On April 10, 1921 , Mustafa Krantja, conductor, music activist, and professor of People’s Artist, was born in Kavajë. He started his artistic activity in 1943, as a violinist in the orchestra of Radio Tirana. He completed his conducting studies at the Prague Conservatory (1950). His professional career as a conductor was closely related to the establishment and activity of the main Albanian musical institutions , such as the Symphony Orchestra of the Albanian Philharmonic, the Opera and Ballet Theater and the Albanian Radio Television. During the years 1950–1960 he conducted the main part of the stage repertoire of the Opera and Ballet Theater and many of the first symphony concerts in the country. He participated in important international activities of the time. As a co-founder of the conducting class at the State Conservatory of Tirana, he practiced pedagogical activity for a long time. He also engaged in music journalism (published dozens of articles) and provided active assistance in the formation of symphony orchestras in several major cities of the country. He has composed several songs, including the song for Asim Zeneli, and orchestral and symphonic pieces. He received the Republic Award. He was decorated with the “Dvorzhak” medal from the Czech Republic’s president and the “Honour of the Nation” Order. (In the photo: Mustafa Krantja)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1335.
Photo: © https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Krantja
Graphic processing: AHCF
