This afternoon, the Circolo della Musica is hosting the second concert of its 40th season (6 pm at 33 Via Valle Verde in Rastignano). This is an unmissable event, thanks to the presence of Ruben Xhaferi, an eighteen-year-old pianist who has won several prestigious awards, including the Prize of the Arts in February, which recognises the most talented students from Italian conservatoires. 'I was born in Dolo, in the province of Venice, to Albanian parents,' he tells us. My father, a painter, arrived in Bari at a young age during the painful migrations of the '90s, leaving a very poor country, while my mother, who is younger, experienced an Albania that was already growing economically. We now live in Padua province, but at home we continue to cultivate our national roots, even with my younger brother, who is my great supporter even though he listens to completely different music".

So, did your passion for the piano develop independently?
'A series of coincidences.' When I was five, I saw the film "The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean" on TV: I was so struck by the pianist's quick fingers that I peppered my dad with questions about the instrument. The next day, while we were wandering around the town (at the time, we lived in Stra), I deciphered a sign while already knowing how to read a little: 'Music School', and I saw the famous bust of Beethoven inside. I begged my dad to go in, and we met the person who would become my first teacher, Luisa Trovò, by chance. She immediately made me sit at the piano. When I was seven, I wanted to enrol at the Padua Conservatory, but my father missed the deadline, so I enrolled at the Adria Conservatory instead. There, I was assigned to M° Sandro Baldi, with whom I have studied for ten years, following him to Ferrara and now to the Bologna Conservatory. At the same time, I attended a music high school in Padua, where I also studied the violin — a second invaluable skill for understanding the needs of stringed instruments, when I find myself playing chamber music with them".

Is it beneficial to have just one teacher?
"Actually various teachers followed me to high school and I don't miss an opportunity to be heard by other pianists, in summer courses and private lessons. Nevertheless, it is important to have a point of reference in which to have total confidence and from which to receive that support which, in human terms, occasional meetings do not give. M° Baldi follows me with a unique attention and dedication, not obvious for a young student, but pushes me himself to compare myself with other professionals"

What do you see in the future?
"The dream is obviously a concert career, but I am aware of how difficult it is. However, music cannot be absent from my life. There's little time left for anything else to stay in my study day".

THE TARGET
"My dream is of course a concert career, but I know how difficult it is."

Marco Beghelli
Il Resto del Carlino
March 10, 2024