Ardita Statovci, Piano

Biography

Ardita Statovci was born in 1982 in Prishtina, the youngest daughter of two professors at the Prishtina Albanian University. From the age of eight, she studied piano with Hadije Gjinali at the “Prenk Jakova” Primary Music School in Prishtina, completing both the second and third grade in just one year – a feat which she surpassed in the seventh and eighth grade of primary school by attending music school at the same time. She was twice awarded the Talent of Kosova Prize. At the age of thirteen, Lejla Pula became her musical instruction at the “Prenk Jakova” secondary music school. Ardita was fourteen years old when she gave her first concert as a soloist; at fifteen she was admitted to the Prishtina Academy of Arts, University of Prishtina, and on October 12, 1997 she gave her first concert in Austria under the auspices of the Society for Music Theatre in Vienna.

Immediately thereafter, Ardita Statovci entered the Mozarteum University in Salzburg where, in 2004 she earned the first diploma in the concert-class of Christoph Lieske. She completed master classes with Menahem Pressler, Franco Scala, Stefan Arnold, Peter Donohoe, Cyprien Katsaris, Thomas Larcher, Dubravka Tomsic, Paul Badura-Skoda, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Carmen Piazzini, Riccardo Risaliti, Norman Shetler and others.  In August 1999 in the Austrian town of Wolfsegg, she accepted the position of solo pianist at short notice and conducted the first performance of the choreographer Richard Adama’s ballet Come una danza, composed by Kurt Rapf, achieving a sensational success, which she repeated in August 2000 with Játékok (György Kurtág) and 2001 with Robert Schumann Humoreske (also choreographed by Richard Adama).

Ardita Statovci has performed concerts in many countries including Austria (Vienna, Salzburg), France, England, Macedonia, Italy, Croatia, Switzerland, USA, Bosnia, Spain, Germany, Kosovo, Hungary, etc. as a soloist with different orchestras (Wiener Sinfonietta, JSO Bern, Chamberorchestra "Cis", Kosova Philharmonic Orchestra, etc.), piano recitals and chamber music. Numerous TV and radio recordings of her performances have been produced.

Since 1997, the Society for Music Theatre in Vienna has supported Ardita Statovci. In 2004 she was distinguished with a scholarship from “Internationale Mozarteum Stiftung”. In 2005 she was awarded at the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now in Salzburg. Since 2005 she has also received support from the “Rotary Club” of Salzburg. In 2006 she won the “Bösendorfer Prize” from the Mozarteum University. In the meantime, Statovci was granted Austrian Citizenship. In December 2007, she earned her Master (Magistra) of Arts degree with the highest distinction at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg by Christoph Lieske.

2008 she was distinguished with Fohnstipendium (Scholarship for remarkable artists in Austria.) In April 2008 has been released Ardita Statovci’s CD (a live recording with works of Brahms, Beethoven and Dutilleux). For her outstanding achievements as a graduate student of Mozarteum she is being awarded with a one year-scholarship (2008/09) by the Austrian Federal Ministry (BMWF). Statovci is completing her Postgraduate Studies in Italy at the Imola Academy with Franco Scala and Boris Petrushansky.

In summer 2009 Ardita Statovci has studied with the legendary Menahem Pressler at Indiana University in Bloomington.

2009 she is being awarded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture with the “Startstipendium” which is a special scholarship for young successful artists.

Statovci is being nominated by “Steinway & Sons” for Young Steinway Artist.