Bashkim
Paçuku was born of Albanian parents in Dibër (Debar-former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), and graduated from the Faculty
of Music Art from the University of Skopje/Shkup. He had two study
tours: at La Scala of Milan (Italy), the famous
Center for Perfection of Lyrical Artists, and in the Tirana
(Albania) Theater of Opera and Ballet. His professional experience
includes the formation and leadership of the Professional Choir
of Radio/Television Prishtina in Kosova (today the choir of Kosova
Opera Company), as a Coach, Assistant Conductor, Teacher of Vocal
Technique and Soloist.
He
completed his studies and graduated from the Boston University Opera
Institute in higher degree. He appeared in their production of "Street
Scene" (in the role of Lippo Fiorentino); L’Elisir
D’Amore (in the role of Nemorino); and performed the Mozart
Requiem in Salem, Massachusetts (under the direction of Conductor
Max Hobart) and Bach Magnificat in Lexington, Massachusetts (under
the direction of Conductor Richard Travers), along with the Paul
Madore Chorale and Masterworks Chorale, respectively. He also had
a successful solo concert at Harvard Hall in Boston, Massachusetts,
and at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City at a Memorial
Mass for Mother Teresa.
He
has been a soloist for Opera Worcester on several occasions, and
received rave reviews for the preview of "Tosca." He also
performed Mozart Requiem and Bach Magnificat with the Master Singers
of Worcester, Massachusetts and the Indian Hill Orchestra (under
the direction of Conductors Dr. Paul Shannon and Dr. John Ehrlich).
He
performed at the Dubendorf Cathedral in Zurich, Switzerland, where
he was a soloist for Liszt's Missa Coronationalis; and had solo
performances in Lucerne, as well as all around Tuscany, such as
Siena, Florence, etc.
He
has participated in the 7th International Competition of "P.I.
Tchaikovsky" in Moscow, and at the International Competition
of "Belvedere" in Vienna. He was awarded First
Prize at the 20th Federal Competition of Musical
Artists in Zagreb, which to date has been unmatched by any other
soloist.
Professional
experience includes the formation and leadership of the Professional
Choir of Radio/Television Prishtina as a Coach, Assistant Conductor,
Teacher of Vocal Technique and Soloist.
While
a student in Europe, he participated in several concerts and competitions,
and performed at The Days of Kosovian Music in Gjakova, The Musical
Scene of Prishtina in Prishtina, and The Musical Stage in Opatia.
During the May Opera Evenings in Shkup (Skopje), he participated
in the program of New Opera Hopes of Europe.
In
the first Kosovian opera, "The Maiden of Kaçanik,"
he had the first tenor role of Trimor, and as a solo singer for
RTV (Radio Television Prishtina-today Radio Television Kosova),
he collaborated with artists, instrumentalists and well known orchestras
in the former Yugoslavia and abroad, such as the Philharmonic of
Zagreb, the Soloists of Zagreb, the Symphony Orchestras of Radio
Television Prishtina (today Kosova Philharmonic), the Macedonian
Philharmonic, and with the Symphony Orchestra of Tirana. His concerts
were well received, and have been recorded for radio and television.
In
his repertoire, he has the title roles of the following operas:
"La
Traviata" (Alfredo), "L'Elisir
D'Amore" (Nemorino), "Rigoletto"
(Duca), "La Boheme" (Rodolfo), "Die
Zauberflote" (Tamino), "Tosca"
(Cavaradossi), "Faust"
(Faust), and "Eugene Onegin" (Lenski); and many pieces
of music from Schubert, Schumann, Donizetti, Bellini and others,
as well as requiems, chamber and spiritual music. For additional
knowledge of his large repertoire, please refer to his resume.
Since he is capable of playing the piano, his abilities are great,
coaching himself as well as others.
In
addition to his mother language of Albanian, Bashkim Paçuku
speaks the following languages fluently: Italian, English, and Croation.
He has also studied diction and phonetics of the French, German,
Russian, and Slovene languages.
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