Kostandin Tashko
The young Albanian pianist Kostandin Tashko (born in Tirana in 1997) is the winner of the 1st Radovlijca International Piano Competition, as well as having been recognised in a wide range of national and international competitions.
He is considered as one of the most promising young pianists of our time, thanks to his extraordinary virtuosity, strong personality and vast repertoire.
A student of the Jordan Misja Artistic Lyceum in Tirana, where he studied under V. Kasaj, Kostandin is currently completing his master’s degree at the Giuseppe Tartini Music Conservatory in Trieste (Italy), under the guidance of Teresa Trevisan. He is also a student of Benedetto Lupo at the Accademia di Pinerolo.
Kostandin has already performed in some of the most important venues and festivals in Albania, such as the ARTEVE, the National Theatre, the Opera House, the Pianodrom and the MIK Festival.
Kostandin is the winner of many national and international piano competitions in Albania, Italy, Croatia, Great Britain, Macedonia, Kosovo, Switzerland, France and Slovenia.
Some of his most recent accomplishments include the Premio Salieri, the X EPTA Croatia, the Adilia Alieva and the XXIII International Piano Competition Stefano Marizza (1st prize). He was also awarded 2nd prize at the MIUR Premio Delle Arti and the X YPN in New Castle (2nd prize, 1st prize not awarded). Kostandin took part in masterclasses given by renowned teachers including A. Delle Vigne, R. Dalibaltayan, O. Gardon, D. Tomsic, V. Balzani, C. Elton and P. Gililov.
Kostandin performs regularly in prestigious venues around the world.
As a recipient of the Premio Salieri 2017, in April 2018 he performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto Op. 11 with the “I Virtuosi Italiani” orchestra conducted by Alberto Martini. Moreover, next April 2020 he is scheduled to perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the RTSO orchestra in Tirana.
Kostandin’s debut CD for the KNS label was realised with the valuable support of the Fondazione Kathleen Foreman Casali in Trieste. Kostandin has also received the support of the Trieste Inner Wheel Club, the Marizza family and the Williamson Foundation.
“Tashko, grande lezione di stile nell’interpretazione di Chopin”
“The artist has found the balance between the fluctuations of a shady phrasing and the dynamics dosed note by note, avoiding any virtuosity as an end in itself … interpreter able to work very deeply on the sound, a rare case among young pianists …manages to take care of every detail of the part… phrasing conducted with the consummate art of those who face this page for a lifetime …
L’Arena di Verona 9 aprile 2018
“Kostandin Tashko’s playing is revelatory of a very peculiar ability to investigate the score with freshness and originality. He is endowed with a strong musical personality, and his talent clearly emerges from his artistic skills: he is certainly a brilliant virtuoso and he handles every technical and expressive aspect with ease and confidence. However, he never shows off a virtuosity that is an end in itself, but he always subordinates it to a higher intellectual vision, which reflects a clear awareness of the music architecture.
Alessandro Taverna, pianist
“…I had the pleasure of listening and rewarding him. I believe he is a real piano promise and demonstrates a particular dedication to study and a profound vision of the text combined with an important musical maturity. Very young and already master of a piano technique of great importance beside a vast and important repertoire…”
Daniel Rivera, Pianist and professor
Premio Marizza 2019 “….freschezza delle idee musicali e padronanza strumentale”
The jury Massimo Gon, Claudio Gherbitz, Maia Glouchkova, Alessandro Taverna, Palo Bidoli
