Laura Cioffi, a flautist, recently won the 'Promising' category for musicians aged under 17 in the eighth Young Musicians Contest 2010, organised by the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, at the Casino Maltese, Valletta.

Ms Cioffi started studying the flute aged six at the Johann Strauss School of Music, Valletta, under Mro Silvio Zammit and attended masterclasses both in Malta and abroad.

She participated in Mozartfest held at St James Cavalier, Valletta, in 2006, and opened the series of lunch-time concerts held by the Malta Council for Culture and Arts in 2007. She also took part in various concerts organised by the Malta Cultural Institute.

Ms Cioffi formed part of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra for Aida, Epiphany Concert and Beethoven Grand Concert under the direction of Mro Michael Laus, and she forms part of the University Junior College Orchestra under the direction of Mro Emmanuel Pirotta.

Last summer she attended the European Union Youth Orchestra summer school and she played The Planets by Holst at orchestra's concert in Graffenegg in Vienna, under the direction of Mro Andrew Litton.

She will shortly be joining four other Maltese musicians for BISYOC, an international orchestral summer camp in the UK.