The Permanent Mission of the Republic of to the UN proudly present

Çesk Zadeja Simon Gjoni Snowdrop Flower (Lule Bore) Hey you Mountains! (Hej Ju Male! ) Era Hoxha & Kreshnik Zhabjaku, Kreshnik Zhabjaku

Nermin Zhabjaku, Piano Tonin Harapi Intermission Flow Silvered Spring! (Rrjedh i Argjendtë o Krua!) Kreshnik Zhabjaku Nermin Zhabjaku, Piano Aleksandër Peçi Girl of Waves (Vajzë e Valëve) Çesk Zadeja Redi Llupa (World Premiere), Piano In that Time of Passion (N’at Zaman T’asaj Furie) Era Hoxha Aleksandër Peçi Nermin Zhabjaku, Piano Valse of Roses (Vals i Drondafilleve) Redi Llupa, (USA Premiere), piano Gjon Simoni Destined for Me (Për Mue Paska Ken Kismet), Lola Gjoka Era Hoxha The Song of the Nightingale (Kënga e bilbilit) Nermin Zhabjaku, Piano Era Hoxha Nermin Zhabjaku, Piano Feim Ibrahimi Toccata (Tokata), Akil Koci Redi Llupa, Piano The Lily of Prizren (Zambaku i Prizrenit) Kreshnik Zhabjaku Alexandër Peci Nermin Zhabjaku, Piano Barokajare (Barokajare) Redi Llupa, Piano Prenk Jakova Aleksandër Peçi The Aria of Gjeta from the Opera “Mrika” (Aria e Gjetes nga opera Mrika) Funny Dance of (Valle scherzante e Tiranës) Kreshnik Zhabjaku Redi Llupa (World Premiere), Piano Nermin Zhabjaku, Piano Arbëresh Popular Song My Beautiful Morea (Moj e bukura More) Aleksandër Peçi You, Albania! (Ti Shqipëri!) Era Hoxha Era Hoxha Nermin Zhabjaku, Piano Nermin Zhabjaku, Piano

Limoz Disdari Aleksandër Peçi Elegy for Luigj Gurakuqi (Elegji per Luigj Gurakuqin) Dance on Glass (Valle mbi Xham) Kreshnik Zhabjaku, Redi Llupa (USA Premiere), Piano Nermin Zhabjaku Piano

Redi Llupa was born in 1988 in Albania. During his early musical training he won awards at National and International competitions, including “Këngët e Tokës” (Albania 2001), “EPTA-Albania”- (2001), “International Competition for Young Musicians Città di Barletta ( 2002 & 2003 first prize), “Ohrid Pearls”, (Macedonia, 2003), “Roma 2004”, (2004), “International Music Competition”, Kosovo (2005). Llupa received his first two-year scholarship to the “United World College of the Adriatic” and “Scuola Internazionale di musica da camera del Trio di Trieste”. There, he worked under the guidance of Maestro Alberto Miodini (Trio di Parma) as well as from the world-renowned Trio di Trieste. While in Italy, he performed as a soloist and chamber musician in various concerts, such as Mozarteum in Innsbruck, Sanct Johann, Salzburg in Austria, Trieste, Ravenna, Trento, , Zagreb, Rijeka, Porec in Croatia, Sezhana, Gorizia and Ljubljana in Slovenia. He also participated in international competitions and won top prizes including the “Paolo Spinchich Cup” in piano performance in Trieste-Italy and the International Chamber Music competition “Dino Caravita” in Ravenna-Italy with the Argentinean cellist Juan Sebastian Delgado. Llupa was awarded a full scholarship by the Davis Foundation of UWC Scholars to study at The Boston Conservatory as a BM student in piano performance under the supervision of the highly renowned pianist Max Levinson. He continued collaborating with cellist Juan Sebastian Delgado under the guidance of Max Levinson, Rhonda Rider and Sharan Leventhal and together they have appeared in recital in various locations throughout the US. Their duo won the “Honors Chamber Music Competition at the Boston Conservatory” in 2008. As a result, they were chosen from the Trio di Trieste to perform in the “Auditorium Parco Della Musica” in Rome for the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the United World College of the Adriatic. In summer of 2011 Llupa won the Davis Projects for Peace and he was part of organizing a voluntary program “Finding New Harmonies” that would help, encourage and teach music to young children of the favelas in Natal, Brazil. Llupa was also awarded a scholarship as an Assistant Instructor to continue his Masters Degree at Jacob's School of Music of Indiana University under the legendary pianist and pedagogue Menahem Pressler of the Beaux Arts Trio. Other performances include the Zankel Music Center in Skidmore College (NY), concert artistic venues in Gallery Inn in San Juan, Puerto Rico; with the “Albanian National Opera Orchestra TOB” in T irana where he gave the Albanian premiere of the Bela Bartok Piano Concerto No.3, the New Music Festival of Contemporary Music at The Boston Conservatory, and In Japan where he had a tour in Kumamoto, Fukuoka and Nagasaki as a member of the Boston Tango Trio with cellist Juan Sebastian Delgado and the bassoonist Juan Pablo Jofre. . Llupa is an active performer of vast repertoire and a dedicated performer to promote the New Contemporary Albanian Music in the United States of America. Lately has played music by Ermir Bejo and Jose Julio Dias Infante at Louisville University. In January of 2014, Llupa was part of New Music Piano Festival “PIANODROM Albania” in Tirana where he premiered music by Aleksandër Peçi. Llupa has participated in various master classes with distinguished artists including: T ill Engel, Gerard Fremy, Francesco Monopoli, Michelle Campanella, Lucius Leclere, Jeffery Cohen, Asaf Zohar, Angela Cheng, Alan Chow, Michael Lewin, Jonathan Bass, Jorge Federico Osorio, Cyprien Katsaris, Matti Raekallio, Richard Goode, Heng-Jing Park, Ya-Fei Chuang and Andre La Plante. Llupa is currently working his PHD in Piano Performance at Frost School of Music of University of Miami under the world renowned pianist Santiago Rodriguez.

