The evening of October 31, 2021, marked a historic moment for culture in Kosovo, with the inaugural concert of the Kosovo Opera, “Opera Gala,” held at the Sports Hall of the Palace of Youth and Sports in Prishtina. Zana Hoxha was invited by the renowned director Burbuqe Berisha to co-direct this grand project. Unfortunately, just days before the concert, Berisha passed away, unable to witness the fruits of their collaborative efforts.
For Hoxha, the evening was an emotional experience – grief over the loss of her friend and collaborator, Burbuqe Berisha, and pride in their joint commitment, which resulted in an unforgettable spectacle.
“Super proud with the opportunity to become the Director of Opera Gala Concert last night and how this evening surpassed every expectation,” Hoxha shared on social media after the concert.
In an interview with KOHA Group, Hoxha described the process as a unique challenge, as it was her first time directing this kind of event.
“As we know, we don’t have directors specialized in opera. This is not opera, it’s an inaugural concert for the opera, but it involved a lot of organizational work. Over 200 people worked on this event, and I was one of the people managing all of them. It was a fantastic coordination with the working group established by the Ministry of Culture. As directors, we started the process with the working group to create a venue that, as you know, didn’t exist before, but was made specifically for this concert. We worked on the visual aspects, the video details you saw, the stage design. Everything was work that’s not directed in the usual sense, as in a play or film, but more in the sense of an event, a concert for television,” Hoxha explained to KOHA.
Despite technical challenges, the evening exceeded expectations and marked a major step for opera in Kosovo. “Opera Gala” remains a powerful memory for Zana Hoxha, intertwining the feelings of loss and pride for a shared achievement, proving the power of art to unite.
