An Evening Celebrating Albania’s Rich Musical Heritage Comes to New York on September 17.
NEW YORK, NY — Centuries of Albanian musical tradition will come to life at Tribeca Performing Arts Center on Thursday, September 17, as the Queen Teuta Quartet presents Sounds of Albania, an evening of chamber music that invites audiences on a journey through one of Europe’s richest and least familiar musical traditions.
Performed by an ensemble of Albanian and American musicians, Sounds of Albania journeys across the country’s diverse musical landscape, from the lyrical serenades of Korça and the pastoral melodies of the mountain villages to spirited wedding dances from Kosova and beloved songs from central and southern Albania. Named for the legendary Illyrian Queen Teuta, a symbol of strength, resilience, and cultural pride, the ensemble reimagines these traditions through newly created chamber arrangements by acclaimed music director Edmond Xhani and original compositions that invite new audiences to discover the richness of Albanian music.
Throughout the evening, audiences will encounter songs of love, longing, family, celebration, and home. Folk melodies passed from one generation to the next are reimagined through expressive chamber arrangements, while original works, including violinist and composer Megan Gould’s Teuta the Queen, create a dialogue between Albania’s musical past and its artistic future. The program also pays tribute to the Arbëresh people, descendants of Albanians who settled in southern Italy more than five centuries ago and continue to preserve their language, customs, and music today.
The concert was conceived by Kosovo-born artist and architectural photographer Ilir Rizaj, who has called New York home for nearly four decades. A lifelong advocate for Albanian arts and culture, Rizaj envisioned Sounds of Albania as a way to connect the place where he was born with the city he now calls home, bringing together Albanian and American musicians through a shared appreciation for music, history, and culture.
“I’ve spent nearly 40 years building a life in New York while never losing my connection to the place where I was born,” notes Rizaj. “With Sounds of Albania, I wanted to build a bridge between those two homes. My hope is that audiences experience not only the beauty of Albanian music, but also the stories, traditions, and spirit that have shaped our culture for generations. Music has the power to connect us long before we speak the same language.”
The ensemble brings together internationally acclaimed artists whose careers span Broadway, major orchestras, world music, and international touring, united by a shared commitment to celebrating Albania’s musical heritage. The program features Albanian violinist Margret Radovani of the National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Albania; violinist, composer, and ethnomusicologist Megan Gould; Juilliard-trained violist Entela Barçi; Broadway cellist Eleanor Norton, currently performing in Moulin Rouge!; percussionist with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble, Shane Shanahan; Albanian flutist Etnika Beqrama; Juilliard-trained clarinetistIsmail Lumanovski; and music director Edmond Xhani, one of the Albanian diaspora’s most respected arrangers and musicians. Radovani also lends her voice to the beloved Albanian song Your Curls.
Home to the largest Albanian-American community in the United States, New York provides a fitting setting for Sounds of Albania. The concert offers members of the Albanian diaspora an opportunity to reconnect with familiar traditions while inviting audiences of every background to discover a musical culture that continues to evolve across generations. Net proceeds from the concert will benefit the Albanian American Women’s Organization, Motrat Qiriazi, whose mission is to empower Albanian-American women through mentorship, education, cultural initiatives, and social support while preserving Albanian heritage.
TICKET AND VENUE DETAILS
Sounds of Albania performed by the Queen Teuta Quartet will take place on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 7:30pm in Theater 2 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, located at 199 Chambers Street in lower Manhattan. The theater is accessible by the 1, 2, 3, A or C lines.
Tickets start at $55 and available at https://tribecapac.org/event/sounds-of-albania/
ABOUT QUEEN TEUTA QUARTET
The Queen Teuta Quartet is a New York-based chamber ensemble dedicated to sharing the richness of Albanian music through contemporary chamber performance. Named for the legendary Illyrian Queen Teuta, a symbol of strength, resilience, and cultural pride, the ensemble brings together Albanian and American musicians to reimagine traditional repertoire through original compositions and inventive arrangements. Led by music director Edmond Xhani, the ensemble celebrates the past while creating new opportunities for cultural connection through music.
Kimberly Giannelli
The PR Social
Public Relations and Marketing Specialist
kimberly@theprsocial.com