Last night in Pristina almost 15 minutes of applause greeted the premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, conducted by the Bulgarian director Nayden Todorov and supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Embassy to Kosovo as part of the 2022 cultural programme.
Over a thousand spectators flocked to the Spots Hall “1 Tetori”(1 October) to witness the exploits of Violetta (Kosovar soprano Besa Llugiqi), Alfredo (Italian tenor Emanuele D’Aguanno) and Germont (Albanian baritone Gëzim Myshteka), in a co-production of the State Opera of Stara Zagorës (Bulgaria), the Opera and Ballet Theatre of Tirana (Albania) and the Kosovo Philharmonic. Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, Minister of Culture Hajrulla Çeku and Minister of Infrastructure Liburn Aliu also attended.
“While never ceased tensions are re-emerging in northern Kosovo, causing a source of further concern in the rest of Europe, already shaken by the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, we decided to support this initiative to reaffirm how culture represents a powerful tool for knowledge and peace,” the Italian Ambassador in Pristina, Antonello De Riu, said. “Special thanks go to the Kosovo Institutions that, with La Traviata, have decided to establish the Kosovo Opera, fulfilling a long-standing request of the artistic community, which is now waiting for a dedicated (proper) Opera house”, De Riu added.
The second and final performance of La Traviata is scheduled for (tomorrow,) Saturday 17 December.
