Aurélienne Brauner
Can you introduce yourself?
My background in music is classical: I started very young, then went to the Conservatoire de Paris. Later, I moved around a lot for my studies (Germany, England). After that, I secured a position in an orchestra in France, at the Bordeaux Opera, and later as a solo cellist at the Radio, with the Orchestre National de France.
So, I have traveled a lot, going abroad and touring across Europe, Asia, and the United States.
When was the first time you visited Kosovo?
I had already been to Albania, in Tirana, and an Albanian cellist friend who knows well the Balkans region connected me with Dardan Noka, the Interim Director of the Kosovo Philharmonic. That is how I was invited to perform in Kosovo for the first time in March 2024.
It was my first time there, and the people were very warm and welcoming. They have limited resources, with no proper concert hall, but given the circumstances, people are incredibly committed and strive to make many things happen. It was very interesting to perform there, especially since I played a French piece that is rarely performed. They gave me the opportunity to play this piece, even though it is not very well known.
For foreign musicians, it is a truly great opportunity. I feel that Kosovars are genuinely happy to invite musicians. The French Embassy is also keen on fostering initiatives and bringing in French artists to develop partnerships.
When was the last time you visited Kosovo?
After my first concert in Kosovo in March 2024, they invited me to return in September 2024. That was also very interesting because I had the opportunity to premiere a piece by the young composer Dea Ahma. I do a lot of contemporary music, so I was thrilled to premiere her work. It is also a great opportunity to build connections with foreign artists and collaborate with Kosovar composers—they don’t always have the chance to do that.
Do you plan to perform in Kosovo again?
For now, no dates have been set, but I would love to do more projects in the future since I’ve already formed connections here. People are so warm and welcoming, which makes it really enjoyable. I think it’s different from Paris: there, we have so many possibilities and more resources, but people can sometimes be arrogant and complain. In Kosovo, it’s the opposite—they manage to create things with limited means, and they truly deserve to be encouraged.
Would you like to share an anecdote with us ?
At the last concert I did in Kosovo, my shoes broke right before the performance. Everyone was scrambling to fix them, but in the end, I decided to play barefoot. It was my first barefoot concert, and now I regularly perform barefoot in Paris!
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