contemporary Dance · Composition · Interdisciplinary Work
An original live work that explores transformation, identity and the shifting relationship between sound and movement. Commissioned by and premiered during Dance Festival Malta 2026 at Valletta Campus Theatre (Malta), in collaboration with dancer Nicole Chetcuti (Malta).
2025
BILLY AND MOLLY: An Otter Love Story
2024
INTERTIDE
Video work · Catalogue Contribution · Malta Biennale
Video work and catalogue contribution exploring sound, place and cultural memory, commissioned by the Franco-German Pavillion, Malta Biennale, 2024, under the patronage of Her Excellency Agnes Von der Mühll, Ambassador of France in Malta, and Her Excellency Tanja Beyer, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malta.
DRIFT INTO AN ELSEWHERE
33:00 · Audio · LISTEN
A contemplative sonic narrative capturing the deep connection between human emotion and nature through music, soundscapes and field recordings of the natural environment of Shetland Created as part of Shetland’s Remembering Together project, funded by Scottish government and delivered through greenspace Scotland, Shetland Islands Council and Shetland Arts.
ARCTIC EDGELANDS
Music Performance · Field Recordings · Intercultural Collaboration
A collaborative project exploring sounds at the 60° latitude intersection, created with flute player Arnannguaq Gerstrøm (Greenland) and viola player Katherine Wren (Scotland). Funded by Creative Scotland and presented at Nordic Music Days Festival 2024 in Glasgow (Scotland).
2023
WAVE RIDERS
Storytelling / Music · Interdisciplinary Collaboration · Storytelling Festival
Storytelling/music project created in collaboration with storyteller Jan Bee Brown (England). Project commissioned by Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023 and presented at the Netherbow Theatre, Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh (Scotland).
ON A WING AND A PRAYER
Music Performance · Field Recordings
Music performance exploring the landscapes and cultures of the North Atlantic from the Northern Isles to Greenland, supported by Creative Scotland and presented at Shetland Museum and Archives. In collaboration with Katherine Wren (Scotland).
FRAM
Songs / Spoken Word · Video · Live Performance
Performance of songs, spoken word, soundscapes and projected images, commissioned on occasion of The Tall Ships Races (Lerwick) programme of events and presented at Mareel Auditorium (Shetland). In collaboration with singer, and piano / accordion player Ben Murray (England).
SAATBRACK
Quadrophonic Sound Installation
A work that invites visitors to immerse themselves in a sound world inspired by the sea, commissioned on occasion of The Tall Ships Races (Lerwick) programme of events and presented at Shetland Museum and Archives. In collaboration with musician Jenny Sturgeon (Shetland).
THE EYLAND PROJECT
World Music · Folk / Fusion
Folk/world music project that fuses Scottish melodies with Mediterranean, North African and Middle Eastern rhythms, created in collaboration with musicians Sophie Wishart (Shetland) and David Boyter (Shetland). Commissioned by Shetland Arts.
2022
COMMUNITY VOICES: Memories and Stories of Island People
Film · Participatory Arts · Community Engagement · Award
A 22-minute documentary film capturing the personal memories and lived experiences of Shetland islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic and the period of transition beyond lockdown. Commissioned by Curious Pilgrims, supported by The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund and shortlisted for Creative Lives Awards 2022 (UK).
WATCH · PROJECT
2021
SONIC INTERACTIONS
Audio/Video Work · Installation · Field Recordings
A series of four audio and video works responding to the rural landscapes and environmental atmospheres of Shetland. Exploring new approaches to composition, installation and performance aesthetics, the works invite audiences to experience familiar places through sound in unexpected ways. Commissioned by Shetland Arts. Exhibited at Music and/as Process Conference 2024, University of Glasgow.
UNDER DARK BLUE SKIES
22:00 · Audio · LISTEN
An immersive and contemplative work inspired by periods of deep listening during certain times of the day. Commissioned by An Lanntair as part of The Hebridean Dark Skies Festival 2021 online programme.
SONIC OUTREACH
Participatory Arts · Community · Audio/Video Works
A participatory sound-art project inviting communities to explore their environments through field recording, listening and creative sound-making. Delivered in Shetland through the support of NatureScot Plunge In! The Coasts and Waters Community Fund (Year of Coasts and Waters 2020/2021), and at Glasir (The Faroe Islands) as part of Nordic Music Days Festival 2021.
