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| ISRALB fest team |
This event comes on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Albania and Israel and will serve to celebrate the warm relations between the two countries and between the two peoples.
The festival is a unique initiative in the Albanian and Balkan cultural scene. This year's participants will include the Klezmer Orchestra from Israel, the String Quartets from the Berlin Philharmonic, Nitzan Bartana from the Basel Orchestra (Switzerland), conductor Suzana Turku "Grand Master", Sivan Rotem from Israel, and many other special guests. A large number of invited artists from abroad come to perform in Albania for the first time.
Almira Emiri, Artistic Director of the Festival and well-known Albanian pianist in the European arena and in Israel, describes the event as a golden opportunity to promote art and culture: “Israeli art and the treasures of world Jewish culture should and can be much more present in Albania. And vice versa: the excellent cultural tradition and contemporary creativity of Albanians should and can be much more accessible to the Israeli public. Bringing together culture and tradition from Israel and Albania, this festival will contribute to intercultural and intergenerational dialogue, as well as create opportunities to foster tolerance and diversity. ”
Honorary Member of the Festival is Avital Leibovich, Director of the Jerusalem Office of the American Jewish Committee, which received recently the title "Skanderbeg Order" from the President of the Republic of Albania. Mrs. Leibovich emphasizes the opportunities and exchanges between the two countries: “The relationship between Albanians and Jews is unique, not only from the past but also from the present. "The similarities between us are greater than the differences, and art is a powerful tool in strengthening relationships between people."