From the darkness of life in Europe’s most isolated country, to international musical acclaim, this is the story of a courageous woman whose violin gave her a way out 

“This is a gem of a book, unlike any other work that I can think of. The stunningly gifted violinist Alda Dizdari fell in love with Elgar’s violin concerto, and decided – against many odds – to introduce it to two South-East European countries where it had never been played before, Albania and Romania. The result is a fascinating book.” Sir Noel Malcolm, Senior Research Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford; author of George Enescu: His Life and Music 

“A remarkable talent” – Duncan Druce, Gramophone Magazine. “One to watch” Gramophone Magazine

“Extraordinary stuff, a great artist” Sean Rafferty BBC Radio 3 ‘In Tune’. 

“Playing the music of George Enescu only three players, for me, have got absolutely to the heart of it: George Enescu himself, Yehudi Menuhin, and AldaDizdari”.

– Sir Noel Malcolm, author of “George Enescu: His Life and Music” 

“Such vivid, imaginative, brilliant playing is rare indeed. The expressiveness of her bowing was a thing of wonder.”  – Tim Homfray, Strad Magazine

“Alda Dizdari’s playing combines technical prowess with strong ardent musical feeling, expression and intellectual understanding.” Robin Holloway.

 Alda Dizdari Website link: www.aldadizdari.co.uk

In a profession packed with talent, once in a while someone very special comes along and changes the way we connect with music – Alda Dizdari, the distinguished Albanian born British violinist, has been described as a “phenomenon”, compared to George Enescu, and Yehudi Menuhin.

Now she has found the time to put down her bow and take up a pen to write a book about her guiding passion, Elgar, titled ‘Kiss Me Again – A Memoire of Elgar in Unusual Places’ it describes her three year journey into Eastern Europe to introduce this most English of composers to new audiences. It is worth noting that her reception and that of the music was sensational.

A very special event is now planned to take place on the 14th of October when Alda Dizdari performs Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the Southbank Sinfonia in the Cadogan Hall to mark the completion of a three year journey taking the work of Elgar through Eastern Europe.

Her book will be launched at the time of the concert. To add to the importance of this occasion, the conductor Alexander Walker, who has journeyed with her, will be presented with the Elgar medal, the prestigious award previously held by Sir Colin Davis, Sir Mark Elder and Daniel Barenboim.

Alda describes how her personal passion for Elgar began: “It all started in a vintage record shop near Oxford Street where I came across a recording of Elgar’s Violin Concerto with Albert Sammons and Henry Wood conducting the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra.  I was going through an exploratory phase of listening to old recordings, trying to capture the sounds and gestures that are lost to the modern performer and I thought this would be an interesting start to discovering this work performed more authentically by people that knew Elgar personally. On the same day I found myself in Cecil Court, in another shop that sold old scores and as if in an act of faith I found a copy of Elgar’s violin concerto that once belonged to Henry Wood. The violin part was completely virgin but the piano part was heavily marked with his blue pencil. All the tempo markings, dynamics were circled and the timing for every movement clearly notated. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was a clear serendipity to all this. I bought the score although quite a dear purchase, and the rest was already settled. What followed were two years of discovering the piece, of listening to recordings and looking for opportunities to perform this work.”

Now a British citizen, Alda was born into a family of musicians and left her native Albania from an early age to pursue her career in music. She studied in Romania with distinguished soloists and received a Bachelor Degree from the University of Bucharest. She continued her Master Studies at the University of Illinois in USA and her Advanced Instrumental Studies in London, at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with David Takeno where she also held for two years the prestigious Leverhulme String Fellowship.In 2008 she was appointed Musician in Residence of The Wapping Arts Trust with HRH Princess Michael of Kent as Patron.Apart from being known for her virtuoso violin performances, Alda has established an Academy who’s philosophy is “A Conservatoire Tradition with a Community Feeling” offering children from the Borough of Southwark, some from underprivileged backgrounds and learning difficulties, the opportunity to have music lessons at the highest standard normally only available in such environments as the Purcell School and the Junior Royal Schools. Some of these children will be performing alongside the main concert, an opportunity of a lifetime for the students.“Alda Dizdari is a highly accomplished musician both as performer and teacher.  As a performer she demonstrates remarkable technical control, warmth and expression in the sound,  and a profound insight into the nature of the work.  She has a striking ability to understand and interpret composers’ musical intentions with clarity and conviction.She is a highly accomplished and passionate musician, who brings similar energy and commitment to her work with students.”

• Sir Roger Jackling, Chairman Board of Trusties of the Purcell School

 Website links: https://deamusic.com/ALDA’S DIARY She is performing a series of solo performances and recitals with piano starting in London and in venues around the UK and abroad.November sees her in Oxford with pianist Tom Blach thence to Australia in December.Plans are afoot for concerts in Sydney and New York early in 2019.BIOGRAPHY: Alda Dizdari is an outstanding musician of immense diversity. Since her triumphant debut at the Wigmore Hall she has appeared on all the major concert venues in the UK and has been a regular guest on BBC Radio 3 programmes. In 2015 she started a tour promoting Elgar’s Violin Concerto in Eastern Europe including giving the premiere of this piece in her native country Albania. She has recorded her journey in a book which will be launched in her London performance of Elgar’s masterpiece in October in the Cadogan Hall.In 2013 and 2014 she performed to high acclaim the complete works for the violin and piano by Beethoven and Brahms and has released three highly acclaimed CDs, one of which recorded live from the Wigmore Hall.Selected by the Gramophone Magazine as “One to Watch” musician in the May 2011 issue, she launched in July 2011 a Solo Violin Tour in the UK titled “In the Footsteps of BACH”, promoting her studio CD with the same programme. She performs regularly at all London’s prestigious halls including Southbank Centre and Cadogan Hall.Internationally she rose to fame in 2008 after performing Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Albanian Radio – Television Symphony Orchestra making their UK debut in Canterbury Cathedral in the presence of the Albanian Deputy Prime Minister. In 2006 she received her first nomination for “The Best Classical Musician of the Year” in her native Albania.In addition, as a devoted chamber musician she has been Guest Leader of Allegri String Quartet performing in all the major music festivals in the country, Leader of the Ensemble de la Chapelle St Mark, Luxembourg, as well as the founder of Chromatico Contemporary Ensemble and Competition. She has toured Europe with Ensemble Modern and Pierre Boulez.Alongside her successful solo career Alda is a passionate teacher, currently teaching in two of the leading music schools in the country, the Purcell School and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She is also the founder of DEA Music Academy, a community project in the borough of Southwark in London that helps children, some from disadvantage backgrounds and with learning difficulties, achieve higher goals by offering‘A Conservatoire Tradition with a Community Feeling’.

For more press information please contact Julian Roup of Bendigo Communications on [email protected] or call 07970563958.