2020
HEILIGENSTADT: Another World Inside
Composition · Solo Contemporary Dance · Interdisciplinary Collaboration
An original sound work created for solo contemporary dance work Heiligenstadt – Another World Inside, with dancer Zoe Camilleri (Malta), commissioned by The Three Palaces Festival 2020 (Malta).
PROJECT
Beyond Sense
18:10 · Audio · LISTEN
The music for this dance production was also released for digital streaming and download.
FROM A SILENCE WITHIN
2010 - 2019
2019
MUSIC IN MALTA: From Prehistory to Vinyl
Audio Production · Sound Design · Exhibition · Cultural Heritage · Award
Audio production and sound design for this acclaimed exhibition tracing the history of music in Malta from prehistory to the early twentieth century. Presented at the Mdina Cathedral Museum (Malta) and commissioned by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti. The project won Production of the Year 2020 during Arts Council Malta’s Premju għall-Arti.
NOW HERE/NOWHERE
Live Performance · Collaboration · Interdisciplinary Work
A cross-artistic performance bringing together sound, spoken word and projected imagery to explore imagined places, memory, the sea and a person’s negotiation and interaction with island life. Created in collaboration with guitarist Fabrizio Fedele (Italy) and actor Erica Muscat (Malta), with text by poet Giulia Privitelli (Malta). Supported by Malta Arts Fund.
STILL-ness
Solo Performance · Field Recording · Electronics
A solo percussion performance integrating electronics and field recordings gathered in the landscapes of Shetland. Presented during the Shoormal Conference 2019 (Shetland), and The Hebridean Dark Skies Festival 2021 (Isle of Lewis).
KNOWING ANOTHER IS ENDLESS
Installation · Sound Art · Placemaking
A series of site-specific sound and video installations exploring mapping, placemaking and the possibility of reimagining our relationship with place. Presented as part of the Audiograft Festival in Oxford.
2018
THROUGH SHADOWS AND SUBSTANCE
Audio/Video Installation · Field Recordings
A multimedia installation bringing together abstracted moving imagery and field recordings to create an immersive exploration of place, perception and sound. Presented as part of the Oxford Festival of the Arts’ Encounters 2018 series.
2017-2018
SOUNDING DANCE
Participatory Arts · Interdisciplinary · Installation · Valletta 2018 ECoC
A series of artistic encounters placing sound and movement within public spaces across Europe. Exploring chance, environmental sound, the relationship between body and space, and the atmospheres created through movement.
Presented in public spaces in Gothenburg (Sweden), Leeuwarden (The Netherlands), Valletta (Malta), Plovdiv (Bulgaria) and Asturias (Spain), part of Valletta 2018 European Capital of Culture.
WATCH
2016
BETWEEN THE HEARD
Sound Installation · Field Recordings · Valletta 2018 ECoC
A multi-channel sound installation that invites members of the public to listen in to Valletta, Malta’s capital city. Drawing on recordings of the city's sounds, rhythms and movements, the work encourages people to reconsider their perceptions and experience of the city.
The work was presented part of Spazju Kreattiv 2016/2017 programme and supported by Malta Arts Fund.
WATCH
2015
JE TIENS LA REINE
Commissioned Composition · Contemporary Dance · Valletta 2018 ECoC
An original composition by Renzo Spiteri for ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble’s contemporary adaptation of Mallarmé’s L’Après-midi d’un Faune and Debussy’s Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un Faune. Choreographed by Mavin Khoo and premiered at the Malta International Arts Festival in July 2015.
PROJECT
Anima/Animus
56:09 · Audio · LISTEN
The music for this dance production was also released as a physical album, and for digital streaming and download.
PROJECT
2015 - 2019
QUINTESSENCE
Solo Performance · Improvisation · Touring · Valletta 2018 ECoC
A solo performance that incorporates and re-interprets sounds collected in the city in which it is performed.
Premiered at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK) in partnership with FutureEverything Festival 2015, the work subsequently toured extensively to venues and festivals across Europe, including LSO St. Luke’s London (England), Gallus Theatre Frankfurt (Germany), National Serbian Theatre in Novi Sad (Serbia), Explore the North Festival in Leeuwarden (The Netherlands), Gothenburg (Sweden), Spazju Kreattiv Valletta (Malta), Uden (The Netherlands), and Belfast (N. Ireland).
