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News for Tole
- US gives $24,000 to produce encyclopedia of Albania's iso-polyphony
(20 December 2006)US Ambassador Ries and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Sports Bujar Leskaj signed a grant that awards $24,000 to the Albanian Music Council to produce an Encyclopedia of the Albanian Iso-Polyphony music, prepared by Prof. Dr. Vasil S. TOLE. Iso-Polyphony is an exceptionally beautiful and uniquely Albanian musical form that is a UNESCO-approved Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The encyclopedia, which will be published in English and Albanian, will be the first comprehensive reference source of Iso-Polyphonic music. The Encyclopedia will be a valuable resource for foreign musicians, ethnomusicologists, and other scholars interested in Albania's musical heritage. The project is made possible through the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation Program, created by the U.S. Congress in 2001. Albania is one of the eligible countries and this year it joins 76 other recipient countries and 87 projects that total over $3 million worldwide.
[source: Vasil Tole]
- Vasil Tole publishes new book
(24 March 2006)Albania born composer Vasil Tole has published a new book, called "Odyssey and Sirens: A Temptation towards the Mystery of the Iso-polyphonic Regions of Epirus - A Homeric theme with variations", ISBN: 99943-31-63-9.
Music
List of compositions
Opera
- 2004: “Eumenides”, libretto by Aeschylus
Orchestra
- 2000: “Greek suite”, I, II.
- 1999: “A Psalmodie bono”, for string orchestra.
- 1996: “Trias” for Flute and chamber orchestra.
- 1996: “Genotype” for large orchestra.
- 1991: “Run, run Marathonomacus”.
- 1990: “Concert for orchestra”.
- 1989: “Contrast”.
- 1987: “Symphonic poem”.
- 1986: “Suite”.
Chamber music
- 2000: “Dikotomi” for wind quintet.
- 1999: “Hoax” for solo V.cello.
- 1997: “Ep-event”, string trio.
- 1997: “Shatra-Patra” for 3 percussion.
- 1995: “W” in memoriam for Cl, Violin, V.cello, Piano and Drum I,II,III.
- 1995: “DdA”, string quartet.
- 1994: “Avaz II” for 3 Viola, 5 violins, 2 Fl, Cl, Drum I,II.
- 1994: “Avaz” for Bsn quartet.
- 1993: “Pheromones” for Fl, Cl, V.cello and Piano.
- 1993: “Epitaphs and Primeval Scream” for string quartet, Fl, Cl, Bsn and Piano.
- 1992: “Metamorphosis” for 24 string players.
- 1991: “Five sketch” for string quartet.
- 1988: “Rondo” for strings.
Piano
- 1997: “R.I.P” (Rest in Peace”)
- 1994: “88”.
- 1993: “Age of Cage”.
- 1992: “Symbolical portrait”.
- 1988: “Rondo”.
Violin and Piano
- 1990: “Suite”.
- 1988: “Sonata”.
Clarinet and piano
- 1990: “Skerco”
Voice solo
- 1995: “Gjama” for 16 female voice.
Voice and piano
- 2000: “Përjetësia”, for bariton and piano.
- 2000: “Ç’u mbush mali”, for female choir and piano.
- 1999: “Erë e borzilokut” for sop, v.ni, v.c, and piano.
- 1998: “Këngëzë” for sopran and piano.
- 1996: “Sarajevalium” for baritone and piano.
- 1994: “Byzantine” for bas and piano.
- 1989: “Kosova” for bas and piano.
- 1987: “Jutbina songs” for bariton, tenor and piano.
List of published books
- 2005: "Odyseus and Sirenes, invitation to the iso-polyphonic region of Epirus”
- 2004: “Cluster”, musicology & composition, Tirana;
- 2004: The author of “The albanian Intangible heritage in CD”, Unesco;
- 2003: The author of the book “The Albanian National anthem”, Uegen,
- 2002: The author of the book “Albanian Folk Monody”, SHBLU;
- 2001: The author of the book “Encyclopedia of Albanian folk music”, ILAR;
- 2000: The author of the book “Etnostructure & Etnosemantic”, SH.B.L.U;
- 1999: The author of the book “Albanian folk polyphony”, SH.B.L.U;
- 1998: The author of the book “Sazet” + C.D, Teknotrade;
- 1997: The author of the book “Music and Literature”, ONUFRI;
Prizes for music creation
- 2003: MUZA prize of Ministry of Culture of Albania in the year 2001 for the best book published about intangible heritage in 2002.
- 2002: MUZA prize of Ministry of Culture of Albania in the year 2001 for opera.
- 2001: First prize at the international competition for composers “Dimitri Mitropoulos”, with “Eumenides”, Athens 2001.
- 1999: The third prize at the VI. festival of Albanian vocal music.
- 1998: Prize of the competition for ballet in one act organised by Ministry of Culture of Albania.
- 1998: Prize of the international music competition “Il mondo in musica”, Fivvizano-Italy for the “Rondo”, for string orchestra.
- 1997: Prize of G.M.E.M (The Group of Experimental Music Marsey) for the work “Shatra-patra”, at the international competition for new music “Ton de Leeuw”. “The Days of New Albanian Music”-1997.
- 1996: Prize for “Sarajevalium” at “3d Albanian vocal music” festival.
- 1995: Prize for “DdA” at “The Days of New Albanian Music” festival.
- 1994: Prize for “Pheromones” at “The Days of New Albanian Music”.
- 1993: Prize for “Epitaphs and Primeval Scream” at “The Days of New Albanian Music”.
- 1990: “Prix des Jeunesses Musicales” granted by association of Albanian composers.
Life
Graduated for composition at the Faculty of Music at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana in 1987, in the class of Prof. Kozma Lara. Worked as artistic manager at the Culture Center in his home town, Permet, for three years and in 1991 moved to the Faculty of Music at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana, as professor of folk music ad later taught composition. Did the PhD in 1994 in the field of ethnomusicology with his study “The structure and Semantics in instrumental folk music in South Albania”. In 1994-1995 did his post-graduate studies for composition at Folkwang Hochschule, Essen-Gjermani, in the class of Prof. Wolfgang Hufschmidt. In 1996 did the post-doctorate studies in the Department of Musicology at the University of Athens in Greece and in 2000 was awarded the title of Associated Professor.
An active representative of the new generation of the Albanian composers, Vasil S. Tole has stood out during the decade concluding the century as one of the main protagonists in favor of change, initiator of new creative alternatives, one of the most consistent supporters in favor of the folk musical staff restructuring with the aim of finding the identity and making sure novities are on the way in the field of contemporary music. In the meantime he has been devoting himself to a broad activity in study and research and publication, as well as taking part in numerous festivals, conferences and music workshops in Albania, Greece, Italy, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Bulgaria etc., collaborating with a number of study and artistic newspapers and magazines in the country, with the Radio-Television. He has also written dozens of articles and monographs on music. He has been awarded major prizes at national and international level.
After the 90-ies, together with some of his colleagues at the Academy of Arts, he was the initiator of the foundation of certain major music organisation as well as played a directing role in some, such as the Association of the “Albanian new music” (1993); Albanian section of “The Rilm Abstract Literature of Music”, New York (1995); Albanian section of CIOFF (1996); since 1995, has been the President of the Council of Albanian Music, member of the International Council of Music UNECSO, Paris, member of SEM-USA, Gema-Germany etc,. In the years 1997-1999 was charged to direct the National Theater of Opera and Ballet in Tirana. At the moment he is head of the Department of the Cultural Heritage in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.