Seventh Edition

7^th Edition (2022)

Guest Artists

Felix Kliesser - Horn (Germany)

Felix Klieser is an internationally acclaimed German horn player recognized for his extraordinary artistry and inspiring career. A musical prodigy, he began studying the horn at the age of five and entered the University of Music and Theatre in Hannover as a junior student at thirteen. He has received numerous prestigious honors, including the ECHO Klassik Award for Best Young Artist and the Leonard Bernstein Award. Klieser performs regularly as a soloist with leading orchestras and at renowned festivals across Europe, North America, and beyond. His acclaimed recordings, including the complete Mozart Horn Concertos, have earned international recognition. Alongside his active concert career, he is a dedicated chamber musician, recording artist, and professor at the Münster University of Music, where he mentors the next generation of horn players.

Merita Rexha Tershana - Piano (Albania)

Merita Rexha Tërshana is one of Albania’s most distinguished pianists, celebrated for her outstanding artistry and lasting contribution to classical music. A multiple award-winning performer, she has been recognized as Performer of the Year at both the Contemporary Albanian Music Festival and the Kult Awards. She studied at the University of Arts in Tirana and furthered her education in Germany with renowned pianists Paul Badura-Skoda and Till Engel. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed with leading orchestras and at prestigious festivals across Europe and Japan, presenting a repertoire that spans from Baroque to contemporary music. A dedicated educator, she is Professor of Piano, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Music, and Chair of the Piano Department at the University of Arts in Tirana.

Alois Eberl - Trombone (Austria)

Alois Eberl is an Austrian trombonist, accordionist, composer, and arranger renowned for his versatility across classical, jazz, and contemporary music. Born in Kitzbühel, he began his musical journey surrounded by Austrian folk traditions before pursuing advanced studies at the Tyrolean Music Conservatory, Anton Bruckner University, and Mozarteum University Salzburg. As co-founder of the award-winning ensemble Sinfonia de Carnaval, he has received national recognition and performed internationally throughout Europe and the Middle East. Eberl has appeared at prestigious venues including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berlin Philharmonic, Cologne Philharmonic, and Konzerthaus Vienna. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as James Morrison, Bob Mintzer, Michel Camilo, Dave Liebman, Ray Anderson, and Martin Grubinger, establishing himself as one of Austria’s leading brass musicians.

Anna Lang - Piano and Cello (Austria)

Anna Lang is an Austrian cellist, pianist, composer, and educator known for her versatility across classical, jazz, and improvised music. Born in Salzburg, she studied at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and the Anton Bruckner Private University, earning degrees in piano pedagogy, cello performance, and jazz improvisation. As a freelance musician, she has appeared as a soloist with orchestras, performed at internationally renowned concert venues, and contributed to radio productions and music theatre performances. Her original compositions have been featured on several acclaimed recordings. Together with trombonist Alois Eberl, she co-founded the award-winning ensemble Sinfonia de Carnaval, which has performed extensively across Europe and Asia, earning recognition for its innovative blend of classical, jazz, and world music influences.

Ana Kaçinari - Piano (Albania)

Ana Kaçinari is an Albanian pianist and educator recognized for her distinguished career as both a performer and teacher. She began studying piano at the age of five and graduated with a Gold Medal from the University of Arts in Tirana before completing postgraduate studies in piano performance at the Arts Academy in Rome. Throughout her career, she has taught at leading Albanian music institutions while performing as a soloist with prominent orchestras in Albania and abroad. Her concert appearances have taken her to Kosovo, Italy, Spain, Germany, and the Vatican, where she performed live for Radio Vaticana. A frequent participant in international masterclasses with renowned pianists, she has also completed doctoral studies at the Academy of Albanological Studies, further strengthening her contribution to Albanian musical culture.

Ilir Kodhima - Horn (Albania)

Terrie Shires is an accomplished pianist, collaborative artist, and educator at the University of Central Arkansas, where she teaches class piano and serves as accompanist for the UCA Horn Studio. She has collaborated with numerous internationally recognized horn performers and has been an official accompanist for major events, including the International Horn Competition of America and the International Horn Symposium. In addition to her academic work, she has performed with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Terrie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Hanover College and a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Northern Illinois University. Her international concert career has taken her to Europe, Asia, and across the United States, alongside appointments at several respected universities and music institutions.

Kostas Siskos - French Horn (Greece)

He was born in Corfu. He studied in Athens, first at the Raymondi Conservatory and then at the Orfeio of Athens, where he received his diploma in 1994, with Spiros Kessaris and Vangelis Skouras as professors. In 2000, he was admitted to the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz for postgraduate studies with Hector McDonald, where, apart from modern French horn, he studied the Vienna and the natural horn. As a soloist, he has collaborated in Greece with the Chamber Orchestra of the Greek National Opera, the Athens State Orchestra, the Orchestra of Patras, the Camerata – Friends of Music Orchestra and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra in works by Haydn, Mozart, Hübler, Antoniou and C. Hatzis, and in Austria with the Orchestra of the Graz University in the Horn Concerto No. 1, Op. 11 by R. Strauss. He has collaborated in Greece with the Greek National Opera, Camerata, the Athens Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of Patras, in Austria with Vienna Symphony, Concentus Musicus and Wiener Konzertverein, in Constantinople with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Borusan, in the Czech Republic with the Orchestra of the Prague State Opera, under the direction of internationally-renowned masters such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Kent Nagano, Ádám Fischer, etc.

Maria Fotia - French Horn . Piano (Greece)

Maria Fotia is a Greek pianist and horn player whose career combines outstanding performances in both solo and orchestral settings. Born in Athens, she began studying piano at the age of seven before pursuing the French horn, inspired by her great-grandfather, a horn player. She completed her piano and horn studies at the Diethnes Odeion of Athens and further refined her artistry through masterclasses with internationally renowned musicians. Throughout her career, she has performed with Greece’s leading orchestras, including the Athens State Orchestra, Thessaloniki State Orchestra, National Opera Orchestra, and Armonia Atenea, performing on both modern and natural horn. Alongside her orchestral work and solo appearances, Maria continues to nurture her lifelong passion for the piano through chamber music and collaborative performances.

Albanian Brass Quintet & Percussion

Albanian Brass Quintet & Percussion This ensemble has been created since 2007 by 6 friends. The constituent artists of this ensemble are well-known names in the field of music and very important for the institutions where they work, such as: the National Opera and Ballet Theater and the Symphony Orchestra of the Albanian Radio Television. This ensemble has been part of numerous ceremonies and concerts at home and abroad. Artists being very compact with each other, have become the inspiration for different composers who have written or brought back numerous works in a very special approach. Their success also consists thanks to a very diverse and attractive repertoire, which aims to bring the public closer to art but also to promote Albanian music.

Brasstet Skopje - North Macedonia

Founded in 2019, Brastest Skopje is a dynamic brass ensemble from North Macedonia dedicated to bringing brass music to a wider audience through innovative programming and engaging performances. The ensemble combines experienced musicians from diverse musical backgrounds, presenting a repertoire that blends popular classics, film music, jazz, evergreen melodies, and contemporary arrangements for brass quintet with percussion. Rather than following traditional brass concert formats, Brastest Skopje focuses on creating accessible performances in both concert halls and public spaces, including parks and city squares. Since its debut at the Skopje Summer Festival, the ensemble has performed more than 20 concerts in North Macedonia and abroad, earning recognition for its fresh artistic approach and vibrant concert experience.