Pia Vassallo is a wellbeing coach and Positive Psychology and Mindfulness Practitioner who helps individuals and organisations recognise their strengths, enhance wellbeing, and create meaningful, lasting change.
Passionate about making a positive impact, she draws on the latest wellbeing and mindfulness research and translates it into practical strategies that people can apply in everyday life. Her work focuses on helping others thrive; building hope and resilience, deepening self-awareness, and creating environments where wellbeing and growth can flourish.
When not teaching or facilitating, she enjoys hiking, sailing, volunteering, and spending time with family and friends, always exploring new ways to bring wellbeing into daily life.
www.mettawellbeing.com
Pia Zammit is an actor, director, and communication coach with over 25 years experience helping people find authenticity, presence, and confidence – whether on stage, in rehearsal, or in the boardroom. A familiar face on Malta’s theatre scene, she has performed leading roles in both classical and contemporary productions, from Shakespeare to Sondheim, and has directed award-winning work for stage.
As a trainer, Pia specialises in vocal presence, body language, and the art of genuine connection. She is also the Director of Education at the English-Speaking Union (Malta), where she leads national and international programmes in debating and public speaking.
Bringing together the craft of performance and the psychology of communication, Pia empowers artists and professionals alike to inhabit their space fully, connect with their audiences, and communicate with clarity, confidence, and emotional truth.
Polish-born pianist Julia Miller graduated from the Music Academy of Lodz in piano performance and chamber music under the tutelage of Prof. Anna Wesolowska- Firlej, Prof. Boguslaw Pikala and Prof. Cezary Sanecki, just to name the few. She was a finalist in several competitions and had her own trio that performed in the most prestigious locations in Poland. Since then, she has carved for herself an international career both as a soloist and as a musical collaborator.
After a stint in Dublin, Ireland, she moved to Malta in 2012 and built herself a reputation as both an accompanist to vocalists as well as an accomplished pianist in her own right. She collaborated with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Kor Malta, the Manoel Theatre Youth Opera and been present in several festivals, including the Malta Baroque Festival, the Malta International Spring Festival, TedX Lublin, Festival Musicale delle Nazioni in Rome, and has been the piano accompanist to soprano Miriam Gauci during her masterclasses during the Gaulitana Festival.
Since 2019, Julia Miller has also started a series of solo recitals titled ‘Julia Miller Plays’, playing a wide-ranging repertoire of classical piano pieces, especially from the Romantic Period. She is also a teacher at the Malta Visual and Performing Arts (MVPA) School and Malta School of Music where she works in piano and chamber music departments.
In 2022, Julia was the brains behind the project Valletta-Varsavja-Vjenna, where she was playing Mozart’s D Minor Piano Concerto together with Polish based Apertus Quartet as well as piano part in the specially commissioned piano quintet by Karl Fiorini. Project was supported by Arts Council Malta and The Embassy of Poland in Valletta.
Julia gave several performances of chamber music in Malta and Poland in 2024, specialising in violin and piano recitals and four-hand piano concerts. She made her debut performing Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16 with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Michael Laus in the same year.
Currently, she is completing her DMus at the University of Malta under the supervision of Prof. Michael Laus and Dr Max Erwin where she is focusing on female composers from the end of 19th century from USA and Sweden.
Jeremy Coleman is a musicologist and pianist with research interests that centre on music of the long nineteenth century, intellectual and material history, and critical/social theory. Following primary and secondary education in the Scottish state sector, he went on to read for degrees in Music (BA) and in Musicology (MPhil) at Clare College Cambridge. He received a PhD in Musicology from King’s College London in 2016. He currently lectures in the Department of Music Studies, School of Performing Arts, University of Malta, and oversees research activities in the School of Performing Arts. His first book Richard Wagner in Paris: Translation, Identity, Modernity was published by Boydell & Brewer in 2019. He is currently working on a major study of music historiography and historical performance practice from Charles Burney to Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘historical concerts’ that, among other things, investigates the early history of ‘early music’ revival. As a pianist Jeremy particularly enjoys chamber music and art song as well as interdisciplinary collaboration, and is delighted to be working with Opera Nova Project.
