Olen Çezari, one of Albania's finest violinists and a talent recognized globally, recently shared his remarkable journey on a local show.
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| Olen Çezari in local media |
He recounted the moment when he left Albania for Italy after winning a scholarship at the age of 14. Çezari revealed facing extreme poverty upon his arrival in Rome, as it would be months before he received his scholarship funds. With only 3 euros left in his pocket, he took to the streets, performing with his violin to earn enough money to sustain himself.
"The scholarship was 350 euros. We arrived in Italy in June, and the conservatory started in November, and it was very problematic because our scholarship was not being released. I have a sweet story. Today, I remember it as such, but back then it was very sad that my mom had three euros left, out of the last five, and she bought pizza, plain white without tomatoes, onions, without anything, just a piece of bread. I started crying, I couldn't bear that moment, I took the bus and went wherever the bus went. It stopped in the center of Rome, there I followed a group of Japanese people with tents in their hands, they were tourists, about 50 people. They went to Piazza Navona, there I saw a painter, an artist, a guitarist, a singer performing, and tourists were throwing money at them. I got the picture right away, got on the bus, grabbed my violin, turned around, and started playing classical music. People gathered, and they started throwing money. When I saw the violin case fill up with money, I took... I was only 14 years old. I understood the mechanism and worked until 8 in the evening and went home. I opened the violin case and there were 350 euros collected in a day's work, which was the entire scholarship I would receive for a month, so hunger was over. It's like a movie story but it's very true. I did it without any kind of body until November 4, when the conservatory started."
Çezari's resilience and determination led him to overcome adversity, and his talent shone brightly, paving the way for his success in the world of music. His story serves as a poignant reminder of the power of passion and perseverance in the face of hardship.