WheatonArts :: Folklife Center :: Featured Folk Artists
Featured Folk Artists
Raif is a very famous Albanian accordion player. Born in the town of Mitrovica, Republic of Kosovo (Former Yugoslavia), he went to elementary music school in Mitrovica, and then to music high school and to the Academy of Performing Arts, at the University of Prishtina. As a young accordion player he performed for the Albanian National Radio and TV. Raif performed with maestro violin-player Isak Mucolli, a member of "Besniket" Group. In 1999 he graduated from Caldwell College in New Jersey. Raif has written numerous songs and instrumental pieces for the accordion: "Fantasy for Accordion", "Traveling through Albania", "One Song without words", "Accordion and Three Glasses", "Pearls". He has performed at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, Lincoln Center, New York, Barbican Center, London, and at many other places in the USA, Europe and Asia.
Last modified 01:18 PM 06/28/2004