Photo credit: Aleksandar Gligic
Sarah Jane has been teaching Pilates and movement for 10 years in London and Malta. She attained her Pilates qualification at the established Body Control Pilates Association, London, achieving her Level 3 Qualification to teach Pilates Matwork internationally. In the UK, she made her professional debut as a dancer- actor in “La Traviata” at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, directed by Sir Richard Eyre. She performed with the company for 6 years, including a tour to Japan: Tokyo and Yokohama. Since she has been based in Malta, she is a busy teacher of Pilates (Seven Steps) & Performing Arts (San Anton School- senior sector). She also participates in local musical theatre productions most recently: Ms Lynch in Grease (Masquerade- Manoel Theatre), Iris in The Bands Visit (Revamp Mt- Manoel Theatre) & Grandma Addams in The Addams Family (Arthaus- MCC).
Sarah Jane is thrilled to be forming part of the Opera Nova Project team especially since she has a very special connection to Opera. She is certain that Pilates and movement will have such a positive impact on opera singers!
Beginning her music studies at a young age, Maria-Elena showed a love for the instrument and a deep understanding of music from an early stage. She now holds a Masters of Music in Piano Performance from the RNCM -where she studied with Prof. Sally Ann MacLeod – a PGCE, and First Class Honours in her Bachelor of Music from University of Malta, where she was tutored by Prof. Michael Laus. Over the past 15 years, she participated in and won many local and international competitions, obtaining High Distinction in multiple Diplomas. In 2003, she won the EPTA (Malta) Competition which enabled her to attend lessons at the Liszt Academy in Budapest with one of the jury, Profs. Balazs Szokolay. The following year, she won 1st prize at the 12th Gianluca Campochiaro Competition (Pedara, Sicily). She also took part in the 6th Young Musicians Contest of the Malta Society of Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce where she placed 1st in her category. In 2011 she was 1st prize winner of the Bice Mizzi Vassallo Music Competition (Malta), resulting in a week of Masterclasses held at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, tutored by acclaimed pianist, Norma Fisher. In Manchester she performed as a soloist and with several duo and chamber ensembles, including the well-established Philetas Piano Trio. She is highly sought after for engagements in Gozo, Malta and the UK, where she has worked with multiple professional artists such as Mezzo Soprano Jennifer Larmore. She he has performed in Malta at the Presidential Palace, the Manoel Theatre, and in the Malta International Arts Festival Masterclasses, where she was tutored by internationally acclaimed pianists and professors Yuri Didenko, Vassily Scherbakov, Arkady Zenziper, Christoph Traxler and Alexander Zolotarev. Maria-Elena continues her work as a professional pianist, accompanying local international artists including tenor Joseph Calleja, whilst furthering her ongoing repetiteur training with soprano Juliette Bisazza. She is currently a full-time music teacher and staff pianist in Malta’s national music school, the Malta school of Music. Maria-Elena also does freelance work as a session pianist with local bands and ensembles in various genres – such as musical theatre, contemporary music and jazz.
Gisèle Grima is a pianist and music educator from Malta whose career has led her to become one of the leading Maltese musicians of her generation. She is a prize-winning pianist who has performed extensively and is a pioneer in the field of music education. Known for her warmth and musical sensitivity, Gisèle has been lauded as “a performer who approaches all the works she performs with intelligent insight, each note and each phrase having been carefully thought out.” She is often invited to perform in festivals and has featured around Malta, Sicily, Germany, France and the UK. Gisèle enjoys a varied repertoire and has performed as a concerto artist in solo and chamber palace concerts. She has collaborated as pianist with Argotti Ensemble, Ardita Statovci, ŻfinMalta & actor Tama Matheson.
