Our Mission RLIOF | Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival

Echoes of Opera in Kosovo

OUR MISSION

Our Mission

In the Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival we strive to bring the beauty and power of opera to the people of Kosovo. Founded in the summer of 2021, amidst the challenges of the pandemic, our festival is dedicated to promoting several sustainable development goals, cultural exchange and diversity. As the most recent independent state in Southeast Europe, Kosovo is still in the process of integrating into the European community. The Kosovar people are eager to gain knowledge and to be involved in the transmission of European culture.

Our goal is to acquaint the Kosovar audience with classical music, a genre that has often been overshadowed by popular styles like pop, dance, and rock music in the post-war era. This festival offers a unique opportunity for the public to immerse themselves in an experience that hasn’t been readily accessible to them until now.

This initiative is not only important for the cultural enrichment of the community, but also for the empowerment and education of the population. Understanding and appreciating classical music can enhance one’s understanding of International language and history, and can also serve as a form of cultural preservation.

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

The RLIOF Festival is a platform for promoting healthy lives and well-being for all ages. The festival’s program is designed to reach a diverse, multi-aged audience with live opera performances and to provide ad-hoc and continuous learning opportunities through masterclasses for students.

The team behind the festival is dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to the benefits of opera, including its potential for promoting physical and mental well-being. Research has shown that listening to music, especially classical music, can have positive effects on mental health, including reducing stress and anxiety, and promoting relaxation and sleep. Additionally, live performances have been found to have a therapeutic effect on individuals, and can be beneficial for people of all ages, including the elderly. incl war generation

The festival organizers also keep in mind the importance of accessibility and inclusivity in ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all. The festival is committed to making its program accessible to people with disabilities, and to ensuring that the performances are inclusive and welcoming to people of all backgrounds and ages.

Additionally, the festival’s unique choice of hosting an open-air opera festival in the heart of the capital, Pristina, was made as Kosovo currently does not have an opera house and it allows more people to attend and enjoy the performances. This also aligns with the goal of promoting environmental sustainability, by encouraging people to spend time outdoors.

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

The RLIOF Festival is committed to providing inclusive and equitable quality education for all. We believe that education is a fundamental human right and is essential for the development of individuals and communities.

One of the ways we strive to achieve this goal is by providing masterclasses for students who may not have access to this type of education in Kosovo. The masterclasses we offer are led by renowned opera professionals, who share their knowledge and experience with the students. These classes provide students with the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the field and to improve their skills in a hands-on environment. We understand that access to quality education can be limited in Kosovo, and we are committed to providing opportunities for lifelong learning to all, regardless of their background or circumstances.

The masterclasses we offer are open to all students who are interested in opera, and we strive to make them accessible to as many people as possible. By providing these masterclasses, we aim to promote the development of the next generation of opera professionals, and to contribute to the cultural enrichment of Kosovo (and the Balkan region). We believe that education is a powerful tool for personal and societal development, and we are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to the opportunities they need to succeed. We are proud to be able to offer these masterclasses and we invite you to join us in our mission to promote inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

The RLIOF Festival is unwaveringly committed to gender equality, viewing it as a fundamental core value. Acknowledging the historical male dominance in the opera industry and the persistently low representation of women, we are actively working to rectify this imbalance. Our commitment extends to fostering an inclusive environment for both performers and participants in educational programs, with a specific dedication to ensuring equal representation not only on stage but also within our staff.

We understand the importance of having women in key roles, and we are committed to actively recruiting and supporting women in various capacities within our organization. This approach aligns seamlessly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5, emphasizing the need to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

The RLIOF Festival recognizes that true gender equality requires a comprehensive approach, including diverse representation among our staff. We take pride in being part of the broader movement toward a more inclusive and equitable future for opera. We invite everyone to join us in this collective effort to promote gender equality and empower women within the opera world. Together, let us create a future where the talents and contributions of individuals of all genders are valued and celebrated.

See What our supporters Are saying

“I am very happy that this year, with the unanimous support of the municipality of Prishtina, we are sponsoring the first Opera Festival in the country and region, the Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival. I don’t have much to say about our artist, Rame Lahaj, because he has been recognized worldwide, and I have personally attended his performances in Berlin and London. But what is most important to me, Prishtina, and Kosovo, and why we will always support it, is the investment in the educational platform designed for young lyrical talents and their careers, as well as possibilities of their entry into the international arena. This year’s RLIOF will feature 5 concert evenings in which, in addition to opera stars from around the world, authentic Albanian music will play an important role in the festival’s repertoire. Dear Rame Lahaj, Prishtina and your hometown welcome you and your international colleagues.”

