Classical music in Kosovo
Classical music in Kosovo has evolved in a very short period of time, passing through generations of composers and artists.
In his book Stylistic development in the works of Albanian composers (Albanian: Zhvillimi i stileve në veprat e kompozitorëve shqiptarë të Kosovës), Engjëll Berisha [sq] comments: The diversity of styles in Albanian music [of Kosovo], its national patterns with sound idea-aesthetic foundations are a characteristic of the European musical reality, so many many works are of interest abroad, too, because during this relatively short period Albanian classical music in Kosovo has compensated for the delay in its development.Prior to any developments of classical music in Kosovo there were amateur activities preceding them that set the environment for later developments, such as the activities of the wind orchestra "Bashkimi" in Skopje, the wind orchestra of Gjakova led by Palok Kurti, the boarding school "Kosova" in Krumë, the fanfare band "Kosova" in Kukës and the Albanian Catholic Church in Prizren.
It was composed in the late 1970s in two acts by Rauf Dhomi, with a libretto by the Italian Albanian Arbresh Gusepe Del Gaudio 'Dasma e Jaxerise and Ajmane Dhomi, based on a novel by Albanian writer Milton S. Gurra.
[7] Both the symphony orchestra and the choir of RTP (Radio Television of Pristina) have been of major importance to cultural life in Kosovo.
For about 10 years, all schools that had been closed worked in private houses and concerts of classical music took place in Albanian catholic churches.
[9] The year 2000 saw the foundation of Kosovo Philharmony and the International Festival of Chamber Music.
He went to school in Skoplje (now Skopje) and Pristina and then studied composition at the Academy of Music in Belgrade.
His most recognised works are his second symphony Kosovarja and Baresha, for soprano and orchestra, sung by Nexhmije Pagarusha.
[18][19] He is a composer, conductor, pedagogue, and publicist-essayist who has written educational textbooks, articles, essays and critique on music.
He wrote about musical matters in books such as Veglat muzikore and Gjurmëve të muzikës.
His works are played throughout Slovenia, Kosovo, Albania, Austria, France, Holland and the USA.
He then went on to study composition at the academy of arts in Kraków, Poland where he earned his master's degree in the class of Krzysztof Penderecki.
His most recognized work is Homagium Matri Teresiae that premiered in the 600th jubilee of Kraków Conservatory.
However, there have been performances of orchestral pieces of operas, initially by the choir of the Cultural and Artistic Society "Agimi" in Prizren in 1952, and then by other music formations.
[26] The first opera by an Albanian composer from Kosovo, Goca e Kaçanikut by Rauf Dhomi was performed in Prizren by Albanian soloists, the orchestra of the Radio Television of Pristina, the choir of the Radio Television of Pristina and the ensemble Collegium Cantorum.
[28] Other performances include: Legjenda mbi ngadhnjimin, Kënga e Rexhës and Don Quixote.
[30] Locations like the Red Hall (Albanian: Salla e kuqe)[31][32] and the catholic church "Shën Ndou" are used instead for performances.
[34] As a concert pianist she has already toured in Germany, Kosovo, Switzerland, Austria, Bosnia, Hungary, Macedonia, Italy, Spain, England, Croatia, France, Slovenia, USA, China etc.
[37] Misbah Kaçamaku was born in 1968 in Mitrovica, Kosovo and studied piano at the faculty of music in Pristina.
After a growing interest in opera she continued her studies at the academy of music in Zagreb and graduated in 1990.
Some examples of the operas she has sung are: Norma by Bellini, Aida by Verdi and Samson and Delilah by Saint Saent.
She took her master exam at professor E. Chugajeva and later continued her studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, Germany and then in Italy.
She has been on music competitions and festivals both in Kosovo and abroad, like Austria, Albania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, Finland, Russia, and USA.
He established himself as one of the leading guitarists of the younger generation Winning the Michele Pittaluga International Classical Guitar Competition in Italy in 2007.
He has taken part in master-classes led by Manuel Barrueco, Leo Brouwer, Zoran Dukić, Carlo Marchione, Ehat Musa, Scott Tennant and Ana Vidović.
Until then most students of music were studying mainly in Belgrade, Ljubljana, Sarajevo and Zagreb and the number of graduates was very low.
