Born in Gozo, Malta, Joseph Debrincat has graduated in music from the University of Malta, studying with Malta’s leading composers Charles Camilleri and Joseph Vella. Besides, he has studied conducting with Maltese conductor Michael Laus and musicology with John Galea. The latter has led him to submit his B.A. (Hons.) thesis Turandot: Heir – Rival to a Great Opera Tradition. As a matter of fact, Debrincat is one of the few Gozitan musicians who holds an Honours Degree in music and is gradually establishing himself in the local musical field, as one of Malta’s youngest conductors.

His study in musicological research has led him to the editing of anonymous works from the Cathedral Museum of Mdina. In fact Debrincat is presently reading for an M. Phil in Music, preparing a thesis on Francesco Azopardi’s unique compositions that are found at the Gozo Cathedral.

Debrincat also has a special interest in opera, especially in Italian opera – Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) being his favourite opera composer. In summer of 1999 Debrincat has had the great and unique opportunity to meet Giacomo Puccini’s grand-daughter and President of the Istituto di Studi Pucciniani, Dr. Simonetta Puccini, and was entrusted with preparing further research on Puccini’s influence on the local opera productions.

However, Debrincat devotes most of his time to clarinet playing, holding a diploma from the London College of Music. He has featured in quite a number of concerts both in Malta and Gozo. For a number of years he has been the soloist and leader of the Leone Band (A.D. 1863) of Victoria. Presently he is also its assistant director. He is the musical director of the newly established Santa Margerita Band (A.D. 1997) of Sannat and as from 2000, he was appointed as maestro di cappella of the Parish Church of the same village.

His orchestral conducting debut occurred in summer 1999 when he conducted a string orchestra in a musical concert organized by the Gozo Cultural Committee. Subsequently in April 2000 he conducted a vocal and orchestral concert, Celebrity Concert, which was presented at the Gozo Cathedral. In May 2001 the Verdi in concerto, presented at the Don Bosco Oratory Theatre, was one of the numerous concerts presented around the world to commemorate the first hundred years from the great opera master’s death.

Debrincat is also a full-time theory teacher at the Gozo School of Music while teaching at several local band clubs.