Perparim Rama, Prishtina’s Mayor, Patron of RLIOF Festival

“There is extraordinary will within the community, and it must be realized. The Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival is one way to keep an art alive and to ensure that we can create conditions, capacities, and continuity. Which is not just an event, so we cannot reduce it to just one event, because the event is also extraordinary, very beautiful, and we all enjoy it, with renowned names who come to perform on Prishtina’s stage. But above all, what Rame does is international visibility, it is an incentive for institutions, it is also a school for young cadres. To put it another way, a multidisciplinary approach to ensuring that on the day when we have the opera and ballet theater, we have all the required capacities to always fill those opera theater halls with great programs and audiences.”

Hajrullah Ceku, Minister of Culture in Kosovo

“For the festival, I wish that it grows into one of the world’s leading opera festivals, one that becomes truly strong and capable of bringing artists, orchestras, conductors, everyone from around the globe. I hope it will stand as one of the most important festivals in Kosovo, strengthening not only the country’s cultural presence and international significance, but also offering deep satisfaction and recognition to everyone who has dedicated years of hard work to building this festival.”

Anita Rachvelishvili, Georgian Mezzosoprano, Prishtina 2025

“This festival is doing truly meaningful and valuable work. It represents support, a beginning, and the foundation for future growth. In the absence of a national opera house, the existence of such a festival is essential, not only for supporting artists, but also for educating and cultivating the audience.”

Nino Machaidze, Georgian Soprano, Prishtina 2025

“I hope this festival represents only the beginning of a strong and lasting relationship between Kosovo and music, art, and especially opera. I sincerely wish that in the coming years Kosovo will have its own opera house, a space where operas and performances can be staged for the country, and where audiences can experience opera directly in the theater.

Dear friends from all around the world, I warmly invite you to visit Kosovo during the period of the Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival. This is a young festival that brings fresh ideas and new energy, placing children and young people at its heart, inspiring the next generation to learn about music, art, and theater. I am truly happy and honored to be part of this journey.”

Ramón Vargas, Mexican Operatic Tenor, Prishtina 2025

“I could feel something special with his [Rame’s] personality and I found so many familiar aspects of myself in him. That’s why I immediately accepted his invitation to come here and give this masterclass. When I arrived here I was amazed first. It is the first time I’m here and I am absolutely impressed by this country. I am thrilled to experience your country and your beautiful city in this time of creation and growth. Up to now I’ve seen very good voices, excellent voices. Some of them really top voices. I am sure that they’re going to become giants in the concert and achieve very good results. ”

Francisco Araiza, Mexican Operatic Tenor. Prishtina 2023

“It is very important for this young country to have an opera house as well. Working with the orchestra in Prishtina, I have met talented young musicians who are eager, motivated, and genuinely happy to make music. I truly enjoy making music with them.

I met Rame ten years ago, and I am deeply proud of what he is doing this festival in Kosovo. His love for his country and his dedication to giving the very best to Kosovo are clearly reflected in everything he does.”

Pier Giorgio Morandi, Italian Conductor, Prishtina 2023

“And here, before you, stands the future of this country, the cultural future of this nation.
What I sincerely hope and wish with all my heart is that this festival will continue for many years to come, and that it will soon find an important home where it can carry on its journey and further grow.”

Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, Italian Conductor, Prishtina 2025

“Being here at this festival and working with musicians from Kosovo is truly a pleasure. I am very happy to be here and to share music with them.”

Sascha Goetzel, Austrian Conductor, Prishtina 2024

“I am in Kosovo for the first time, and it is a country full of energy, with very positive people. When it comes to music, there is a strong hunger for it. I have attended concerts where the venues were filled beyond capacity and the audience responded with great enthusiasm. Everything feels so fragile, so genuine, and so pure.

I believe that Kosovo, like every country in the world, needs an opera house, a true theater where music can be performed and developed, for the orchestra, singers, choirs, and all other artistic forces.”

Valerio Galli, Italian Conductor, Prishtina 2022

“Rame Lahaj’s International Opera Festival (RLIOF) is a great cultural event. With his magnificent voice, his outstanding international prestige and last but not least with his big heart, Rame Lahaj has put Pristina on the international opera map. At the same time the RLIOF opened up the world of opera to a wider public in Rame’s native Kosovo. In addition to excellent opera performances of internationally renowned singers, the Festival offers young talented artists not only the opportunity to improve their skills in masterclasses, but also to present their skills to a larger audience. The Embassy of Switzerland is pleased to support the RLIOF again this year. ”

Thomas Kolly, Ambassador of Switzerland to the Republic of Kosovo

“It is an important mission since it allows young talents to exchange experiences with students from other nations, as is the case with Italy. Traveling and meeting other experts from various nations is a fundamental enrichment, which is why we support Rame Lahaj’s project, because this is how tomorrow’s talents are developed. Of course, it remains critical that Kosovo’s future talents, due to the Rame Lahaj Foundation’s efforts, have an appropriate venue in which to express themselves here in Kosovo as well.”

Antonello De Riu, Italian Ambassador to Kosovo