Campaign Story

Releasing the first CD in light of the complete recording of Albanian piano music

Twenty years ago, when Desar Sulejmani arrived in Germany to continue his piano studies at Folkwang University of Arts in Essen, he has taken with him two editions with Albanian piano music works as a remembrance of his homeland. Since then, whenever he has performing works from these already yellowish paper editions, the audience was always interested in and wondering where similar editions could be found or even if there were any professional recording of this music.

Unfortunately, even today, the Albanian Piano music is still not fully recorded and presented in the international classical music market. On the other hand, there are no significant publications of this music based on professional researches and studies, except individual publications of the contemporary composers within or outside the Albanian territories in Southeastern Europe.

It was the boundless love for his home country, his artistic responsibility and civil obligation, which drove Desar Sulejmani towards the idea of a complete recording of the Albanian piano music. They will continue inspiring him during the long process of producing and releasing the Albanian piano music in some DCs, printing books with musical scores based on academic music criteria and rules, and making so the Albanian piano music loved, understandable and accessible for all audiences. 

The first CD, “Illuminated – Erleuchtet – I ndritun”, aims to introduce and represent the background based on which the other CDs of the complete recording will be produced. It will be complemented with written scores of each work in order to bring the Albanian piano musing closer and in full not only to the Albanian pianists and audience, but also to the pianists and audiences from other countries to whom this music might be as yet unexplored.

General information on the Albanian piano music history.

The Albanian Piano music is characterized by soft, colourful musical sounds, as well as by various rhythms that are typical for the Southeastern region of Europe have roots in the Albanian folk music.

The first Albanian piano music works were written by the end of the 19th century, at the same time when the Albanian pianistic school was going through a professional development, which came as a need the religious schools of that period had for a genuine academic music repertoire.

After the 2nd World War the state established state-owned academic and artistic institutions and it was then when the Albanian piano music emerged from then only academic structures; instead it had wider influence and become an important aspect of concerts in particular and artistic life in general in Albania and outside the borders.

The recording of the Albanian music for piano intends to bring together in a single and complete musical masterpiece all works written for piano, piano and orchestra as well, by Albanian composers, regardless of where they have lived and worked of all times, from back to the end of the 19th century to present.

Besides, the project team, led by Desar Sulejmani, hopes and believes that the complete recording of the Albanian music for piano would fulfil the long absence of this music in the world piano music. 

The CD “Illuminated” will be recorded by KlangLogo, Düsseldorf at the City Theatre of Gostivar, FYR of Macedonia. Desar Sulejmani will perform on SEILER concert piano.

The Project Team

Desar Sulejmani, Solo Pianist and Conductor

Desar is graduated at the Folkwang University of Arts in Essen and the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf as a Pianist, for Chamber Music and Orchestral Conducting. He has received many national and international awards and prizes and has performed as a Pianist and Conductor in concerts in Europe and beyond.

He has worked as a conductor in several Opera Theaters such as Musiktheater im Revier, Gelsenkirchen, Aalto Theater, Essen, National Theater of Opera and Ballet, Tirana, Opera Theater, Cologne. 

Desar Sulejmani has conducted orchestras in Germany, Italy, Uzbekistan, Czech Republic, Kosovo and Albania and has also an extensive academic experience as pianist and conductor everywhere he performs.

In October 2013, the Label Farao Classics in Munich/Germnay has released the CD “Mendelssohn’s World” with complete Mendelssohn’s Sonatas for Violin and piano performed by Andreas Reiner, Violin and Desar Sulejmani, Piano.

Since in 2014 Desar is the Artistic Director of the European Summer Music Academy in Kosovo, www.european-music-academy-ks.com. 

In 2017, he was appointed the Artistic Director of the Pro Klassik Festival, www.pro-klassik.de, in Königswinter, Germany.

He is a founder of the German Rhine Philharmonic Orchestra, 2016, www.german-rhine-philharmonic.com, and holds the position of the Chief Conductor.

Nick Prokop, Audio Engineer and co-founder of the KlangLogo Record Label

www.klanglogo.de

http://www.tye-shows.com/index.php/de/about-tye-deu

Mimoza Veliu, Photographer

www.jammin.gallery

www.mimoza-photography.de

Mimoza Veliu is a photographer of Albanian descent from the Republic of Macedonia. She was born in Tetovo and after finished her studies in Law, moves to Germany in 2003, where she later studied for graphic and photography. She opens her Photography gallery and studio in Berlin in 2015.

Mimoza Veliu’s pictures were exhibited in Skopje, Tirana, Berlin, New York, and Munich. She lately released also the photo album “Muret që rrënohen”

Adelheid Feilcke, Text entries in CD – Booklet

Head of the Europe Department at Deutsche Welle

Adelheid Feilcke has been working on Radio Deutsche Welle since 1992 and since has become the founding head of the Albanian Service. She has worked as a trainer of young journalists for DW Akademie since 1995.

Mrs. Feilcke studied cultural anthropology and has been involved in media since 1981. She subsequently studied musicology, science of theater, film and television as well as anthropology in Cologne and as a DAAD student in Tirana, Albania. After her master’s degree in ethnomusicology, she earns a second degree in cultural management at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre. During her time as a student, she worked as a freelance journalist and cultural manager for WDR and for the State Music Council of Schleswig-Holstein.

Required Budget via KOSOVA ideas:

1) Recording                                                                                                                                             3 000,00 EUR

2) Finalcut audio and mastering                                                                                                        2 000,00 EUR

3) Artwork (Booklet Design/Text/Photography)                                                                         3 000,00 EUR

4) CD Production & Distribution by Naxos International (2 000 pieces)                             2 000,00 EUR

5) Music score production (layout and print out of the performed works on CD)          3 500,00 EUR

6) 10% creditcard-, banktransfer-  and KOSOVA ideas platform fees                                     1 500,00 EUR

 TOTAL                                                                                                                                                      15 000,00 EUR