TIRANA, Sept 30 /ATA/ - The Symphony Orchestra of Albania’s National Theatre of Opera and Ballet (TKOBAP) will make its debut on the prestigious stage of Teatro Auditorium Manzoni in Bologna, Italy, as part of the Respighi Bologna Festival 2025 - one of Europe’s most important music festivals.

The Respighi Festival is the first resident festival dedicated to Ottorino Respighi, one of the greatest Italian composers of the 20th century.

The Albanian orchestra’s debut on October 13, 2025, will place it in the spotlight before an international audience. The ensemble will be conducted by Spanish maestro Sergio Alapont, with renowned violin soloist Giuseppe Gibboni, recognized as one of the leading talents of his generation, featured prominently.

The program features: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Overture, op. 28; Niccolò Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor, op. 7 (soloist Giuseppe Gibboni); Sergei Rachmaninoff/Ottorino Respighi’s Cinq Études-tableaux, P 160; and Igor Stravinsky’s Suite from The Firebird.

Ahead of the Italian debut, the TKOBAP Symphony Orchestra will present the same program to the Albanian audience on October 9, 2025, at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Tirana.

This concert marks a special event, as violinist Giuseppe Gibboni will perform immediately following his appearances with the La Scala Theatre Philharmonic Orchestra in Milan.

Additionally, several young musicians from the Armed Forces Symphony Orchestra will participate in these performances.

The Respighi Festival is named after and dedicated to Ottorino Respighi, taking place in his birthplace and cultural context, emphasizing its status as a “resident festival” honoring the composer’s legacy.

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