As part of the #synergy: Sharpening the capacities of the classical music industry in the Western Balkans project, Kosovo’s Chopin Piano Fest have organized a workshop entitled “Professional Education and Classical Music“ in Prishtina, held from 9 May to 10 May, in which the Dubrovnik Summer Festival participated as a project partner.

The workshop dealt with the topic of professional education and classical music with the goal of exchanging experiences, sharing individual knowledge and know-how, as well as effective means and different approaches and possibilities for knowledge and experience acquiring both in the performing sector and in the CCI sector. The discussion on these issues, in addition to the challenges and problems faced in their daily work, was led by Professor of Piano at University of Prishtina and President and Artistic Director of the Festival Chopin Piano FEST Prishtina Lejla Pula, Cultural Advisor to the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Kosovo Liburn Jupolli, Professor and Head of Postgraduate music studies at the University of Prishtina and Managing  Director of Chopin Piano FEST Prishtina Besa Luzha and Vice-Dean at the University of Prishtina Mimoza Ibrani.

The second part of the workshop, with discussion of specific skills of artists and cultural professionals necessary to build a professional practice and develop the classical music industry, included introducing the arts education structures in partner countries and education programmess of the partnering festivals: KotorArt Don Branko´s Music Days (Kotor), Dubrovnik Summer Festival (Croatia), Ljubljana Festival (Slovenia), Belgrade Festivals Center (Serbia), Vox Baroque (Albania) and Chopin Piano Fest (Kosovo), which were presented by their festival directors and classical experts.

This was the fourth out of six two-day workshops which strive to strengthen the coproduction capabilities of the project partner countries and their market competitiveness, widening the capacities in addition to boosting partnerships and building a network on a regional level and, finally, the personal skill development of the participants – cultural professionals by exchanging knowledge and experiences, and analysing organizational, managerial, production and market perspectives and trends in the classical music sector.

Let us remind, the main goals of the #synergy: Sharpening the capacities of the classical music industry in the Western Balkans project are the professional development and connecting of cultural professionals, primarily those who work in the music festival and classical music sector, encouraging composers to write new pieces inspired by the local heritage of partner countries, and facilitating networking and collaboration between young musicians, composers, and classical music organizations in the Western Balkans. The project is co-funded by the EU Creative Europe programme and brings together six important festivals from the region: the KotorArt Don Branko’s Music Days (Montenegro), Dubrovnik Summer Festival (Croatia), Belgrade Summer Festival (Serbia), Ljubljana Festival (Slovenia), Vox Baroque Festival (Albania), and the Chopin Piano Fest Prishtina (Kosovo).