The antique city of Durres welcomes edition XIV of International Music Festival of the Chamber Music. These concerts will be performed in the Archaeological Museum in Durres, on 04 - 20 July 2019.

Durres (alb. Durrës), the second largest city of Albania (113.250 inhabitants, 2018 estimate), is the most ancient city and one of the most economically important as the biggest port city.

The Association “Italian-Albanian Arts and Culture” was founded on 2004 in Durres by the initiative of several native artists, who have studied and spent a considerable amount of their artistic activity in Italy. The main goal of this association has been and continues to be the cooperation of Albanian artists with foreign artists, exchanges of experiences and cultures of different countries.During all these years, this association has organized many concerts performed in Durres, Tirana, Italy, and has transmitted a high level of artistic interpretation.

A special attention was paid to the successful organization of the International Festival for Chamber Music, an activity successfully performed in the city of Durres since the year 2006.

The purpose of this Festival is  to ensure, on one hand the acknowledgement of the different artistic cultures from different countries such as Italy, Austria, France, Greece, Switzerland, Kosovo etc. through their participation in these events and, on the other hand  to encounter the Albanian culture with other foreign cultures through common performances . Another objective is to bring together all Albanian artists who work inside and outside the country.

Year after year this activity has created its physiognomy, and now has become welcomed by the art-loving public of Durres but it has also been known and appreciated by the artistic communities of the capital and elsewhere in Albania.

Nevila Kalaja

Nevila Kalaja was born in Durres (Albania). She started to study violin at the age of six. After having studied at the Lyceum of Durres, under the guidance of prof. V. Papa, she went on studying violin at the Academy of Arts in Tirana with prof. R.Peku.

In 2004 she graduated with maximum grades at the Conservatory of Valle d`Aosta (Italy) and participated at various specialized courses with M.Quarta, T.Major, E.Groppo.

Since 2003 until 2009 she became part of the Symphonic Orchestra of Aosta-Italy. She has performed several times as soloist with the Orchestra “Aleksander Moisiu” – Durres, “Orchestra of Arts Academy” – Tirana and with the ensemble “Seasons”, founded by her in 2002 with members of Art’s Academy of Tirana. Since 2006 she is the artistic director of the International Festival of Chamber Music in Albania.

In 2012 she is awarded with the title "Membro Honoris ad Vitam" from Centro Culturale Artistico Letterario-Città di Brindisi, for the contribution she has given on the cultural developments between the two countries.

From the year 2011 - 2014 she is Director of the High School of Arts "Jan Kukuzeli" Durres and Advisor for Education and Culture at the Municipality of Durres.

She also contributes as a lecturer at the high school of music "J.Kuzuzeli" Durres (1993-2018) and since January 2019 at the University of Tirana, in the violin department.

Special Thanks

We want to thank the persons that have contributed in the association of different editions of the International Festival of Chamber Music in Durres:

• Sabino Porro (Website: www.unionegiornalistipugliesi.it)
• Bujar Sykja
• Saimir Kalaja
• Merita Rexha Tërshana
• Eriola Gripshi
• Gezim Kabashi
• Tristan Sherifi
• Keidi Sejdini

Chamber Fest Durres 2006 - 2019