The echo of the works of composer Tish Daija in Kosovo

Documentary data on the performance of the works of composer Tish Daija in Kosovo during the second half of the 20th century, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the composer's birth. This article, dedicated to the composer Tish Daija (1926–2003) in the context of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his birth, serves as a reflection on his creativity and its presence in the Kosovo music scene. So, as the subtitle suggests, it is not intended to provide a narrative description of the composer's life and works; on the contrary, the article documents the presence of his works in the Kosovo music scene, since the 1960s and 1970s.

As is known, the tradition of classical music in Albanian lands, compared to other European countries, developed with a century-long delay, establishing this space as an interesting case study for the formation of national musical canons in this part of Southeast Europe. After the declaration of Albanian Independence in 1912, the territorial divisions – where Kosovo remained part of the Yugoslav Kingdom while Albania was consolidated as an independent state – produced distinct trajectories of cultural and institutional development. Beyond the physical division, there was always a common national feeling and identity awareness that connected the Albanians of Kosovo to the homeland across the border, a strong sense of ethnic, cultural and spiritual belonging. When talking about Kosovo, until the second half of the 20th century, it was characterized by the lack of formal musical institutions and professional cadres trained in the field of classical music; consequently, musical life developed mainly through amateur practices, folkloric traditions and the activity of cultural-artistic associations. However, from 1948 onwards, when formal musical education was institutionalized, a stable artistic culture was gradually consolidated, which has not only left visible historical traces, but has also contributed significantly to the processes of musical canonization.

A modest but visible presence

This article, dedicated to the composer Tish Daija (1926–2003) in the context of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his birth, serves as a reflection on his creativity and its presence in the Kosovo music scene. So, as the subtitle suggests, this article does not intend to provide a narrative description of the composer's life and works; on the contrary, the article documents the presence of his works in the Kosovo music scene, since the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, this paper was prompted by the scientific conference "Tish Daija on the 100th Anniversary of His Birth", organized by the Academy of Sciences of Albania, on January 30, 2026. At this conference, among many musicological papers, the dimension of the composer's creative opus, on the concert and performance scene in Kosovo, was also addressed, but surprisingly, none of the interpretations of his works were mentioned, especially those from the 60s-80s. This prompted me, as a musicologist, to argue that, according to factual data, Tish Daija displays a modest but visible presence in the repertoires of some music concerts in Kosovo, since 1968. To better understand the reasons for this presence, and to contextualize the lack of performance of his works, it is necessary to examine the historical and political circumstances that influenced cultural relations between Albanians in the second half of the 20th century.

Conditional circumstances among Albanians

Based on the historical and political circumstances of the post-World War II period, cultural relations between Albanians on both sides of the state border have been conditioned and mediated by different ideological and interstate contexts. In Albania, after 1944, a one-party socialist regime was established, later developed as the People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1976–1992), built on Marxist-Leninist principles and characterized by political and cultural isolation. At the same time, Kosovo functioned within the framework of the Socialist Federal Federation of Yugoslavia, as an autonomous province (1974–1989) within the Socialist Republic of Serbia, where the Yugoslav regime, although also socialist, followed a model of socialist self-government with more flexible cultural policies compared to Albania. Therefore, at certain moments, political, structural and ideological differences between the countries directly influenced the fact that inter-Albanian cooperation and cultural transfers often remained partial, interrupted or fragmented. As a result, the presence of Albanian creators from Albania in the musical life of Kosovo, and vice versa, did not develop sustainably but was mainly realized through special cases, limited visits and isolated projects. Consequently, these circumstances justify why not only the creativity of the composer Daija, but also that of other composers from Albania is not often encountered in the musical scene of Kosovo, during the years 1960–1990. However, for the '70s and '80s, the archive of Radio Television of Pristina (RTP) documents several recordings of the works of Albanian composers such as: Çesk Zadeja, Tish Daija, Nikolla Zoraqi, Tonin Harapi, Feim Ibrahimi, etc. which were performed by the RTSH orchestra (under the direction of Mustafa Krantja, Ferdinand Deda and Eno Koço).  

