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By:
Sinan Berisha
- 22 May 2025 22:50
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Critics have long praised her for her powerful yet delicate and virtuoso interpretation, and her interpretation is very sensitive. Lule Elezi has no difficulty proving all of this, as her concert is also historic for the Kosovo Opera. The selection of works in the musical evening conducted by maestro Olep Arapi has given her the opportunity to reveal the contrasts in techniques and styles in a game that harmonizes with the potential of the members of the four-year-old institution.
With instruments in their hands, smiling faces and small steps, the members of the Kosovo Opera Orchestra opened the concert night one after another. The Atelier Hall at the Palace of Youth and Sports in Pristina was filled with spectators, who came to watch the performance of pianist Lule Elezi, who, together with the orchestra, under the direction of Oleg Arapi, received endless applause.
This was the next concert organized by the Kosovo Opera, which was founded in 2021 and has so far presented various concerts and productions, as well as the first Kosovar operatic work.
“Goca e Kaçanikut”, composed by Rauf Dhomi. The primary mission of the Opera is to educate, through programs that bring together young people with operatic art and provide opportunities for the creation of spaces for the professional development of new generations. And, the next concert was historic for another reason: the long-proven Lule Elezi is the first soloist with the Opera concert.
With the “fall of the nightingale”, the conductor's baton signaled the start of the program with the orchestra consisting of “players” on wind and string instruments. The “Overture from the opera 'Don Pasquale'” by Gaetano Donizetti was performed and then pianist Lule Elezi entered the operatic stage, to play together with the orchestra, accompanied only by strings, “The Pathetic Sonata for Piano and Strings”, “No. 8 in C minor, Op.13” by Beethoven, “Nocturne in C-sharp minor, B. 49” by Chopin and “Intermezzo No. 1” by Manuel Ponce. All the works are a unique opportunity for the pianist to unfold and demonstrate the technique of the master and Lule Elezi is notable for this. The program also included the works “Suite No. 1” from Bizet's “Carmen” and the overture, and the concert concluded. It was the one from the operetta "Light Cavalry" that brings a romantic touch.
Lule Elezi is a pianist known for her powerful yet delicate interpretation, internationally acclaimed as a virtuoso and highly sensitive performer, especially of the works of composer Frederic Chopin. With a rich concert career as a soloist and member of chamber ensembles, Elezi has performed in a large number of countries around the world and has collaborated with distinguished conductors such as Toshio Yanagisawa and Boian Videnoff.
Pianist Elezi expressed the deep emotion and pride she experienced during one of the most important evenings of her musical career, not only for the symbolic and artistic importance of this collaboration, but also for the special feeling that conductor Oleg Arapi gave her, with whom she has shared the stage before in Tirana and Prizren.
"It was a magnificent evening for me tonight, one of the most special evenings of my career, because I was the first soloist to perform with the wonderful orchestra of the Kosovo Opera, under the fantastic direction of maestro Oleg Arapi. It was a truly special feeling, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with maestro Arapi before with the concerts we held in Tirana and Prizren and I always highly appreciate his tireless and very professional work," pianist Lule Elezi told KOHĖN after the concert.
After her piano performance, the orchestra was joined again by the wind instrumentalists, giving a different color to the rest of the program with the pieces “Carmen Suite No. 1” and “Overture 'Light Cavalry'”. Always under the direction of Oleg Arap, with a distinguished international career, the melodies resonated in perfect harmony. With an extensive repertoire that includes symphonic and operatic masterpieces, he has conducted over 200 concerts around the world and has collaborated with renowned Albanian and international soloists.
Conductor Arapi shared his experience at this concert, calling it a "great responsibility" to lead the orchestra in order to make the concert as beautiful as possible.
"To appear in front of an orchestra like this, so good with such good, young instrumentalists who are willing to work was a very big responsibility, because I would give my maximum, what I knew, of course, so that we could perform a concert as beautifully as possible, and I think we achieved our goal, because the audience's applause confirmed this," said conductor Oleg Arapi after the concert, responding to KOHA.
The last sounds of the concert were greeted with applause, which was not yet over, by the performers, who were joined by fellow artists from all fields of art, to receive compliments. The conductor, who has a long career at RTSH, recalled that this is not the first collaboration with pianist Elezi and expressed his satisfaction with the audience's appreciation of the concert.
"I have done five collaborations with Lula, we did the first one last year in Prizren, within the framework of the Prizren League, then we did three other activities in Albania with the RTSH orchestra and this was the fifth collaboration. We also have other collaborations ahead that we have already planned, not only in Albania, but I think also in Italy. Lulja is an extremely good pianist and I think she showed this to the audience and I am pleased that the audience appreciated the concert. The moment the audience applauds, welcomes the concert, I have done my duty together with the entire orchestra", he further gave his impressions.
Some of the works performed at the concert also feature the work of composer Kreshnik Aliçkaj. He has orchestrated works written only for solo piano – Chopin's work and Beethoven's sonata.
"They were created only for piano, they are very well-known works worldwide. At Lula's request, I orchestrated them, I made them for piano and string orchestra, which means that it was not easy, because when writing Beethoven's work, you have to adhere to the rules just as the composer would think about the orchestral formation, just like in Chopin's work. There were many requirements, balances, colors and many other techniques that the orchestra has," said Aliçkaj.
According to him, the performance was very good by pianist Lule Elezi and the Orchestra.
"I think the Opera Orchestra has a lot of potential, because there are also many young instrumentalists. They are very interested, they love music very much and they do their work with the greatest possible dedication. It was a pleasant and suitable concert for both the professionals and the public," he said.
This concert was a powerful testament to the Kosovo Opera's commitment to raising artistic standards and affirming local talent. The combination of conductor Oleg Arapi's international experience with pianist Lule Elezi's delicate and emotional interpretation created a night of musical magic.
This concert night proved once again that art knows no borders and that Pristina, through the new Opera Institute, is becoming a worthy meeting point for great talents. Filled with emotion, the concert echoed the strengthening of the art of classical music in Kosovo.
© KOHA Daily
