Biography
Kreshnik Zhabjaku began his singing career at the age of four. When he was twelve, he won
First Prize in the "Young Voices" competition in his native Albania. In 1993, he graduated from
the artistic lyceum Jordan Misja. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance
from Tirana's Academy of Fine Arts in 1997 and his Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance
from the Mannes College of Music in New York, 2003. Among his many distinctions and
honors, Mr. Zhabjaku performed by special invitation in concerts at the Music University of
Vienna and at the Annecy Festival in France; he participated in master classes on old
Andalusian Music in Marseilles; he won First Prize as "Best Young Singer" in Albania's Art
Song Performance competition and he was winner of the prestigious Arleen Auger Memorial
Fund Scholarship for 2001. April 2009 he attended Master Classes at Academia Ca`Zenobio
Fondazione Cassamarca under Prof. Alessandra Althoof. He was a finalist at the Nico Castel
International Master Singer Competition which took place on 19 of February 2011 at Weill
Recital Hall, NYC. He is featured in the edition of 2010-2011 of Cambridge Who’s Who a
renowned Organization of highly accomplished Professionals, Executives and Entrepreneurs.
Mr. Zhabjaku performed with many outstanding orchestras in Europe and appeared regularly
in France, Italy and Austria. He has appeared as guest soloist with the Radio-Television
Symphonic Orchestra of Albania and with the Symphony Orchestra of the Albanian National
Opera. Even as a student he was engaged to perform many operatic roles in opera including
Mozart's Figaro, the title role in Don Giovanni, and Germont in Verdi's La Traviata. He was also
regularly featured as baritone soloist in numerous recitals and concerts and as Masetto
became the first student to appear on the stage of the Albanian National Opera House in a
special production of Mozart's Don Giovanni for the Austrian Minister of Culture. Another first
was marked with his performances as Gaudenzio in premiere of Rossini's Il Signor
Bruschino. He performed and served as emcee for the Fifteenth and Sixteen Annual
Albanian Folk Music Festival at Lehman Center for the Arts, NYC. He also débuted with The
Monmouth Civic Chorus as soloist in Händel's Messiah at the historic Count Basie Theatre in
Red Bank, NJ. Mr. Zhabjaku was featured in Salzburg, Austria singing at the well-known
Weiner Saal, Mozarteum, Castle Höch, Castle Mirabel.
Mr. Zhabjaku sang his first Aeneas in a new production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with the
One World Symphony and gave a "command performance" at the German Consulate in New
York of Beethoven's six-song cycle An die ferne Geliebte. He made his US concert début as
soloist in Händel's Messiah with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra under the
direction of Maestro Markand Thakar, and was enthusiastically acclaimed for his stirring
performances in the all-Schumann programs at New York's Weill Recital Hall. He sang
Belcore in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore in his company début with Houston's Opera in the
Heights and was enthusiastically praised when he returned to sing his first Don Giovanni in
the United States. He made his company début with L'Opéra Français de New York as the
Grand Priest in Rameau's Castor et Pollux with Maestro Yves Abel conducting and he also
performed in Bel Canto at Caramoor, 2005 and 2007. In 2008 Mr. Zhabjaku was highly
received in Albanian’s National Opera House for his Figaro in Rossini’s Barber of Seville. His
Mozart’s Figaro in Marriage of Figaro was also very well received at Rogue Opera, Ashland,
Oregon 2010. April-May 2011 he came back at Rogue Opera to sing the role of Giorgio
Germont, in La Traviata of G. Verdi, where he was acclaimed very well again. In March 2011 Mr.
Zhabjaku performed a magnificent concert at the leFrak Concert Hall in Queens, NY and
played the role of Mordecai in the new Opera production Queen Esther in the JCC in
Manhattan, NY.
First Prize in the "Young Voices" competition in his native Albania. In 1993, he graduated from
the artistic lyceum Jordan Misja. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance
from Tirana's Academy of Fine Arts in 1997 and his Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance
from the Mannes College of Music in New York, 2003. Among his many distinctions and
honors, Mr. Zhabjaku performed by special invitation in concerts at the Music University of
Vienna and at the Annecy Festival in France; he participated in master classes on old
Andalusian Music in Marseilles; he won First Prize as "Best Young Singer" in Albania's Art
Song Performance competition and he was winner of the prestigious Arleen Auger Memorial
Fund Scholarship for 2001. April 2009 he attended Master Classes at Academia Ca`Zenobio
Fondazione Cassamarca under Prof. Alessandra Althoof. He was a finalist at the Nico Castel
International Master Singer Competition which took place on 19 of February 2011 at Weill
Recital Hall, NYC. He is featured in the edition of 2010-2011 of Cambridge Who’s Who a
renowned Organization of highly accomplished Professionals, Executives and Entrepreneurs.
Mr. Zhabjaku performed with many outstanding orchestras in Europe and appeared regularly
in France, Italy and Austria. He has appeared as guest soloist with the Radio-Television
Symphonic Orchestra of Albania and with the Symphony Orchestra of the Albanian National
Opera. Even as a student he was engaged to perform many operatic roles in opera including
Mozart's Figaro, the title role in Don Giovanni, and Germont in Verdi's La Traviata. He was also
regularly featured as baritone soloist in numerous recitals and concerts and as Masetto
became the first student to appear on the stage of the Albanian National Opera House in a
special production of Mozart's Don Giovanni for the Austrian Minister of Culture. Another first
was marked with his performances as Gaudenzio in premiere of Rossini's Il Signor
Bruschino. He performed and served as emcee for the Fifteenth and Sixteen Annual
Albanian Folk Music Festival at Lehman Center for the Arts, NYC. He also débuted with The
Monmouth Civic Chorus as soloist in Händel's Messiah at the historic Count Basie Theatre in
Red Bank, NJ. Mr. Zhabjaku was featured in Salzburg, Austria singing at the well-known
Weiner Saal, Mozarteum, Castle Höch, Castle Mirabel.
Mr. Zhabjaku sang his first Aeneas in a new production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with the
One World Symphony and gave a "command performance" at the German Consulate in New
York of Beethoven's six-song cycle An die ferne Geliebte. He made his US concert début as
soloist in Händel's Messiah with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra under the
direction of Maestro Markand Thakar, and was enthusiastically acclaimed for his stirring
performances in the all-Schumann programs at New York's Weill Recital Hall. He sang
Belcore in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore in his company début with Houston's Opera in the
Heights and was enthusiastically praised when he returned to sing his first Don Giovanni in
the United States. He made his company début with L'Opéra Français de New York as the
Grand Priest in Rameau's Castor et Pollux with Maestro Yves Abel conducting and he also
performed in Bel Canto at Caramoor, 2005 and 2007. In 2008 Mr. Zhabjaku was highly
received in Albanian’s National Opera House for his Figaro in Rossini’s Barber of Seville. His
Mozart’s Figaro in Marriage of Figaro was also very well received at Rogue Opera, Ashland,
Oregon 2010. April-May 2011 he came back at Rogue Opera to sing the role of Giorgio
Germont, in La Traviata of G. Verdi, where he was acclaimed very well again. In March 2011 Mr.
Zhabjaku performed a magnificent concert at the leFrak Concert Hall in Queens, NY and
played the role of Mordecai in the new Opera production Queen Esther in the JCC in
Manhattan, NY.
Kreshnik Zhabjaku
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