Akil Mark Koci
Encyclopedia
Akil Mark Koci is a Kosovar Albanian
composer
and music writer
.
, Yugoslavia
(in today's Kosovo
). There he graduated from the Josip Slavenski
music school.
He went on to study at the Sarajevo Music Academy
, graduating in theoretical specialisation in 1962. He furthered his studies at one of the oldest conservatories in Germany
, the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart, specialising in composition
under the noted professor
and composer
, Milko Kelemen
.
Koci also studied under Prof. Dr. Toma Prošev
at the Music Academy in Skopje
and was awarded his MA
by Prof. Dr. Zija Kučukalić in Sarajevo
.
As a German government DAAD
scholarship
holder he continued his specialisation at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler
in Berlin
in his main field of interest, instrumental music.
Just after his studies, Koci worked at an electronic studio running three programmes for Radio Belgrade
, with the composer
Vladan Radovanović.
. His works often are aleatoric
, dodecaphonic
and usually non-thematic. As one of the most distinguished representatives of Albania
n contemporary music
, his works have been performed in almost all European and many non-European countries as well as in music festivals at home
and abroad.
Akil Mark Koci is one of the founders several festivals of contemporary instrumental music, such as Music Scene, Pristina
; Days of Kosovar Music, Đakovica; and the Kosova Music Accords, Pristina. He is also a regular participant in numerous festivals of contemporary music, notably the Music Biennale Zagreb
, UNESCO
Festivals of Contemporary Music, Paris
, and Tribunes of Music in Opatija
, Dubrovnik
, Belgrade
, Sarajevo
, Tirana
, Warsaw
and others.
Koci was a professor
of musicology
at the Faculty of Arts
of the University of Pristina. He is the recipient of several national and international awards.
At different times, he occupied the posts of Secretary
, Vice-President and President
of the Kosovar Composers' Society as well as the President and Vice-President of the Music Society of Yugoslavia.
He is actively engaged in the domain of composition
and musicology
. In the scope of the latter, he has written over 250 critique
s, essay
s and musical analyses published in various newspapers and magazines.
Koci is a member of the editorial board of the music magazines Zvuk, and Nota.
Koci also host the podcast Fjala dhe Muzika
, an arts programme.
The highest prize of International Competition of Classical Music Pristina, the Akil Koci Prize
for outstanding performances of pieces by Albanian composers, is named in his honor.
He lives in London
.
and hosted by the Croatian Composers' Society
to celebrate the composer's 70th birthday.
A second tribute concert was held in Pristina on May 25, 2007 at the Red Hall, with the participation of the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra.
On 29 June 2007, he was presented with a ceremonial plate in honour of his 70th birthday by His Excellency Kastriot Robo, Albanian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
.
Together with Noel Malcolm
, he is joint recipient of the honorific title 'Ambassador of Albanian culture'.
Albanians in Kosovo
Albanians are the largest ethnic group in Kosovo . According to the 1991 Serbian census, boycotted by Albanians, there were 1,596,072 ethnic Albanians in Kosovo or 81.6% of population...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and music writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Education
Akil Mark Koci was born in 1936 in PrizrenPrizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
, Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
(in today's Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
). There he graduated from the Josip Slavenski
Josip Štolcer-Slavenski
Josip Štolcer-Slavenski was a Yugoslav composer and professor at the Music Academy in Belgrade.-Early life:...
music school.
He went on to study at the Sarajevo Music Academy
Sarajevo Music Academy
The Sarajevo Music Academy is a conservatory and is part of the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Departments :The Academy has seven departments and one Institute*Department of Composition and Conducting*Department of Solo-Singing...
, graduating in theoretical specialisation in 1962. He furthered his studies at one of the oldest conservatories in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart, specialising in composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
under the noted professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, Milko Kelemen
Milko Kelemen
Milko Kelemen is a Croatian composer.- Life :Milko Kelemen studied under Stjepan Šulek in Zagreb, under Olivier Messiaen in Paris and Wolfgang Fortner in Freiburg amongst others....
.
Koci also studied under Prof. Dr. Toma Prošev
Toma Prošev
Toma Prošev is a Macedonian composer and professor.-Education:He completed his postgraduate studies at the Ljubljana Music Academy under Prof. L.M. Škerjanc and under Nadia Boulanger in Paris....
at the Music Academy in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
and was awarded his MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
by Prof. Dr. Zija Kučukalić in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
.
As a German government DAAD
German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation....
scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
holder he continued his specialisation at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler
Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler
The " in Berlin, Germany is one of the leading music conservatories in Europe. It was established in East Berlin in 1950 as the ' because the older was in West Berlin...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in his main field of interest, instrumental music.
Just after his studies, Koci worked at an electronic studio running three programmes for Radio Belgrade
Radio Belgrade
Radio Belgrade is a state-owned and operated radio station in Belgrade, Serbia.The predecessor of Radio Beograd, Radio Beograd-Rakovica, started its program in 1924 and was a part of a state wireless telegraph station. Radio Beograd, AD started in March 1929...
, with the composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Vladan Radovanović.
Career
Koci's musical idiom is markedly contemporary based on the achievement of European modern musicContemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
. His works often are aleatoric
Aleatoric music
Aleatoric music is music in which some element of the composition is left to chance, and/or some primary element of a composed work's realization is left to the determination of its performer...
