News

World festival premiere of 'Seeking the Mesosphere' in New York City

8/3/2023

Seeking the Mesosphere, a music composition for synthesizer, cello, drones, and orchestra by Marcelle Abela, will be receiving its world festival premiere at The Artists Forum Music Competition, which shall be held in Manhattan's Dolby Screening Room on October 15, 2023. Performed live on the Waldorf Iridium synthesizer by the composer herself, Seeking the Mesosphere symbolizes the search in Earth’s highest layer of atmospheric complexity. The music reflects the alternating cosmic reality of extreme cold and extreme heat, as noctilucent clouds float around the mesosphere, gas particles relentlessly collide, and meteor showers burst into striking fragments of stardust. Produced by Sergius Records, Seeking the Mesosphere was mixed by Marcelle Abela at Mixxejn Studio in Malta, while mastering was carried out by Childeric Legrain at NorthShore Studio in France.

'The Skies of To'nenili' on One World Music Radio

7/20/2023

Marcelle Abela's latest single The Skies of To'nenili for Native American flute, harp, and string ensemble is now being broadcast on One World Music Radio's "Dreaming Flute #85" program. Featuring the composer herself as soloist, The Skies of To'nenili was inspired by the haunting sound of the Native American flute, with which Abela became intimately familiar while composing the score for the feature documentary America's Woman (expected release in 2024). The Skies of To'nenili was released by Sergius Records in May and it is also available on the usual streaming platforms.

'Explorations II' - New LP by Marcelle Abela

12/2/2022

A new LP album has just dropped for the Christmas season. Titled Explorations II and released by Sergius Records, the album consists of eight tracks, with the main solo parts being performed live on the flagship Waldorf Iridium synthesizer by Maltese-American composer, Marcelle Abela. The performances took place in October-November, 2022. Featured in the album are also accompanying boy vocals, cellos, drones, and orchestra. Composed, recorded, and mixed by Abela herself, the album was mastered by the French sound engineer, Childeric Legrain. Explorations II is available for listening on the usual music streaming platforms.

'Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes' wins in London

11/28/2022

Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes has once again won Best Documentary, this time during its British premiere at the 2022 Ealing Film Festival held in London last week. This is the eighth honor to be awarded to the film. Directed by Marcelle Abela, the documentary highlights the struggle of the Ukranian people's struggle after being invaded by Russia, and the important role Ukrainian musicians have been playing in keeping up the people's morale. Ukraine's Soul will be freely available for public viewing on the director's Vimeo channel after concluding the festival run.

'Ukraine's Soul' documentary wins in South Korea

11/3/2022

Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes has won Best Documentary during its South Korean premiere at the 2022 Busan New Wave Short Film Festival, held in the Korean Republic's second largest city. An Avinu Films production directed by Marcelle Abela, this is the seventh honor to be awarded to the film, which highlights the struggle of the Ukranian people after their sudden invasion by Russia. Ukraine's Soul features live performances by Amellia Anisovych, Illia Bondarenko, Vera Lytochenko, Iryna Manyukina, and Singers of the Odesa Opera among others. As the film has great societal import for our times, it will be freely available for public viewing on the director's Vimeo channel after concluding its festival run.

'Poème' wins Silver at the Global Music Awards

7/17/2022

Marcelle Abela has been awarded the Silver Medal for her solo piano composition Poème at the Global Music Awards held in San Diego, California. Recorded by the British concert pianist and Steinway artist Harry Nowakowski-Fox, Poème was released eariier this year by Sergius Records and is available worldwide on the major music streaming platforms. You can listen to it here. This is Abela's second GMA award, having won bronze last year for her original soundtrack Mikha'El.

The Global Music Awards competition is a well-known international showcase for original music, unique voices, and emerging artists. It has a large international following. Held twice-yearly, entries were judged by industry professionals and by Emmy and Grammy winning artists.

'Ukraine's Soul' triply honored at the Luis Bunuel Memorial Awards

5/13/2022

The short documentary Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes has won Best Director and Best Documentary Film at the 2022 Luis Bunuel Memorial Awards held in Kolkata, India. The film was also honored with an Outstanding Achievement Award for Best Soundtrack. Called an "incredibly eye-opening, important, and well-conceived documentary," Ukraine's Soul, directed by Marcelle Abela, explores the phenomenon of Ukrainian heroes and others who keep making music, in the harshest conditions, to lift people's spirits during the 2022 war with Russia. Meanwhile, the documentary was also awarded a Special Mention at the Athens International Arthouse Film Festival. Featuring live performances by Amellia Anisovych, Illia Bondarenko, Vera Lytochenko, Iryna Manyukina, and the Singers of the Odesa Opera among others, Ukraine's Soul, which will be released to the public after its festival run, was filmed in March on location in Ukraine, Poland, and Russia.

'Ukraine's Soul' wins Best Soundtrack in Odesa

5/5/2022

Documentary filmmaker and composer Marcelle Abela has won Best Soundtrack for Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes in Odesa, Ukraine. Featuring Mariella Delia and Tatiana Zueva as solo violinists, with live performances by Singers of the Odesa Opera and the Saint Petersburg Crowd, as well as additional music by Mykhailo Verbytsky, Ukraine's Soul was also awarded a Knight NFT from The Goblet of Knight Collection as part of the prize. The NFT can be viewed here. The soundtrack of Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes was released by Avinu Films in March and is available to listen on the usual streaming platforms.

'Ukraine's Soul' officially selected for Emberlight Film Festival 2022

4/16/2022

Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes, a new film by Maltese-American filmmaker Marcelle Abela, has been officially selected for the 2022 Emberlight International Film Festival. Called an "incredibly eye-opening, important, and well-conceived documentary," by Colton Pometta, the festival's director, Ukraine's Soul explores the phenomenon of Ukrainian heroes and others who keep making music, in the harshest conditions, to lift people's spirits during the 2022 war with Russia. Ukraine's Soul features performances by Amellia Anisovych, Illia Bondarenko, Vera Lytochenko, Iryna Manyukina, and the Singers of the Odesa Opera among others, in addition to violin solos by Mariella Delia and Tatiana Zueva. Filmed on location in Ukraine, Poland, and Russia in four languages, Ukraine's Soul: A Tribute to Heroes will be screening multiple times at Michigan's Historic Ironwood Theatre in the last week of August.

'America's Woman' poster to be exhibited at the Artburg Gallery in Los Angeles

10/11/2021

The promo poster of the upcoming feature documentary America's Woman: The History Not Told (exp. 2023) has been officially selected to be physically exhibited at the Artburg Gallery in the heart of Los Angeles' Arts District, California, by the Make Art Not War Foundation (501c3). The poster featuring George Washington, the character of America's Woman designed by Dellaf Semiga, and the concept art of the poster itself designed by the documentary's filmmaker Marcelle Abela, is one of 30 posters chosen to be publicly exhibited at the gallery from November 27 through December 4, as part of their 2021 film festival. America's Woman will be Abela's second feature documentary and it is expected to enter production next year.

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