Gisèle studied with Josianne Vella Bardon, Lydia Buttigieg and Maria Dolores Amodio Chircop. In the UK and Finland, she spent six years receiving training from Nicholas Ashton, Lauri Väinmaa, Tiina Kärblane and Paul Roberts. Gisèle holds a BMus (Hons.) with First Class from Edinburgh Napier University, a Master of Music with Distinction & PG. Dip in performance from RNCM and a Fellowship of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (FRSM). Upon her return to Malta in 2009, she frequently received guidance from the late Cynthia Turner, who became a mentor throughout many of her performances.
In her capacity of making music more accessible to younger generations, Gisèle has recently launched Young Maestros, an interactive music course for children. She has previously led lectures at the Music Department, University of Malta and served as a writing contributor to the Arts & Culture Magazine ENCORE. Gisèle is also a Trustee of the Ian Tomlin Napier/Malta Scholarship and currently teaches music at St. Michael Foundation.
Chiara wears many hats in the theatre industry but most notably as a director. Some credits include ‘The Female of the Species’ (Unifaun Theatre), ‘Secret Bridesmaids’ Business’ (MADC), ‘Us/Them’, ‘In Other Words’, ‘Jamboy’ (The Shrinking Violets / Commissioned by Ziguzajg), ‘Polly & Esther’ (Ziguzajg), ‘Sunrise’, ‘CLASS’, ‘Bookworm in the Woods’, ‘On the Other Hand we’re Happy’ (FM Theatre), ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ (MADC) which won the Premju ghall-Arti People’s Choice Award for Best Production.
Chiara was one of the writers for ‘Her Say’ (Spazzju Kreattiv) with her monologue ‘Dust’, played Buffu 2 in ‘It-Teatru Tal-Miskin’ (Saydon Studio) and was part of ‘Miscast – An Typical Cabaret’ (The Shrinking Violets). Most recently Chiara wrote and directed MADC’s 2023 / 2024 Panto, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and directed ‘The Heimlich Hustle’ (Give or Take productions).
Emma trained at KS Dance Ltd, UK in a variety of disciplines then moved on to work for the Vienna Festival Ballet Company touring UK and Europe. After moving to Malta Emma has worked in numerous productions including The Dreamcatchers, and The Bard’s Farewell (The New Theatre Company), Spelling Bee (Salesian Theatre), Silouette’s in the Moonlight (Zugraga), Dido and Eneas (Teatru Manoel Opera), My Fair Lady, Hairspray, High School Musical, Chicago, Cinderella, Ali Baba, Are Your Being Served and ‘Allo ‘Allo (FMT), Oliver! Honk, Beauty and the Beast, Hair, Legally Blonde, Jesus Christ Superstar, Dracula Spectacular, Dazzle, Scream for Halloween (Stagecoach Malta), Peter and the Wolf (Manoel Theatre), Carnival of Animals (St James Cavalier) Wizard of Oz (Panto) Midsumer Night’s Dream and Glorious (MADC), 100 (Teatru Anon), Speja and Some Explicit Polaroids (Unifaun), Dance Fusion (Alegria), More Four Play and Four Play Four (DNA), Porn the Musical (Indeskarf). Various performances and festivals for Tanya Bayona Poutiatine Academy, Stagecoach Malta, Academy of Dance Arts, Creative Dance Studio and Incite Motion. Emma now works as a full-time drama teacher as well as a freelance dance teacher and choreographer. She is also a resident teacher at Living Dance Malta.
Elaine Mercieca is a graduate of the University of Malta having followed a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Music Performance under the tutelage of Mro. Michael Laus, later on acquiring a Post-Graduate Certificate in Music Education at the same institute. Elaine was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship through the ‘Master It!’ scheme, and went on to acquire a Master of Music Degree with Distinction at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in the UK. Elaine is currently a full-time piano accompanist and tutor at the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School.
