“Francesco Schira: A Maltese Voice on the European Operatic Stage”

Francesco Schira (1809–1883) was a Maltese-born composer, conductor, and vocal coach who made his mark on the international stage. Born in Valletta into a musical family, he was the youngest of four brothers and enrolled at the Milan Conservatory at the age of nine.

Schira went on to teach voice at the Royal Academy of Music and held prestigious conducting posts at London’s Drury Lane Theatre and Lisbon’s National Theatre San Carlo. In addition to his teaching career, he composed several operas, including The Ear Ring, Lia, and La Selvaggia.

His romantic opera Thérèse, the Orphan of Geneve explores themes of lost identity and jealousy. Highlights from the opera include the aria “She Was Once So Demure”, performed in a distinctly Italianate style, and the celebratory quartet “Oh What a Joy to Hear”, sung by the characters Thérèse, the Countess, the Count, and Picard.

On 27 May 2023, Mikiel Anton Vassalli College (MAVC) presented Ġawhar Misjub (Discovered Gems), a project celebrating lesser-known operatic works by Maltese composers. The performance featured tenor Angelo Muscat in a revival of Schira’s quartet from Thérèse. The Orphan of Geneve.

The project’s aim is to create a collaborative educational platform, allowing students of visual and performing arts to engage directly in live productions alongside professionals, bridging academic studies with real-world performance experience.