Rafaela Prifti/
Turning the page to a new year, the acclaimed Albanian American conductor Kristo Kondakçi conducts the Kendall Square Orchestra at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University, Boston Saturday evening. The music director calls it “an evening that captures the essence of fresh starts and infinite possibilities that he wants to share with the audience.” The selection titled Joy & Renewal is purposely designed to celebrate the hope and beauty of beginnings. Describing the program as a journey through struggles and triumphs, light and shadow, and the quiet joy of renewal. Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, the evening invites concertgoes to “step into the New Year together, uplifted by music that inspires, renews, and reminds us of life’s incredible beauty.” Tonight is the second performance of Kendall Square Orchestra with conductor Kondakçi at Sanders Theater, which happens to be the venue of the graduation ceremony of Harvard graduates Fan Noli and Faik Konica.
Kristo’s official page provides information about his career and education, as well as past performances and future events. Here is a summary of it: He was born in Tirana, Albania in 1991. He and his family immigrated to the United States as political refugees when Kristo was five years old, settling in Boston. MA. In 2014 Kondakçi conducted the Albanian National Orchestra, earning recognition as a cultural representative of the Albanian diaspora. Throughout the last decade, he has led music collaborations with numerous orchestras across the United States and Europe.
Celebrated for his dynamic leadership and collaborative approach, the acclaimed Albanian American conductor brings renewed energy and innovative collaborations through themes of preseverance, joy and renewal via the repertoire of classic music from Bach, Elgar, Brahms, Barber, Mozart, Mahler, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich and more.
As the David and Janet McCue Music Director of the Kendall Square Orchestra, Kristo Kondakçi leads an ensemble of professionals from the technology and life sciences services. The orchestra has undertaken initiatives with global impact through the Symphony for Science Series, that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of local charities.
A graduate of New England Conservatory, Kondakçi’s style blends devotion to technical mastery with a commitment to inspire and positively affect society through music. Kristo Kondakçi is an Assistant Professor at the Berklee College of Music, in addition to being a non-resident tutor at Harvard University and a guest lecturer at the Longy School of Music and the New England Conservatory, where he mentors the next generation of musicians.