For three days, orchestras and ensembles from various cities in Albania participated in the IX edition of the National Meeting of String Orchestras, themed “Chamber Music and Its Creativity,” performing lyrical and operatic music by renowned composers and providing an extraordinary experience for the audience in Elbasan.

Year after year, this festival has experienced continuous growth, and this year’s edition introduced several significant innovations.

The National Meeting of String Orchestras, “Chamber Music and Its Creativity,” this year included six orchestras and six chamber music ensembles from Albania, along with guests from the Republic of North Macedonia, the city of Pernik in Bulgaria, and a duo (violin and viola) from Spain.

The festival began on September 30 and continued until October 2, featuring approximately 200 professional artists who performed dignified works by global composers as well as Albanian creations.

For the first time, in addition to the rich repertoire, awards were presented, adding a new dimension to this traditional event, which has had eight previous editions.

The festival, now in its ninth edition, is financially supported by the Municipality of Elbasan, through Mayor Gledian Llatja, as well as by the Ministry of Culture, which supports the awards for this festival.

Conductor Blerim Narazani expressed his satisfaction with this year’s artistic contributions, emphasizing that “the level is much higher than last year. The competitors were in contention until the very last minute for the grand prize for the best orchestras and instrumentalists.”

The first prize was awarded to the Armed Forces Symphony Orchestra of Albania, which was recognized for its exceptional artistic performance.

Supported by the Ministry of Economy, Culture, and Innovation, as well as the Municipality of Elbasan, this festival has become a cherished tradition, eagerly awaited each year, and expectations for its success were fulfilled.

The performance of the host orchestra from Elbasan at the conclusion of the first night was considered one of the most unforgettable moments of the festival.

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