TIRANA, June 30 – Albanian and foreign musicians will tour some of the country’s cultural heritage sites to perform at the “Vox Baroque” festival featuring 17th and 18th century music by some of the greatest composers of this genre.
The festival’s third edition will open on July 3 at the old bazaar of the southeastern city of Korà§a with a performance by Switzerland-based I Pizzicanti.
I Pizzicanti, with all its members being graduates of the Swiss Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, is currently engaged in perpetuating the movement of rediscovery of the 17th, 18th and 19th century repertoire by using the techniques of the historically informed performance practice.
The newly established Albanian Baroque Ensemble, featuring harpsichordist Jusuf Beshiri, cellist Perikli Pite and violinist Klodiana Babo will perform at the landmark Dajti Hotel in Tiran and the oil terminal in the southern coastal city of Vlora.
Italy’s Laboratorio Armonico ensemble will perform at the newly restored St Thomas Church at the Karavasta Lagoon and at the Onufri national museum of medieval art.
Italy-based Japanese soprano Miho Kamiya will be this edition’s special guest.
“This festival is totally dedicated to the baroque genre. What forms our ideal to hold this annual festival is the spread of this music performed with original instruments in full compliance with the style, rules and performance of that time, and looking at music from another historical and critical viewpoint by always seeking new approaches,” says Jusuf Beshiri, the festival’s founder.
“The baroque repertoire still offers a lot of space for discovery and reflection which will be manifested by performers through the examples of baroque language and gesture. The performance through an entirety of the expressive gestures employed by singers to underline the emotions in the song lyrics will bring us closer to the atmosphere of opera stages,” he adds.
Festival’s Program
I Pizzicanti – July 3, 20:00 – Old Bazaar, Korca.
I Pizzicanti, July 4, 20:00 – Dajti Hotel, Tirana
Albanian Baroque Ensemble, July 6, 20:30 – National Art Gallery, Tirana
Albanian Baroque Ensemble, July 7, 20:00 – Dajti Hotel, Tirana
Albanian Baroque Ensemble, July 9, 20:00 – La Petrolifera Italo-Albanese, Vlora
Laboratorio Armonico, July 10, 11:00 – St. Thomas Church, Karavasta.
Laboratorio Armonico, July 11, 19: 30 – Onufri National Museum, Berat