WATCH
2013
IMPROVISATIONS
Improvisation · Jazz · Duo Collaboration
An intimate meeting of percussion and saxophone between Renzo Spiteri and saxophonist Thomas Agergaard (Denmark). Developed through spontaneous musical exchange, the performance explored texture, space and the immediacy of creating music in the moment. Premiered at Teatru Manoel, Valletta.
WATCH · PRESS
2012 - 2013
INKONTRI: SCHOOL OUTREACH PROJECT
Education · Outreach · Touring
Following on from the 2010 launch of Inkontri, created in collaboration with Maltese poet, philosopher and writer Prof. Joe Friggieri, Inkontri School Outreach Project brought music and Maltese poetry directly to students across Malta and Gozo. The performance and artist Q&A session was presented over 40 times in more than 24 secondary schools, introducing young audiences to new forms of artistic expression.
2011 - 2012
SILENCE, SOUNDS AND SPACES
Solo Percussion Performance · Cultural Heritage · Field Recordings
An exploration of Malta's prehistoric sites through sound, originating with the recording and scoring of music for the visitor audio guide at the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The project grew into a concept album and live performance incorporating unique on-site recordings at various pre-historic sites across Malta.
Launched in Malta, the work subsequently toured extensively with performances in the UK, France and Germany
Concept Album
42:20 · Audio · LISTEN
Featuring unique on-site recordings at prehistoric sites, and music from the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum audio guide.
2010
INKONTRI
Maltese Literature/Music Performance · Interdisciplinary Collaboration
A cross-artistic project merging Maltese literature and contemporary music, created in collaboration with Maltese poet, philosopher and writer Prof. Joe Friggieri. Launched at Vilhena Palace in Mdina (Malta).
Encounter With Poetry and Percussion, Times of Malta
Concept Album
49:36 · Audio
The project was recorded and released as a physical album in 2010.
RENZO SPITERI & THE IDAN RAICHEL PROJECT
World Music · Cross-Cultural Collaboration
A meeting of Maltese percussion and Israeli popular music in a concert celebrating musical exchange, solidarity and cultural dialogue. Presented as part of the Daniel Pearl World Music Days in aid of Pamper the World.
Music Pulls Down Borders, Times of Malta
2000 - 2009
2008 - 2009
SKETCHES FROM HOME
Cross-cultural Collaboration · World Music · Touring
An exploration of musical and cultural dialogue through Chinese flutes, voice, percussion, piano and accordion, created in collaboration with Guo Yue, (China) and Ben Murray (England). Premiered at the Manoel Theatre (Malta), the work was subsequently presented in Italy and Germany, including an invitation from the Italian Ministry of Culture as part of the Festival of Cultures 2008.
Renzo Spiteri To Perform at Major European Festival, The Malta Independent · WATCH
2007
INTERSECTIONS: The Art of Duo
Cross-cultural Collaboration · Improvisation · International Exchange
A collaborative percussion project with marimba and vibraphone player Dan Moore (USA), born from a meeting at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Combining improvisation on a wide palette of acoustic and electronic percussion with influences from Chinese music, Intersections premiered in Malta before touring the United States, including performances in Iowa, Chicago, New York and a showcase performance at PASIC 2007, facilitated by The Embassy of the United States in Malta.
2006
THE DRUM COLLECTIVE
Percussion · WOMAD · International Collaboration · Musical Direction
An all-percussion ensemble bringing together and ensemble of international leading percussionists: Renzo Spiteri (Malta), Trilok Gurtu (India), Joji Hirota (Japan), Bethmuel Mombani (South Africa), Yelemba d'Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) and Kim Woon Tae (South Korea). Renzo Spiteri served as musical director and performer for this international collaboration, presented at the Sori-WOMAD Festival in Jeonju, South Korea.
Renzo Spiteri Reaches New Heights at Major Festival, Times of Malta
CHANTS
Cross-cultural Collaboration · World Music · Touring
A vibrant collaboration with Afro Celt Sound System's kora and balafon player N’Faly Kouyaté (Guinea), bringing West African musical traditions into dialogue with Renzo's distinctive percussion language. Premiered in Valletta, the project was subsequently presented at Verdala Palace (Malta) under the distinguished patronage of H.E. The President of Malta, and at the Sori-WOMAD Festival in Jeonju, South Korea.
