Percussionist Renzo Spiteri commenced his studies at the Johann Strauss School of Music under the guidance of Mr. C. Gatt, completing a whole study course on drums and percussion.

In the meantime, he attended the Jazz Improvisation course under the guidance of Mro. Paul Abela, performing in numerous concerts that included quartets led by Abela himself.

In 1998, Renzo Spiteri graduated, with Honours, at the University of Malta presenting a thesis called "The Role of Percussion in West African Societies".

For the last fifteen years he has been involved in a very busy manner in concerts in Malta and abroad, performing on various ethnic and original percussion instruments like drum kit, timbales, udu, tarabukka, tabla, bodrhan, instruments for special effects, and, mainly, congas, bongoes and djembe. Renzo Spiteri’s music ranges from classical, to jazz, to pop, to ethnic music and fusion. His experimentation with different percussion instruments and the creation of particular sound effects have brought him to such a level as to become very much in demand in different musical situations: live concerts, recording studios, working for film industry and theatre.

Since 1986, Renzo Spiteri has been active also as percussion player with The National Orchestra of Malta and with various other selected orchestras, participating in numerous operas and classical concerts directed by Maltese and international conductors. In 1998, he placed first in the auditions for percussionists held by the National Orchestra.

He has also formed part of various Chamber groups, amongst which, the Issa Ensemble. This Ensemble is made up of thirteen musicians from five different countries. Maltese composers have written works specifically for this ensemble. In conjunction with the concerts, masterclasses are organized which are given by musicians of international fame who collaborate with the members of the Ensemble.

With regards to jazz music, Renzo Spiteri has played in all major Festivals and events in Malta including the Malta International Jazz Festival and the Malta Arts Festival. He has worked together with musicians like Nigel Hitchcock, ex-member of NYJO (National Youth Jazz Orchestra), Enrico Pierannunzi and Andy Jaffe.

He has formed many jazz trios and quartets, exposing not only the standard jazz repertoire but also original compositions of his. Renzo Spiteri has also attended masterclasses with drummers Maxx Furian and Pierre Foschi, Italian pianist Pierrannunzi, and Andy Jaffe, lecturer at the Berklee Jazz School in America.

During the first months of 1990, Renzo Spiteri recorded, as drummer and percussionist for the English BBC-TV, a series of programs that were transmitted also in Canada and Orlando. That same year Renzo performed in front of the Pope, during his official visit to Malta.

Since 1991, Renzo Spiteri is the musical director, arranger, bandleader and percussionist of the highly successful choir VOICES. This choir, formed by some 200 members, for the last ten years have performed numerous concerts to sell-out audiences in Malta’s largest concert halls, collecting more than Lm75, 000 just from their last series of concerts in October 2000.

He has also been responsible for the musical direction of various musicals such as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “The Ragged Child”, both at The Manoel Theatre, and “Sister Act”, held at the Catholic Institute Theatre. He was also drummer and/or first percussion player for numerous other musicals such as “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Annie”, “Evita”, “Les Miserable”, “Firedance”, “Piaf”, “Oklahoma”, “Oliver!”, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “West Side Story”. 

In November, 2001, Renzo Spiteri was the musical director and drummer/percussionist of Masquerade’s production ‘Dracula’, that was staged at the Manoel Theatre, in Valletta.

In May 1996, Renzo Spiteri performed a solo percussion concert at  the University of London during a week-long International Symposium of Inter-Cultural Music, one of the pieces being a premier work by Maltese composer Charles Camilleri.

The year after, Renzo performed in Dublin as guest musician during the Eurovision Song Festival, held at The Point Theatre.

For the last five years, Renzo Spiteri has been working with contemporary theatre groups, analyzing and fusing the relationship between sound/rhythm and physical action of the actor. On this matter, Spiteri has followed specialized courses held by theatre directors Eugenio Barba at the DAMS School in Bologna and with Swedish director Ingemar Lindh at the University Of Malta. His latest production in this matter was the staging of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” at MITP Theatre of the Old University in Valletta.

In 1999, Renzo Spiteri was asked to be artistic Director of one of the six main nights to mark the National official celebrations of the new Millennium. Subsequently, in December 1999, he staged 2000 RHYTHMS, a performance for which he composed, directed, and performed, together with other musicians, the original music. Percussion, theatre, ‘raw sounds’ produced from everyday materials used by labourers, lights, dance and mime mingled into each other, obtaining a unique effect and production in its genre, which was particularly appreciated by both audience and critics. This production was eventually proposed by the Maltese Government to be performed in Hanover for EXPO 2000.

Between 1998 and 2000, Renzo Spiteri studied and played in Milan, collaborating with musicians in the jazz, fusion and classical field. During this period he studied the percussion classical repertoire with Prof. G. Bianchi, first percussion player at Teatro alla Scala. He also furthered his studies in jazz improvisation at the Milano Jazz School and the CEP Institute of Music and studied privately with Brazilian percussion player Gilson.

Renzo Spiteri had the opportunity to play with various musicians, working in live and recording situations. In  jazz and fusion music he worked with ‘Pastishe’, an afro-jazz band, ‘Coroline Ensemble’ and the jazz-rock band ‘Pangea’ with whom he also recorded a CD. In the classical field, he worked with various orchestras in Milano and also formed part of the esteemed ensemble “Solisti dell’ Orchestra Mozart”.

On his return to Malta, Renzo Spiteri started working on more new projects of his. In September 2001, he gave three solo performances at St. James Cavalier to mark the opening of a contemporary art exhibition of Maltese artists. That same month, he was the musical director of Masquerade’s theatre production “The Ragged Child” at the Manuel Theatre and two weeks later led the VOICES band to a series of ten concerts to record attendances and collected money.

In November of that same year, he launched his own Trio and Quartet at Baystreet Theatre, St. Julian’s. These two units played original material composed by Renzo and the rest of the members of the respective bands.

In March 2001, Renzo Spiteri was the musical director for Bernstein’s “West Side Story”. Staged at St. James Cavalier, the production offered a huge challenge for such a bid production to be performed and played in a very restricted space. Renzo reduced the whole orchestral score down to two instruments: piano and percussion. The great demand on the technical abilities of the two musicians resulted, undoubtedly, in one of the most ambitious live performance to be staged in Malta.

A month later, Renzo Spiteri was the composer and solo performer of the music for Teatru X’s production of ‘King Lear’. Directed by Salvu Mallia, the production was staged in a very contemporary setting.

In May 2001, he launched his own 10-piece Percussion Ensemble during the Gala Night for the premier of the film ‘Pearl Harbor’ and subsequently was asked to perform for the Official Opening of the European Junior Swimming and Diving Championship.

In April, the Third World Group asked him to be the musical director of their year-long project called ‘Ritmi’. The drum circle worshops he started in October have been highly successful. 

On 1, 2 and 3 March, 2002, Renzo will be joined by acclaimed Senegalese percussionist Moussé Ndiaye in a concert celebrating rhythm and harmony between different musical cultures. This is the first time a Maltese percussionist will be giving a concert alongside an African percussionist. 

"Ritmi - The Concert" will be held at the MITP theatre in St. Christopher's Street, Valletta.

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