THE LIVING COMPOSERS PROJECT  

Dafina Zeqiri Nushi

(b. 1 April 1984, Prishtina).

Kosovar composer of mostly orchestral, chamber and choral works that have been performed in Europe and elsewhere.

Prof. Zeqiri Nushi studied at the Prenk Jakova Music High School in Prishtina from 1997–2002 and studied composition with Mendi Mengjiqi at the Universiteti i Prishtinës in Prishtina from 2002–07. She then studied composition with Jana Andreevska at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje from 2008–11 and there earned her master's degree. She later studied composition with Gheorghi Arnaoudov at New Bulgarian University in Sofia from 2016–19, where she earned her PhD.

Among her honours are three awards in the competition for young composers Çesk Zadeja in Tiranë (diploma of encouragement, 2002, for Dialogue; Third Prize, 2003, for Sonata for Flute and Piano; Special Prize, 2005, for Variazione per archi), a diploma as an Eminent Student from the Universiteti i Prishtinës (2005–06), Third Prize in the competition for young composers pre-art in Zürich (2008, for Around), the Theodore Front Prize from the International Alliance for Women in Music (2009, for Atmospheres [choral work]), and five prizes in the competition for composers of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Kosovo in Prishtina (2012, First Prize, chamber-music category, for Around; 2014, First Prize, symphonic category, for Memento; 2015, First Prize, solo/instrumental category, for Echo and Narcissus; 2016, First Prize, duo category, for Fantasy and Fugue [second version]; 2018, First Prize, concerto/symphonic category, for Piano Concerto). Her music has been performed in Albania, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the USA.

She is also active in other positions. She founded the organisation Neo Musica in Prishtina in 2009.

She has taught at the Universiteti i Prishtinës since 2007, where she was an assistant from 2007–18 and where she has been an assistant professor since 2018. In addition, she has been a part-time professor at the Prenk Jakova Music High School in Gjakova since 2014.

CONTACT INFORMATION

E-mail address: dafina.zeqiri@uni-pr.edu

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL:

Variazione per archi, string orchestra, 2004

Concerto, cello, large orchestra (11 winds, 7 brass, harp, timpani, glockenspiel, 2 percussion, strings), 2007

Five, 10–14 strings, 2007

Memento, violin, large orchestra (12 winds, 9 brass, timpani, marimba, percussion, strings), 2010

Variations for Symphonic Orchestra, large orchestra (12 winds, 9 brass, timpani, vibraphone, percussion, strings), 2011

Piano Concerto, piano, large orchestra (10 winds, 7 brass, harp, celesta, timpani, percussion, strings), 2017

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Dialogue, violin, piano, 2001

Sonata for Flute and Piano, flute, piano, 2002 (one section may be performed separately: Atmospheres; also versions of Atmospheres for 2 flutes, 2012; soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, 2018)

Trio Frymor – Wind Trio, oboe, C-clarinet, bassoon, 2003

Legendary Song, flute, piano, percussion, 2003

Aerodinamik – Aerodynamic, trombone, piano, 2003

Telegoni – Telegony, string quartet, 2004

Front and Back, clarinet, 2 violins, cello, 2007

Dream, violin, 2007

Around, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, B-flat trumpet, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, percussion, 2008

All In, flute, oboe, soprano saxophone, cello, 2009

Disappear, viola, 2011

Blue, French horn, 2012

Homage, violin, 2013

Spacing, violin, 2014

The Temple of Artemis (The Temple of Diana), 2 violins, 2016

Flowing, flute, harp, 2019

Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, cello, piano, 2020

Rainy, geomungo (zither from the Koreas), 2021

CHORAL:

Nënës simeMy Mother (text by Pashko Vasa), mixed chorus, 2001

I këndojmë ZotitWe Sing for God (text by Zojë Përlaska), congregational chorus, 2003

Atmospheres (vocalise), mixed chorus, large orchestra (12 winds, 9 brass, harp, piano, timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, 3 percussion, strings), 2005

OdiseaOdyssey (text from the word "odisea"), mixed chorus, 2008

Duaj – Loves (text by St. Teresa of Calcutta), mixed chorus, 2015

Bum Qi-Ke (text from a street game for children), mixed chorus, 2017

VOCAL:

Kur VjenWhen You Come (text by Bajram Qerimi), mezzo-soprano, piano, 2002

O Dismal Bird (text from an anonymous source), tenor, piano, 2009

A Story about Mary (texts from the Qur'an, Hadith [English translations]), female speaker, flute, guitar, violin, piano, 2010

Sombre This Path (text by Zef Zorba), mezzo-soprano, piano, 2013

Echo and Narcissus (text by Ellen Frankel, after mythology from Greece), soprano, bass-baritone, bass clarinet, bassoon, B-flat trumpet, piano, marimba (+ suspended cymbals, woodblock), violin, viola, cello, 2014

Jera (text by Erëmira Çitaku), soprano, flute, piano, 2016

PIANO:

Quasi Variazione, 2000

Funeral Music, 2007

Variations for Piano, 2012

Fantasy and Fugue, piano 4 hands, 2016 (version of work for organ)

ORGAN:

Fantasy and Fugue, 2014 (also version for piano 4 hands)

ARRANGEMENT:

Beautiful Morea (anonymous song in Albanian from Calabria), soprano, flute, piano, 2016