RENZO SPITERI & THE CHINA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
International Exchange · Percussion · Collaboration
A four-week residency at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where Renzo Spiteri worked with Chinese musicians and delivered percussion masterclasses while developing a new cross-cultural performance. The resulting work brought together Chinese traditional instruments with Renzo’s contemporary percussion practice, and was presented in venues across Beijing before being performed at the Malta Jazz Festival.
2005
RE:PUBLIC
Interactive Installation · Performance · Visual Art · Cork ECoC
An interdisciplinary collaboration between Renzo Spiteri and visual artist Vince Briffa (Malta), bringing sound, percussion, installation and visual art together in an interactive exploration of public space and participation. Presented at the Vision Centre in Cork as Malta's contribution to the closing celebrations of Cork 2005 – European Capital of Culture.
The project brought Renzo's experimental approach to percussion and sound into dialogue with Briffa's contemporary visual practice, extending the possibilities of performance beyond the traditional concert space.
2003 - 2005
THIS IS MY LANGUAGE
Solo Performance · Percussion · Improvisation
A solo performance exploring percussion as a language in its own right, combining traditional instruments with unconventional objects and found materials. Premiered at St James Cavalier in Valletta in 2003, the work was subsequently presented in 2004 at the Caraffa Stores in Vittoriosa (Malta) and in Budapest (Hungary), evolving through a series of improvised musical sketches that changed with every performance.
The work was later recorded as Renzo's first solo album, This Is My Language, released in 2005.
2004 - 2005
SOUNDS UNLIMITED
A collaborative exploration of percussion, electronic sound and the natural resonance of everyday domestic and industrial objects. Created with Michael Alcorn (UK), Pedro Rebelo (Portugal) and Iain McCurdy (UK) during Renzo's residency at the Sonic Arts Research Centre in Belfast (N. Ireland), the work was subsequently presented in Belfast, Portugal, Dublin and Malta, including as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2005.
St James to Host Culture Programme Linked to CHOGM, Times of Malta
2004
RENZO SPITERI & MERCAN DEDE
World Music · Cross-Cultural Collaboration · Improvisation
A meeting of Maltese percussion and Turkish Sufi-inspired electronic music, bringing Renzo Spiteri together with Turkish musician and DJ Mercan Dede (Arkin Allen). The collaboration was presented at Babylon Club in Istanbul and subsequently at the inaugural Malta World Music Festival at Lower Fort St Elmo, exploring a musical dialogue between East and West.
1990s
Theatre, Jazz, Classical and Improvised Music
During the 1990s, Renzo developed a broad musical practice across jazz, classical music, theatre and improvisation.
Between 1993 and 1997, he studied for a BA in Arts (Music and Theatre Studies) at the University of Malta, while continuing to perform on drums and percussion in Malta’s principal theatres and concert venues. His work included theatre productions such as M.A.D.C.'s Jack and the Beanstalk and Aladdin at the Manoel Theatre, as well as several lunchtime concerts and jazz performances with musicians including vibraphonist Charles “City” Gatt and guitarist Sandro Zerafa.
This period also saw his first international engagements, including a performance of Mro. Charles Camilleri’s Fantasia Concertante for solo percussion in London, presented during a conference at which Camilleri delivered a paper.
1998 - 2000
Milan (Italy)
Jazz, fusion & classical music
Between 1998 and 2000, Renzo performed in Milan, working with musicians across jazz, fusion and classical music.
During this time, he furthered his musical education, studying classical music privately with Prof Gabriele Bianchi, head of the percussion section for the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra in Milan, and jazz improvisation at the Milano Jazz School.
1999
2000 RHYTHMS
Percussion · Composition · Experimental Music · Millennium
2000 Rhythms was an ambitious percussion project exploring rhythm and sound through an expanded collection of instruments and unconventional sound-making materials. The project formed part of Malta’s Millennium celebrations and pointed towards Renzo's experimental, material-based approach that would become central to his later work.
RITMI
Intercultural Collaboration · Percussion Concert · Improvisation
As part of the Ritmi project led by the Third World Group (Malta), Renzo collaborated with Senegalese percussionist and music educator Moussé Gueye Ndiaye. The project brought together workshops and performances, combining Ndiaye’s West African percussion traditions and approach to music education with Renzo’s own practice in percussion and improvisation. The collaboration formed part of Renzo’s growing engagement with international musical exchange and cross-cultural percussion practices, which would become an integral part of his career in the years that followed.