The analysis of the development of artistic music in Kosovo from the historical and educational perspective

Abstract

The development of artistic music is connected to the society’s overall development and at the same time depends on the artistic educational philosophy and institutional capacities in society. This is the first time that the development of artistic music in Kosovo is analyzed from both perspectives -historical and educational and will fill the gap about artistic music and music education research in Kosovo context. The purpose of this study is to explore in what ways the historical and societal factors have influenced the development of artistic music in Kosovo, since 1945 to recently. The study uses mainly content analysis of the documents reviewed, content analysis of the transcribed interviews and music analysis of the music works of specific periods. Interviews with persons, artists, composers, who have experienced those developments in various periods of time will shed more light and illustrate certain developments. The study finds that political regimes ruling in the early period 1945-1960 have shown no interest in the development of artistic music in Kosovo, mainly for the purposes of acculturating the Albanian population living in Kosovo, depriving them from cultural emancipation and development. At different political circumstances in other periods from 1970-1980 the focus on education as a tool for national and cultural emancipation, there were opportunities for greater development thus first artistic institutions were created. The political developments in the period 1980-1990 brought back the assault against cultural empowerment of the Albanian nation living in Kosovo, thus after 1990-1999 the artistic music life in Kosovo ceased to exist completely and hardly survived, including the artistic and educational institutions. This study looks at the one-way trajectory, in which artistic music life and artistic music education interrelate and collaborate, but there are different aspects remaining to be further researched, especially in relation to the status of previous artistic institutions that cease to exist further, the artists that left Kosovo and other interesting aspects in historical research about the music of one country. The results of the study can both serve for further research paths and also to be used by the appropriate institutions that manage the creation or maintenance of the artistic institutions that create, cultivate and promote artistic music in Kosovo. Finally, the cultural life in general, but especially the artistic music life and appropriate institutions rebuilt from scratch and new ones are created in a long, difficult yet dynamic and interesting development journey.