, dodecaphonic
Twelve-tone technique
Twelve-tone technique is a method of musical composition devised by Arnold Schoenberg...
and usually non-thematic. As one of the most distinguished representatives of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n contemporary music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
, his works have been performed in almost all European and many non-European countries as well as in music festivals at home
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and abroad.
Akil Mark Koci is one of the founders several festivals of contemporary instrumental music, such as Music Scene, Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
; Days of Kosovar Music, Đakovica; and the Kosova Music Accords, Pristina. He is also a regular participant in numerous festivals of contemporary music, notably the Music Biennale Zagreb
Music Biennale Zagreb
Music Biennale Zagreb is an international festival of contemporary music in Zagreb, Croatia, organized by the Croatian Composers' Society. The Biennale, founded by Milko Kelemen and held every spring of the odd years since 1961, has become one of the most important festivals of contemporary music...
, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Festivals of Contemporary Music, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and Tribunes of Music in Opatija
Opatija
Opatija is a town in western Croatia, just southwest of Rijeka on the Adriatic coast. , the town proper had a population of 7,850, with the municipality having a total 12,719 inhabitants.-Geography:...
, Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and others.
Koci was a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of musicology
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
at the Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts was one of the four traditional divisions of the teaching bodies of medieval universities, the others being Theology, Law and Medicine...
of the University of Pristina. He is the recipient of several national and international awards.
At different times, he occupied the posts of Secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
, Vice-President and President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Kosovar Composers' Society as well as the President and Vice-President of the Music Society of Yugoslavia.
He is actively engaged in the domain of composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
and musicology
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
. In the scope of the latter, he has written over 250 critique
Critique
Critique is a method of disciplined, systematic analysis of a written or oral discourse. Critique is commonly understood as fault finding and negative judgement, but it can also involve merit recognition, and in the philosophical tradition it also means a methodical practice of doubt...
s, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s and musical analyses published in various newspapers and magazines.
Koci is a member of the editorial board of the music magazines Zvuk, and Nota.
Koci also host the podcast Fjala dhe Muzika
Fjala dhe Muzika
Fjala dhe Muzika was an arts programme on Radio Pristina that aired every week from 1970 till 1982. It was hosted by the Kosovar Albanian composer Akil Mark Koci.- Podcast :...
, an arts programme.
The highest prize of International Competition of Classical Music Pristina, the Akil Koci Prize
Akil Koci Prize
The Akil Koci Prize is the highest prize given annually at the International Competition of Classical Music Pristina for outstanding performances of pieces by Albanian composers.The prize is given to two candidates in the form of a yearly scholarship....
for outstanding performances of pieces by Albanian composers, is named in his honor.
He lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Tributes
A tribute concert held in ZagrebZagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
and hosted by the Croatian Composers' Society
Croatian Composers' Society
Croatian Composers' Society is a professional organization of composers in Croatia.HDS organizes the Music Biennale Zagreb, an international festival of contemporary music, and Zagrebfest, a festival of Croatian popular music....
to celebrate the composer's 70th birthday.
A second tribute concert was held in Pristina on May 25, 2007 at the Red Hall, with the participation of the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra.
On 29 June 2007, he was presented with a ceremonial plate in honour of his 70th birthday by His Excellency Kastriot Robo, Albanian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Together with Noel Malcolm
Noel Malcolm
Noel Robert Malcolm FBA FRSL is a modern English historian, writer, and columnist.-Life:Malcolm was educated at Eton College , read History at Peterhouse, Cambridge, wrote his doctorate dissertation at Trinity College, Cambridge, and was for a time Fellow of Gonville and Caius College,...
, he is joint recipient of the honorific title 'Ambassador of Albanian culture'.
Discography
- Koci, A.M., Filigranët I & II, Superstrukturat, (album) JugotonJugotonJugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, 1973 (LSY 61239) - Koci, A.M., Ab aeterno (album), JugotonJugotonJugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, 1974 (LSY 61239) - Koci, A.M., Sokoli e Mirusha (album)Sokoli e Mirusha (album)Sokoli e Mirusha is a 1976 LP album by the composer Akil Mark Koci. It a recording of the ballet Sokoli e Mirusha ....
, JugotonJugotonJugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, 1974 (LSY 63067) - Koci, A.M., Kënga e Rexhës (album)Kënga e Rexhës (album)Kënga e Rexhës is a 1983 LP album by the composer Akil Mark Koci. It features an introductory aria by same name sung by Xhejlane Broqi. It is a recording of the 1982 performance of the ballet Kënga e Rexhës ....
, JugotonJugotonJugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, Socialist Republic of Croatia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia the company continued to work in independent Republic of Croatia under the name Croatia...
ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, 1983 (LSY 62086)
See also
- List of compositions by Akil Mark Koci by musical genre.
- Akil Koci PrizeAkil Koci PrizeThe Akil Koci Prize is the highest prize given annually at the International Competition of Classical Music Pristina for outstanding performances of pieces by Albanian composers.The prize is given to two candidates in the form of a yearly scholarship....
- Fjala dhe MuzikaFjala dhe MuzikaFjala dhe Muzika was an arts programme on Radio Pristina that aired every week from 1970 till 1982. It was hosted by the Kosovar Albanian composer Akil Mark Koci.- Podcast :...
Podcast
Sources
- Youth Music. "Composer Biographies" Online http://www.singbook.org.uk/composer_akil.jsp Accessed January 20, 2007.
- YouTube. "Akil Koci 70th birthday concert" Online http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4KEvsjMAsg Accessed August 24, 2007.