PHILHARMONIX: Vienna–Berlin Music Club in Tirana

About the event

On April 18 2024, the ARTE Foundation presented in Tirana the outstanding ensemble PHILHARMONIX – Vienna Berlin Music Club, formed by leading soloists of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic, winners of the 2018 Opus Klassik Award. Held at the Orthodox Cathedral Concert Hall, the event became one of the year’s most anticipated cultural highlights, with a fully sold-out audience that embraced every moment of a carefully curated program blending refined classical arrangements, European and Balkan folk elements, and contemporary musical colors. The evening was elegantly moderated by clarinetist Daniel Ottensamer, while the prolonged applause and the final encore revealed the immediate connection forged between the ensemble and the Albanian public. The concert was supported by the Municipality of Tirana, the Ministry of Culture, the Austrian Embassy (Raiffeisen Bank), and the German Embassy, and was attended by ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps. As part of the project, the ARTE Foundation also organized a special visit to the Faculty of Music at the University of the Arts, where members of Philharmonix met with faculty members and exchanged artistic experiences, opening promising avenues for future collaborations with Albanian musicians. At the end of the evening, the artists expressed their appreciation for the warm reception and exemplary organization, conveying their sincere wish to return to Tirana with new and exciting projects.