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Debut in 1968 with "Orchestral Suite"

Also, archival documents show that Tish Daji's presence on the Kosovo music scene became visible for the first time in 1968, when the Albanian Radio Television Symphony Orchestra in Prishtina performed several works, including the second part of Tish Daji's "Orchestral Suite", as well as the second act of his operetta "Golden Autumn" performed by violinist Ibrahim Madhi, accompanied by the orchestra of the Song and Dance Ensemble, conducted by Ferdinand Deda. This presence is documented in the archive of Radio Television of Prishtina on January 31, 1968, under the archival registration number 584/A-3735. Two years later, on September 10, 1970, the Albanian Radio Television Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with the Pristina City Symphony Orchestra, performed “Poem for Violin and Orchestra”, with soloist Ibrahim Madhi and conductor Rifat Teqja (registration number in the RTP archive: 623/A-5034). On February 3, 1972, the Albanian Radio Television Orchestra again performed in Pristina the work “Happy Days” for violin and orchestra, again with soloist Ibrahim Madhi and conductor Rifat Teqja (registration number in the RTP archive: 801/5423). The visit of the Albanian Radio Television Orchestra to Prishtina in 1980 brought to the Kosovar audience the work “Poem for flute and orchestra” by the composer Tish Daija, conducted by Eno Koço (recorded and archived at RTP on December 12, 1980, no. 1338). From the review of the archival recordings of the Radio Television of Prishtina, it does not appear that any other work by the composer Daija has been recorded; likewise, the analysis of the festival editions of the festivals “Skena Muzikore e Prishtina” and “Ditët e Muzikës Kosovare” does not prove the interpretation of any work from his creative opus.

"Halili and Hajria" and a stage life in Kosovo too

As is known, the merit of a creator is measured and proven through his works; in this sense, the historical merit of Tish Daijsë lies in the fact that he created the first Albanian ballet, “Halili and Hajria”. This ballet was first staged on January 13, 1963 with choreography by Panajot Kanaç and conducting by Mustafa Krantja, performed by a large ensemble of artists. Over the years, this ballet became one of the most performed ballets in the history of the Albanian stage, with over 250 performances at home and abroad. It is in this context that the question arises: did this work have a stage life in Kosovo during the period in question?

Archival documents and periodical sources prove that this work also had a stage life in Kosovo, becoming part of the repertoire of the Provincial People's Theatre of Kosovo as early as 1979. The premiere of the ballet "Halili and Hajria" with libretto and choreography by Panajot Kanaçi, was performed in Prishtina on October 9, 1979, with the performance of the Ballet Ensemble of the Provincial People's Theatre of Kosovo, in collaboration with members of the ensemble of the SHKAA (Academic Artistic Cultural Society) "Ramiz Sadiku" in Prishtina. This performance represents a significant moment in the history of ballet in Kosovo, not only because of the importance of the work but also for the professional level of stage and interpretative realization. The main roles were performed by well-known artists of the Kosovo stage of those years, such as: Halili - Elez Nikçi; Hajria - Nexhmije Meha; Sokoli - Abdurrahman Nokshiqi; Rrushja – Liljana Vujovic; Shpendi – Shaban Shabanaj; Selimi – Rrustem Metaj; Sulejman Pasha – Agim Pasha; Bejtush Aga – Rrustem Sellca; then Shqipe Hoxha, Hysen Podrimçaku, Musa Salajdini Kiçe, Jonuz Beqiraj, Skender Domniku, Saliha Salihu, Ahmet Brahimaj, Shaban Shabanaj as well as the dancers of the SHKAA “Ramiz Sadiku” of the University of Prishtina. The artistic director of this performance was the composer Akil Koci, while the scenography was carried out by Nuredin Loxha and Violeta Xhaferi.

According to articles in the daily newspaper “Rilindja”, the critical reception of the ballet performance was clearly positive. The review published at the time highlighted the serious commitment of the Kosovar ballet troupe and the success of integrating amateur dancers into a large-scale stage production. Conductor Mustafa Krantja emphasized that, with this performance, the Ballet Ensemble of the Provincial People’s Theatre of Kosovo demonstrated a high professional and interpretative level, contributing significantly to the development and consolidation of choreographic art. (Vehap Shita, “Rilindja”, October, 1979).  

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Based on the research conducted and the sources consulted, including: the archive of the Radio Television of Prishtina, the archive of the Ballet Troupe of the Provincial People's Theater, as well as the writings of the newspaper "Rilindja" during the 70s, these performances represent the documented picture of the presence of Tish Daij's works in Kosovo. These data prove that his creativity, although present sporadically, was integrated into certain moments of concert and stage life. The documentation and presentation of these performances constitutes an important step towards building a more complete musical history, where important names and works are placed in their historical context, thus contributing to the construction of a nationwide Albanian musical narrative.

Dr.sc. Kristina Palokaj-Perkola is a musicologist.