The RLIOF festival’s second edition was a veritable feast of operatic delights, featuring an array of concert evenings, as well as the highly-anticipated closing Gala “Rame Lahaj & Friends.” This spectacular event was organized for the third year in a row in Skenderbeu Square in Prishtina, in collaboration with the Kosovo Philharmonic and esteemed artists from the international opera scene.

The second edition of RLIOF was an effervescent celebration of the art form, featuring concert evenings such as “Ensemble Evening,” “Opera Night,” “Nexhmije Pagarusha,” “New Generation,” and the “Gala Rame Lahaj & Friends,” each with a diverse and richly curated program. The festival also included two Masterclasses, one for vocal performance and one for instrumental performance, providing young and aspiring artists with the opportunity to hone their skills and gain valuable insights from industry professionals. The “Ensemble Evening” concert was a captivating showcase of traditional music repertoire. The “Opera Night” was designed to expand the recognition and presentation of the operatic repertoire through the interpretations of renowned voices, artists, and colleagues who have joined the festival since its inaugural edition.

Tenor Rame Lahaj holds a special place in his heart for Albanian music, and thus an evening concert was dedicated entirely to this rich and profound artistic tradition, named in honor of the great Nexhmije Pagarusha, who is highly respected in Kosovar art and music. This evening featured arias, romances, and elaborate songs, with a special focus on new Albanian music creators. The “New Generation” evening was a true celebration of young, talented artists, who were selected to participate in the RLIOF Masterclass with a vocal coach. These participants were from Kosovo, Albania, the region, the world, and the evening was dedicated to breaking down and building in detail the repertoire suitable for young, professional-level artists.

Lastly, the traditional Gala evening “Rame Lahaj & Friends” was the pinnacle of the festival, the culmination of everything that Tenor Rame Lahaj intended to achieve and convey through this festival. The artists and friends who joined this edition’s final concert were Pretty Yende, Franco Vassallo, Jean Bernard Thomas, Anna Bondarenko, Erza Muqolli, and the Okarina choir, accompanied by the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra.