RAME LAHAJ
INTERNATIONAL
OPERA FESTIVAL
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RAME LAHAJ
INTERNATIONAL
OPERA FESTIVAL
Fiona Llapashtica, a talented young artist from Vienna, brought her vibrant energy to the Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival (RLIOF) during its fourth edition. She participated in the masterclass, where she showcased her artistic potential, describing it as one of the best experiences in her journey. Fiona’s participation highlighted the festival’s commitment to inclusivity, welcoming artists from all communities and backgrounds. For RLIOF, breaking down barriers and fostering a diverse, welcoming environment for aspiring artists is a key part of its mission to inspire the next generation.
What can artistic practices propose to change this grim perspective? The imaginary created by landscape paintings as a genre may encourage us to relate with the more-than-human lives surrounding us differently, not to take their existence for granted in the first place. From antiquity on, landscape painting has been a powerful tool for humans to observe, connect to, claim, and imagine the land. The different approaches to the Kosovar landscape presented as part of ‘Live Long Like a Mountain’ reveal to us sometimes dire, sometimes colorful visions triggered by the lands in sight. Many mountains of Kosovo continue to captivate artists of different generations. Yet most importantly, these artistic visions highlight what needs to be cultivated for the future, a culture that appreciates the companionship of the world with all of its earthly delights. Therefore, our special exhibition for the RLIOF Festival, themed “Opera for Freedom” – advocating for environmental justice alongside the resolution of many human-generated conflicts – comes with a well-known prosperity wish in Albanian, Live Long Like a Mountain!
It should be noted that this is the first time the private collection of an enthusiastic
collector is being exhibited without being mixed with other collections. The story we are attempting to tell here is that of several Kosovar artists, along with some of their works, including some masterpieces, first filtered through the taste and keen eye for art of Rasim Mrlaku (the collector) and then re-filtered and re-contextualized to find a new narrative.
Deeply believing that free interpretation is everything, through the curation and
arrangement of the exhibition, we tried to find stories beyond the reflective visual tales that we see with our eyes. If we want to see the emotions, we will see them. If we want to hear the wedding song of Adem Kastrati, we will hear it too. One of the key words that we should keep in mind to fully experience the exhibition is “beyond”; because this is a fantastic “trip”; within the dream and imagination of our great artists, beyond color and canvas.
This exhibition also has an additional dimension, time, as it records a time that no
longer exists, particularly captured by each chosen painter here; then it is the time when they were selected to be part of the Mrlaku collection and finally the selection of some representative works to be part of the exhibition; all of this is a flow of causality spiced with intuition.
Naturally, we become curious about the circumstances under which these specific
paintings were chosen and ended up being part of a collection that will continue its life as a narrator of the times that pass by. Collections, indeed, are very interesting entities because they exist both as a whole and as a single body that carries with it a triple history: that of the artists, the artworks, and ultimately that of the collector.
The event “Edukimi i publikut të së ardhmes”, which took place at Hyperactive as part of the Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival, was a unique blend of music and interactive education. A small orchestra performed well-known classical pieces, providing children with the opportunity to engage directly with the music. The young audience not only listened but also interacted with musicians, learning about various instruments and musical concepts in a fun and engaging way. Organized by Fondacioni Rame Lahaj, this initiative played an important role in the foundation’s goal of fostering audience development and creating an educational platform in Kosovo. By combining the arts with education, the event aimed to inspire curiosity and creativity in children, ensuring a future generation with a deep appreciation for culture and music. The event was a meaningful step towards building a cultural education framework in the country, aligning with the broader mission of the foundation to enrich Kosovo’s artistic landscape.
What can artistic practices propose to change this grim perspective? The imaginary created by landscape paintings as a genre may encourage us to relate with the more-than-human lives surrounding us differently, not to take their existence for granted in the first place. From antiquity on, landscape painting has been a powerful tool for humans to observe, connect to, claim, and imagine the land. The different approaches to the Kosovar landscape presented as part of ‘Live Long Like a Mountain’ reveal to us sometimes dire, sometimes colorful visions triggered by the lands in sight. Many mountains of Kosovo continue to captivate artists of different generations. Yet most importantly, these artistic visions highlight what needs to be cultivated for the future, a culture that appreciates the companionship of the world with all of its earthly delights. Therefore, our special exhibition for the RLIOF Festival, themed “Opera for Freedom” – advocating for environmental justice alongside the resolution of many human-generated conflicts – comes with a well-known prosperity wish in Albanian, Live Long Like a Mountain!
What we cultivate today defines the future. Our culture abhors the world, writes Michel Serres addressing Western civilization in his classic ‘Natural Contract’ (1991). Indeed for centuries, nature has been treated as a limitless resource to be extracted for profit or as property to be invaded and traded again for profit. The outcomes shape our life with water resources drying out, lands contaminated, plants and species going extinct. Plants and animals almost have no breathing in the Kosovar urban spaces. In the wild, beautiful landscapes are mostly contaminated with plastic and remains. Alongside, there are a number of plants endemic to Kosovo, such as the native star flower (solenanthus krasniqii) or mountain tea (sideritis scardica), going extinct because of human misuse and fires before enough data is collected on them for world databases.
What can artistic practices propose to change this grim perspective? The imaginary created by landscape paintings as a genre may encourage us to relate with the more-than-human lives surrounding us differently, not to take their existence for granted in the first place. From antiquity on, landscape painting has been a powerful tool for humans to observe, connect to, claim, and imagine the land. The different approaches to the Kosovar landscape presented as part of ‘Live Long Like a Mountain’ reveal to us sometimes dire, sometimes colorful visions triggered by the lands in sight. Many mountains of Kosovo continue to captivate artists of different generations. Yet most importantly, these artistic visions highlight what needs to be cultivated for the future, a culture that appreciates the companionship of the world with all of its earthly delights. Therefore, our special exhibition for the RLIOF Festival, themed “Opera for Freedom” – advocating for environmental justice alongside the resolution of many human-generated conflicts – comes with a well-known prosperity wish in Albanian, Live Long Like a Mountain!
Unforgettable evening at the 3rd edition of RLIOF!
The ‘Ensemble Evening’ transcended music, presenting touching narratives, a powerful message, and heartfelt reflections.
The stage was graced by the enchanting voice of countertenor Cameron Shahbazi, whose melodious and unique timbre, accompanied by the talented pianist Sophia Munoz and cellist Eno Nushi, performed a premiere repertoire that deeply touched the audience’s hearts.
Throughout the night, the importance of protecting women’s rights was emphasized, a cause supported by the entire opera music community. RLIOF also joined this cause, aligning with the theme of this edition ‘Opera for Freedom,’ promoting the idea of using operatic art as a medium to defend women’s freedom and rights.
The evening culminated in a stunning performance by Cameron Shahbazi and tenor Rame Lahaj, singing the Albanian song ‘Hapi syte e zeza,’ accompanied by the thunderous applause of the audience.
The second night of RLIOF was an unforgettable experience, weaving together music, poetry, and deep reflection with a profound impact.
Let’s rise in support of the resilient people in Iran and use our voices for this essential humanitarian cause.
The 2023 Competition featured Die Zauberflöte by W.A. Mozart and Luisa Miller by G. Verdi. Die Zauberflöte will be represented in the traditional version within the Opera season 2023–2024 of OperaLombardia and in a short version, in italian language, for Opera domani project XXVII edition.
Comment: We are overjoyed to announce that Xhieldo Hyseni is the winner of the 74th AsLiCo Competition for Young Opera Singer 2023! Xhieldo was chosen to perform the role of Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte opera in the main Opera Houses in Lombardy, and we couldn’t be more proud.
The AsLiCo Competition is a highly regarded competition that has launched the careers of many talented opera singers. We were excited to have Xhieldo, Rovena Xhelili, and Bledar Domi, three of our talented young artists, participate in this year’s competition. Their involvement was made possible by the Rame Lahaj Foundation, which has been actively supporting emerging exceptional talents of the RLIOF festival.
The Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival was transformed by the powerful and colorful messages of contemporary and classical art at the hands of Professor Hajrush Fazliu. Pouring his soul onto the canvas, Fazliu breathed new life into the festival, becoming one with the voices of RLIOF artists over four unforgettable evenings. Born in Gjilan in 1949, Fazliu has exhibited his work extensively throughout the region and is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Pristina. His contribution to RLIOF 2022 was a testament to his lifelong dedication to the arts.
RLIOF is on an exciting growth trajectory, and we are thrilled to share our latest milestones. We are delighted to announce our membership in the Fedora platform and Opera Europa, two prestigious organizations in the field. Join us on our journey as we continue to expand and make meaningful contributions to our industry.
Every contribution counts in helping us sustain this exceptional initiative and achieve the mission of making a positive impact on the Kosovar opera scene, promoting local artists and students.
GENERAL:
info@rliof.com
MEDIA & PRESS:
media@rliof.com
ARTISTS & MASTERCLASS:
direction@rliof.com
FINANCES & ADMINISTRATION:
finance@rliof.com
LOGISTICS:
logistics@rliof.com
Every contribution counts in helping us sustain this exceptional initiative and achieve the mission of making a positive impact on the Kosovar opera scene, promoting local artists and students.
GENERAL:
info@rliof.com
MEDIA & PRESS:
media@rliof.com
ARTISTS & MASTERCLASS:
direction@rliof.com
FINANCES & ADMINISTRATION:
finance@rliof.com
LOGISTICS:
logistics@rliof.com
FUNDRAISING:
fundraising@rliof.com
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Every contribution counts and helps the Foundation’s mission to make a positive impact on the Kosovar opera scene, the promotion of local artists and students.
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Rame Lahaj Foundation
Address: Agim Ramadani, Prishtine
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IBAN: XK05 1501200000277924
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Let’s INVEST IN THE FUTURE!
