Gent Koço – Violin

About Gent

Albanian violinist Gent Koço was born in Tirana in 1981 into a musical family. His mother Raimonda began teaching him the violin aged 7 and in 1991, at the age of 10 Gent moved to England where he continued his studies at both Wells Cathedral School and Chetham’s School of Music under Catherine Lord and Wen Zhou Li. Gent was then awarded a scholarship to study with Itzak Rashkovsky at the Royal College of Music, London, graduating in 2003.

Gent currently lives in Glasgow where he has been a member of the 1st violins in the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) since 2007. The BBC SSO enjoys regular international tours throughout Europe and Asia performing in some of the worlds’ most renowned concert halls and festivals.

Gent maintains a prominent solo career in both his native Albania and the UK and has performed a number of major orchestral works by Sarasota, Tchaikovsky, Wienavski and Ravel. A recent highlight was a performance with the Albanian Radio & Television Orchestra in April 2018 to celebrate the 75th birthday of conductor Eno Koço in which Gent performed Ravel’s Tzigane, Nassi’s Four Albanian Dances as well as having the opportunity to collaborate with his sister, soprano Teuta Koço. Gent is also an avid chamber musician performance regularly throughout Scotland with the Korça Ensemble.

Championing Albanian music, Gent has premiered violin works by numerous composers including Thoma Nassi, Vasil Tole, Peter Gaci and Thoma Simaku as well as interpreting a number of Albanian Urban Lyric Songs from the 1930s on the violin. Gent has a passion for restoring historic recordings and, has worked with Albanian musicians to digitally remaster a number of works recorded in Albania during the communist regime including an album by notable tenor Gaqo Çako. These include many ‘banned’ works by western composers which had been hastily recorded insecurely by prominent musicians of the time.

Gent enjoys education work and taught violin for several years at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Junior Department.

“Equally striking was the performance of Gent Koço in Paganini’s fourth violin concerto. Written by virtuoso for a virtuoso, it has more technical demands per page than your average concerto. Almost everything is called for – dazzling runs, extreme top-register playing and double stopped harmonics. It’s a stern examination of any player, but Koço rose to the occasion and delivered a performance that was exciting as the work is challenging.”

Garry Fraser, The Courier & Advertiser

Biografia

Lindi në Tiranë më 1981 në një familje muzikantësh. Nisi të luajë në Shkollën Katedrale të Wells-it dhe më pas në shkollën muzikore Chetham’s të Mançesterit. Mësuesit e tij ishin Catherine Lord dhe Wen Zhou Li. Shkollën e lartë Genti e bëri në Kolegjin Mbretëror të Muzikës në Londër për të studiuar me Itzhak Rashkovskin, kolegj të cilin e përfundoi më 2003. Genti ka luajtur një numër të konsiderushëm koncertesh dhe sonatash të repertorit violinsik si në Britani ashtu dhe në vendlindjen e tij, Shqiperi. I pasionuar pas muzikës shqiptare ai ka bërë premierat e mjaft kompozitorëve, përfshirë Thoma Nassin, Vasil Tolen dhe Thoma Simakun.

Genti jeton e punon në Glasgow ku bën pjesë në seksionin e violinave të para të Orkestrës Simfonike të BBC – Skoci që prej vitit 2007. Me këtë orkestër përveç programeve të ngjeshura sezonale bën dhe turne nëpër Europë dhe Azi duke ekzekutuar në disa nga sallat më të njohura të koncerteve dhe festivaleve. Në kohën e lirë merret me restaurim e regjistrimeve dhe disqeve historike me muzikë shqiptare.

Është i martuar me Jenny Stephenson-Koço dhe kanë tre fëmijë.