After his early training as a pianist obtaining the Fellowship of Trinity College London and the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (London) in pianoforte performance, John Galea graduated with honours at Durham University (UK) studying composition with James Ellis and John Gardner. He has also studied musicology at the Università degli Studi di Pavia (Italy). John Galea studied contemporary composition with Charles Camilleri, furthering his studies with Franco Donatoni at the Fondazione Romanini in Brescia, Italy. His compositions have been performed in Malta, Greece, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom. He has also been invited to sit on the adjudicating panel of the prestigious Valentino Bucchi Composition Competition in Rome and the Mikulas Schneider-Trnavsky Vocal Competition in Slovakia. He is also a member of the jury for the European Union Youth Orchestra auditions which are held yearly and a regular adjudicator for the National Orchestra.

Since 1978, John Galea has been a regular guest conductor of the Manoel Theatre Orchestra. During 1998-2000 he was appointed Principal Conductor of the National Orchestra of Malta. Since then he has appeared regularly as guest conductor. As musical director of Opera Studio in Malta (1990-93) he collaborated with Prof. Dobreva in realising various operatic productions at the Manoel Theatre. Galea has been instrumental in introducing children’s opera at the Manoel Theatre, conducting the Royal Academy Ensemble (London) in John Gardner’s Bel and the Dragon.  John Galea has been the musical director of the Chorus Urbanus since 1979. He has conducted the choir during its choral tours of Italy, Switzerland, UK, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria and Greece. As from 2003, he was appointed conductor of the King’s Own Philharmonic Society of Valletta.

During 1999, John Galea was commissioned to prepare a performing and critical edition of Nicolò Isouard’s Messa Leggiera, which had been successfully revived during the first edition of the Manoel Theatre Opera Festival. This work was recorded on the Mega Music label and launched on CD, meeting wide critical acclaim. This was followed shortly by John Galea’s symphonic poem Ġgantija, featuring the Sofia Symphony Orchestra and the Chorus Urbanus under his direction. During May 2003, he conducted the Kurgan Symphony Orchestra, Chorus Urbanus and Mirabitur Choir in the production of the musical Chess held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta and at the Aurora Opera House, Gozo.

 Another major wor, the oratorio Il-Qalb ta’ Kristu and its Italian version Il Cuore di Cristo has been recorded at the Bulgarian national Radio Studios, featuring the Sofia Collegium Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Urbanus, and published on CD by EMI Publishing Milano during March 2005. This was followed by highly acclaimed premiere performances of the oratorio in Malta. During May 2006 John Galea’s compositions alongside other maltese works were published on a CD entitled Unleash Your Senses, released on the Savina Creations label.

John Galea has written a study on the music of Charles Camilleri published by Roberton Publications (UK). He is presently the secretary of the RILM in Malta. During November 2004, Mro. Galea was invited once more as an adjudicator in the Valentino Bucchi International Competition in Rome, where he sat on the panel adjudicating composition and voice. His prowess for critical judgement has earned him the prestigious role of President of the Jury for choirs section of the said international competition.

 John Galea lectures at the Music Studies Department, Mediterranean Institute at the University of Malta, and has also been invited to lecture at the Università degli Studi di Catania, Italy.