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Akil Mark Koci is a Kosovar Albanian composer and music writer.
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Akil Mark Koci is a Kosovar Albanian composer and music writer.
Koci was born in 1936 in Prizren, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (in today's Kosovo). There he graduated from the Josip Slavenski music school. He went on to study at the Sarajevo Music Academy, graduating in 1962 and specialising in music theory. He furthered his studies at one of the oldest conservatories in Germany, the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart, specialising in composition under the noted professor and composer, Milko Kelemen.
Koci also studied under Toma Prošev at the Music Academy in Skopje and was awarded his master of arts by Zija Kučukalić in Sarajevo.
As a German government DAAD scholarship holder he continued his specialisation at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin in his main field of interest, instrumental music.
Just after his studies, Koci worked at an electronic studio running three programmes for Radio Belgrade, with composer Vladan Radovanović.
Koci's musical idiom is markedly contemporary based on the achievement of European modern music. His works often are aleatoric, dodecaphonic and usually non-thematic. As one of the most distinguished representatives of Albanian contemporary music, his works have been performed in almost all European and many non-European countries as well as in music festivals at home and abroad.
Akil Mark Koci is one of the founders several festivals of contemporary instrumental music, such as Music Scene, Pristina; Days of Kosovar Music, Đakovica; and the Kosova Music Accords, Pristina. He is also a regular participant in numerous festivals of contemporary music, notably the Music Biennale Zagreb, UNESCO Festivals of Contemporary Music, Paris, and Tribunes of Music in Opatija, Dubrovnik, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Tirana, Warsaw and others.
Koci was a professor of musicology at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Pristina. He is the recipient of several national and international awards. At different times, he occupied the posts of Secretary, Vice-President and President of the Kosovar Composers' Society as well as the President and Vice-President of the Music Society of Yugoslavia.
He is actively engaged in the domain of composition and musicology. In the scope of the latter, he has written over 250 critiques, essays and musical analyses published in various newspapers and magazines. Koci is a member of the editorial board of the music magazines Zvuk, and Nota.
Koci also host the podcast Fjala dhe Muzika, an arts programme.
The highest prize of International Competition of Classical Music Pristina, the Akil Koci Prize for outstanding performances of pieces by Albanian composers, is named in his honor.
He lives in London.
A tribute concert held in Zagreb and hosted by the Croatian Composers' Society to celebrate the composer's 70th birthday.
A second tribute concert was held in Pristina on 25 May 2007 at the Red Hall, with the participation of the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra.
On 29 June 2007, he was presented with a ceremonial plate in honour of his 70th birthday by His Excellency Kastriot Robo, Albanian Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Together with Noel Malcolm, he is joint recipient of the honorific title 'Ambassador of Albanian culture'.
In February 2015, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit by the President of Kosovo.
In November 2016, Koci was presented with the Order of the Grand Master of the Republic of Albania by the Albanian President.
In October 2018, he was awarded the Nikete Dardani award for lifetime achievement by the Minister of Culture of Kosovo.
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The University of Pristina is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–99) as a result of the Kosovo War. The inauguration of the university was a historical occurrence not only for the people of Kosovo, but for the whole Albanian nation. On 15 February, the solemn Parliament session took place, which is also proclaimed as The University of Pristina's Day. In the composition of the newly established University of Pristina were faculties with their headquarters in Pristina: the Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Law and Economics, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Medicine. Now the University of Pristina has 17 faculties, of which 14 are academic faculties, and 3 are faculties of applied sciences. Contained within the emblem is a translation of the name into Latin, Universitas Studiorum Prishtiniensis.
The Akil Koci Prize is the highest prize given annually at the International Competition of Classical Music Pristina for outstanding performances of pieces by Albanian composers.
The International Festival of Young Musicians – DAM Festival Pristina is one of the most prominent cultural events taking place in the capital city of Kosovo, Pristina. Founded in 2006, DAM Festival is an annual music festival which gathers young and talented national and international musicians from all over the world. This festival works on enriching the Kosovar cultural scene with the collision of the traditional and the contemporary. DAM Fest was founded by back then art student, now well known TV producer, musician, journalist and manager of Kosovo's Philharmonic Orchestra, Dardan Selimaj.
Mark Krasniqi was an Kosovar Albanian ethnographist, publicist, writer and translator who did most of his work while residing in Yugoslavia.
The Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo was an Albanian organization founded in Shkodër on 1 May 1918. It was mainly consisted of the political exiles from Kosovo and was led by Hoxha Kadri from Pristina. It existed in looser form since May 1915.
Classical music in Kosovo refers to the art music cultivated in Kosovo. The roots of classical music in Kosovo are found in the 1940s and include the time period from the times when Kosovo was part of Yugoslavia to this day. It can be said that there is a tradition of classical music in Kosovo, however, compared to other Balkan countries and especially European countries this tradition is younger. Classical music in Kosovo reaches back about 70 years. Even though in a short period of time, this music has evolved, passing through generations of composers and artists. In his book Albanian: Zhvillimi i stileve në veprat e kompozitorëve shqiptarë të Kosovës, Engjëll Berisha comments:
"The diversity of styles in Albanian music [of Kosovo], its national patterns with sound idea-aesthetic foundations are a characteristic of the European musical reality, so many many works are of interest abroad, too, because during this relatively short period Albanian classical music in Kosovo has compensated for the delay in its development."
The literature of Kosovo is composed of literary texts written in Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Turkish, specifically by authors of Kosovo. Kosovo produced several prominent writers in the Ottoman era. However, Ottoman authorities banned the written use of the Albanian language until 1912. This policy continued during Serb rule until the outbreak of World War II.
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The National Theatre of Kosovo was founded in 1946 in the city of Prizren, Kosovo. It is the highest ranked theatre institution in the country, with the largest number of productions. The National Theatre is the only public theatre in Kosovo and therefore it is financed by Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. This theatre has produced more than 400 premieres which have been watched by more than 3 million spectators.
As the capital city of Kosovo, Pristina is the heart of the cultural and artistic development of all Albanians that live in Kosovo. The department of cultural affairs is just one of the segments that arranges the cultural events, which make Pristina one of the cities with the most emphasized cultural and artistic traditions.
Music composition and composers in Pristina refers to music composition and composers who have left their mark in Pristina. The importance of Kosovan Folklore on the different genres, their development and their popularity. As referring to genres as a categorization would not cover all compositions and composers in a fair way, a highlight of every composers work and different genres is provided because of the different genres a composers work has included throughout the years.
The National Gallery of Kosovo, formerly known as the Kosova National Art Gallery, is an art gallery situated at The University of Pristina Campus, right behind the National Library of Kosovo in Pristina, Kosovo, founded in February 1979.
Tourism in Pristina attracted 36,186 foreign visitors in 2012, which represents 74.2% of all visitors that visited Kosovo during that year. Foreign visitors mostly come from countries like Albania, Turkey, Germany, United States, Slovenia and North Macedonia, but also from other countries. Some of the most visited places in Pristina are Batlava Lake and Gadime Marble Cave, which are also among the most visited places in Kosovo.
Sabit Uka was a Kosovar Albanian author and noted historian.
Daut Demaku born on October 13, 1944 in the Abria village, is Albanian writer and lecturer of the course "The Art of Positive Thinking".
Musë Prelvukaj is a Kosovar artist born in Martinaj, near Gusinje and Plav in what is now Montenegro, on December 25, 1950.
Pajazit Nushi was a university professor, psychologist and scientific and social-political worker from Gjakova, Kosova. Member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo.
