Music by Ruben Zahra became part of contemporary aesthetics rooted in Mediterranean tradition. His repertoire includes music for orchestra and chamber music, music for the theater, dance, cinema and electronic music. He is also busy in researching traditional Maltese music and he often makes use of folk material in his compositions' music. He started his musical studies in Malta, studying piano with Lydia Scerri, harmony and counterpoint with Lawrence Borg and composition with Pawlu Grech. He graduated at Malta University with a thesis in Music and Theater. In 1995 he won a scholarship of Istituto Italiano di Cultura that let him study electronic music with Giorgio Nottoli at Music Conservatory “L. Refice” in Frosinone and, at the same time, composition at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome with Azio Corghi. In 2000 he went to California to follow a Master in composition at Mills College, Oakland, where he studied with Alvin Curran, Pauline Oliveros and Fred Frith. In 2002 he moved to Los Angeles and spent two years working as a composer for Hollywood film industry. Today Ruben Zahra lives in Malta and in 2006 published a book, enclosing a CD, entitled A Guide to Maltese Folk Music.