The University of Arts ( sq, Universiteti i Arteve), formerly known as the Academy of Arts ( sq, Akademia e Arteve) is a public university and the main institution that offers

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

of the

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

s in

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

History

Founded in 1966 as the ''Higher Institute of Arts'' ( sq, Instituti i Lartë i Arteve), it merged three artistic institutions: the Tirana State Conservatory, the Higher School of Fine Arts, and the High School for Actors “Aleksander Moisiu”. The institute was able to take advantage of the Russian tradition in classical music and

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

due to the fact that Albania and Russia had close relationships during communism. The school still maintains ties with the Russian School of Ballet and Classical Music. In 1991, the Higher Institute of Arts was promoted to university level and renamed Academy of Arts. On October 12, 2009, the

President of Albania The president of Albania ( sq, Presidenti i Shqipërisë), officially styled the President of the Republic of Albania ( sq, Presidenti i Republikës së Shqipërisë), is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the military and the representa ...

Bamir Topi Bamir Myrteza Topi (; born 24 April 1957)CV at Albanian presidency website
. i ...

awarded the Academy of Arts the "Grand Master Order".

Academics

The Academy of Arts has three faculties: * Faculty of Music. It offers majors in musicology, conducting,

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G ...

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

, flute,

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

, clarinet,

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

, accordion, bassoon,

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

canto The canto () is a principal form of division in medieval and modern long poetry. Etymology and equivalent terms The word ''canto'' is derived from the Italian word for "song" or "singing", which comes from the Latin ''cantus'', "song", from the ...

, and

pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

, and has two academic departments ** Musicology/

Composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

/ Conducting Department ** Performing Department * Faculty of Visual Arts. It offers majors in

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

, graphics,

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

and

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates ...

multimedia Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradit ...

, applied design,

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

, and

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

, and has two academic departments: **

Painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

Department **

Sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

Department * Faculty of Dramatic Arts. It offers majors in movie and TV directing, acting, stage design and costumography, and choreography, and has two academic departments: ** Acting Department ** Directing/

Stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

Design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design' ...

/ Choreography/

Art Theory Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...

Department The artists trained in the institution have become well known in dance, music, theatre, film, and television in

and abroad. The teaching staff and associates of the Art Academy are musicologists, instrument players, painters, sculptors, theatre, film, and television directors, actors, stage designers, and choreographers.

Directors/Rectors

From its creation until 1991 the Higher Institute of Arts was led by a Director. From 1997 to the present, it is directed by a Rector.

Notable alumni

* Mirjam Tola (soprano) *

Inva Mula Inva Mula (born 27 June 1963) is an Albanian opera lyric soprano. She began her soprano career at a very early age. Her father ( Avni Mula) and mother () were also opera singers. She is also known for providing the voice of the diva Plavalaguna i ...

(opera) *

Ermonela Jaho Ermonela Jaho (born 1974) is an Albanian operatic soprano. She was described in ''The Economist'' as "the world’s most acclaimed soprano". The ''Financial Times'' said "Ermonela Jaho throws heart and soul into her singing... Don't even try to ...

(opera) *

Pirro Çako Pirro Çako is an Albanian singer and composer. In 1988, he won the Festivali i Këngës as a composer with the song ''E duam lumturinë'' ( en, We love happiness). The song was interpreted by Parashqevi Simaku. He has issued two albums: ''Her� ...

(conducting) *

Jonida Maliqi Jonida Maliqi (; born 26 March 1983) is an Albanian singer and media personality. Throughout her career, Maliqi has won six awards at Kënga Magjike and first place in 2008. She is also a double winner of accolades at the Top Fest in 2006 and ...

(canto) *

Edi Rama Edi Rama (born Edvin Kristaq Rama, 4 July 1964) is an Albanian politician, painter, writer, former university lecturer, publicist and former basketball player, who has served as the 33rd and current Prime Minister of Albania since 2013 and chair ...

(visual arts) *

Anri Sala Anri Sala (born 1974) is an Albanian contemporary artist whose primary medium is video. Life and career Sala studied art at the Albanian Academy of Arts from 1992 to 1996. He also studied video at the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs, Pari ...

(visual arts) *

Helidon Gjergji Helidon Gjergji (born 1970 in Shkodër, Albania) is a contemporary artist who works in various media. Life Helidon Gjergji was born in Shkodër and raised in Tirana, Albania, where he studied art and earned a BFA from the Academy of Arts in Tir ...

(visual arts) * Vénera Kastrati (visual arts) *

Altin Kaftira Altin Kaftira (born 1972 in Albania) is a former danseur with the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He danced with the Ballet from 1995 on, and from 2000 to 2007 was the Ballet's principal dancer (working with choreographers such as ...

(ballet) * Kledi Kadiu (ballet) *

Yllka Mujo Yllka Mujo (born 15 October 1953) is an Albanian actress, especially known for her roles in Albanian movies during the communist regime. For her acting merits she was given the title Merited Artist of Albania. Life Yllka Muji (or Mujo) comes ...

(acting) * Ndriçim Xhepa (acting) *

Luli Bitri Luljeta Bitri (born June 27, 1976), better known by her stage name Luli Bitri, is an Albanian actress, voice actress, director, and producer. Early life Luli Bitri was born in Lushnjë, Albania and grew up in Tirana. She began to study medicine, ...

(acting) * Rajmonda Bulku (acting) * Laert Vasili (acting) * Arta Muçaj (acting) *

Aurela Gaçe Aurela Gaçe (; born 16 October 1974) is an Albanian singer and songwriter. She is a three-time Festivali i Këngës winner, a three-time Kënga Magjike winner and a two-time Balkan Music Award winner for ''Balkan's Song of the Year'' and ''Bes ...

(acting) *

Nik Xhelilaj Kreshnik Xhelilaj (born 5 March 1983) known professionally as Nik Xhelilaj, is an Albanian actor. He began his international career with the movie The Sorrow of Mrs. Schneider, directed by Piro Milkani and Eno Milkani and was the leading actor ...

(acting) * Artan Imami (acting) *

Julian Deda Julian Deda (born 15 September 1981) is an Albanian comedian and actor. Born in Shkodër and son of famous Albanian actor Zef Deda, he is best known for his role on Albanian live television non-scripted sitcom Apartment 2XL ''Apartmenti 2XL' ...

(acting) * Bleona (acting) * Qëndrim Rijani (directing) * Gent Bejko (directing)

Postage stamp

On December 15, 2011, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Academy of Arts, the Albanian Post issued a new postal stamp http://uart.edu.al/media/IMG_3114.JPG dedicated to this event. The stamp was introduced during a ceremony at the Main Hall of the University of Arts by the Head of the Philately Department of the Albanian Posts and the Rector Prof. Petrit Malaj.

References

External links

Official Website
{{authority control University of Arts, Tirana Universities and colleges in Tirana Music schools in Albania Educational institutions established in 1966 1966 establishments in Albania