Intl. Marije Kraja operatic festival to hold 12th edition

TIRANA, Oct. 19 – Eighteen international opera singers have been short-listed for this year’s edition of the Marije Kraja operatic festival scheduled for Oct. 28 to 29 at the Academy of Arts. Although no details have been unveiled yet on the participants, previous editions have featured young opera singers from Albania and the region, Europe, Asia and America.
“We are very confident of the high level of competition, which even in this edition, apart from awards, will end up with contracts among opera directors and agencies and participating artists,” said Zana Cela, the festival’s producer and host.
Last year, Italy’s Alessio Arduini was awarded the prestigious prize of Albania’s only festival of this kind by an international jury for his impressive performance of a Mozart aria.
Established in 1999 soon after Marie Kraja passed away at the age of 88, the festival was initially held as a national competition, before becoming Albania’s only internationally renowned operatic festival in the next few editions.
The careers of several young performers including Albanian tenor Josif Gjipali, soprano Evis Mula, Belgium’s Micheal Fisch and Turkey’s Perihan Diana Nayir kicked off at the Marie Kraja festival.
In 2009, young Albanian soprano Evis Mula managed to sign a two-year contract with La Scala, Milan’s world famous Opera House after winning the Marie Kraja festival.
The festival’s jury is composed of some of the most prestigious directors of European and American opera houses.