A native of Shkodër, he was a musical amateur who composed the Unity of Albania March (Bashkimi Shqipnis) in 1881.
Kurti took his first piano lessons from the Italian musician Giovanni Canale.
[1] During his youth he was in contact with the aheng groups from which he learned their way of singing and also how to compose verses in the bejtexhi style.
[1] Kurti composed two potpourris on Shkodrane urban popular songs called "The Musical Entertainment of our Forefathers", the second of which is in F Major.
[1] His value remains due to a very skillful and masterful combination of oriental and western music.