Nermin Daja Zhabjaku was one of the most important coach-concertmasters for 36 years at The Albanian National Opera House. She has appeared in numerous concerts on the Albanian National Television with Soloists from this Opera House, instrumentalists, as well as singers. For over twenty-five years she was also a coach at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana, Albania, preparing generations of singers who now perform internationally. For her many achievements as a musician, Ms. Daja-Zhabjaku was awarded the “Naim Frashëri” Award for Musical Excellence by the Parliament of the Republic of Albania in 1985. This was the highest civilian honor the Albanian Government could bestow at that time. In USA she became a coach at Mannes College of Music, NYC continuing her career for another 12 years. Throughout her career she has received countless honors including diplomas and prizes from the Artistic Council of the Albanian National Opera. An ever-active performer, she has appeared extensively in Austria, Italy and throughout United States.

Era Hoxha was born on December 7th, 1981 in Skopje, Macedonia. She graduated from the Canto - The Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana Albania and she currently leaves in Prishtina, Kosovo. During her early career she made multiple appearances on National Television, in 1993 with the song “ I love my Mother” she won first place in the competition the “Bilbilat këndojnë”. In 1993 with her song “Pritja” she debuted in the competition of the National Television of Albania in Tirana. Also, some of her appearances include the concert from channel 69 “Albanian Culture” in New York. She has also appeared in many solo concerts as such as in 2004- Struga, Macedonia, Solo Concert “Era këndon”; in 2006 - Classical Concert “Tingulli Parajsor” Skopje, Macedonia, Concert in Honor of the 70th Birthday of Albanian Writer Ismail Kadaré in New York, in 2007 in ,Concert “Tingulli parajsor” with Elife Podvoricën in Prishtina, Kosovo, in 2008, Classical Concert with Elife Podvorica in Peja, Ferizaj and Prishtina; in 2009, Solo Concert ”Studio Theater” Lehman College, Bronx, New York; in 2009, Concert with Baritone Kreshnik Zhabjaku in “Lowinger Theatre” New York, in 2009 in the concert “Zëra hyjnorë”; in 2012- Appeared in the Premiere of the “Three Arias of Donika”, a specific project on the occasion of the Centennial of the Independence of The Republic of Albania. Ms Hoxha has interpreted Donika in 2012 in Tirana, at the Theater of the Academy of Arts as well as in 2013, consecutively Zurich, in Detroit and in New York.

Kreshnik Zhabjaku has been hailed by the Washington Post: “…a recitalist in his prime” and from Houston Chronicle: “… he asserts a smooth, forceful voice and presence in the title role...” Mr. Zhabjaku began his singing career at the age of four. At the age of twelve he won First Prize in the "Young Voices" competition in his native Albania. He was awarded the BM degree in Vocal Performance from Tirana's Academy of Fine Arts and his MM degree in Vocal Performance from the Mannes College of Music in NYC. Among his many distinctions and honors, Mr. Zhabjaku performed in concerts by special invitation at the Music University of Vienna and at the Annecy and Marseille Festival in France. He won the "Best Singer"First Prize in Albania's Art Song Performance competition in 1996 and in 2001 he was winner of the prestigious Arleen Auger Memorial Fund Scholarship, NYC. He was a finalist in the Nico Castel International Master Singer Competition at Weill Recital Hall in NYC, 2011. Zhabjaku has performed in France, Italy and Austria. He has given recitals in cities such as Salzburg, New Jersey, Chicago, Minnesota, Oregon, Connecticut, Washington D.C., and NYC, and has given a "command performance" at the German Consulate in New York of Beethoven's six- song cycle “An die ferne Geliebte”. He also performed in an all-Schumann program at New York's Weill Recital Hall. Mr. Zhabjaku has appeared as guest soloist with both the Symphony Orchestra of the National Opera and with the Radio-Television Symphonic Orchestra of Albania, at historic Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank with Civic Chorus, Duluth Superior-Symphonic Orchestra. At the National Opera of Albania he has sung the roles of Massetto in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Gaudenzio in Signor Bruschino and Figaro in Il Barbiere de Seviglia, both by Rossini. He also performed as Aeneasin Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with One world Symphony in NYC. He sang Belcore in Donizetti's L'Elisir D'amore, Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata and Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro with Rogue Opera, Oregon. In Houston's Opera in the Heights, he performed the roles of Don Giovanni, in Don Giovanni and Bel Core in L’Elesir D’amore. With L'Opéra Français de New York the Grand Priest in Rameau's Castor et Pollux. He covered and performed in Bel Canto at Caramoor, NY. He also sung the role of Mordecai in the new opera production of Queen Esther in the JCC in NYC, Nerio with Armida Project in Northampton, MA and NYC. In addition, he also performed Schounard in Boheme with Opera Mississippi and Count Zetain Merry Widow in Florida, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Naples etc. He has participated in many master classes of distinguished artists, such as Licia Albanese and Regina Resnik, NYC.

This program was made possible also with the priceless efforts of PROF. ALEXANDËR PEÇI, GRAND MASTER; the managerial skills of XHEVAT LIMANI, PRODUCER and the generous contribution from BML REALTY, NY; GENC REALTY LLC, NY; AMERICAN SCHOOL OF KOSOVA; MAX WINE AND SPIRITS, DANBURY, CT; HALEDON TRAVEL-PATERSON, NJ; MEZZA LUNA RESTAURANT, NJ; ARTE RESTAURANTE, NY

Please turn off all cell phones and other electronic devices that will disturb the performance.