Marie Kraja (1911-1999) | Opera singer and Albanian Folk Songs!

Marie Kraja (1911-1999)
Opera Singer & Albanian Folk Songs

Born on September 24, 1911 in Dalmatia and moved to Shkoder from a young age.
Kraja conducted his high canto studies at the Graz Conservatory in Austria in the 1930s-1934. After completing her studies, she returns to Albania. She works as a music teacher at the Queen Mother Institute.

Although with a rich artistic life in the scenes of Italy, Austria, Germany, etc., her career is closely related to everything that happened in Albanian music.

With the foundation of TOB (Teatri i Operes dhe Baletit, in Albanian), Marie Kraja becomes one of the first soloists. Along with the first plejada of Albanian singers, Tefta Tashko Koco, Kristaq Antoniu, Mihal Ciko, Jorgie Truja, etc.,

Marie Kraja performs in the main roles of Albanian opera, such as “Mrika”, “Flower of Memory / Lulja e Kujtimit”, and a series of foreign works such as “Rusalka”, “Ivan Susain”, “The Bride of Sold / Nusja e shitur”, “La Traviata”, “Jollanda”, “The Wedding of Figaro / Martesa e Figaros”, etc.

In addition to opera roles, part of her repertoire are many arias, romances, concert parts, as well as over 300 popular songs, especially those of the north. All this repertoire was performed in hundreds of concerts inside and outside Albania, China, Korea, Germany, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Soviet Union, etc. and a part of it is documented in the Albanian Radio Television musical fund.

In Albanian cinematography, Kraja took part in the film “First Years / Vitet e para” in 1965 as Stavri’s mother (Piro Mani).

 

 

Marie Kraja passed away on November 21, 1999