Qëndrim Rijani

He is also the director of the first opera in the Albanian language in North Macedonia.

• Name — Qëndrim Rijani • Born — 30 March 1990 • Birthplace — Kichevo, North Macedonia • Education — University of Arts, Tirana • Occupation — theatre director, professor • Citizenship — North Macedonia, Albania • Years Active — 2013–present

Qëndrim Rijani was born on 30 March 1990 in Kichevo, North Macedonia. He attended elementary and high school in his hometown. He got a theatre director degree in the University of Arts, Tirana. In this same university, he got his master's degree in Spectacle and Theatre Directing with his thesis called: "Kiçi dhe kthetrat e tij". He has directed many successful Albanian and foreign plays that have been produced in Albania, North Macedonia Kosovo and Croatia.These plays have also been performed at theatrical festivals in several countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey Hungary, Croatia and Bulgaria. Qëndrim Rijani brought to the audience the play “Xhelatët” (Hangmen), the opera “Skënderbeu” (Scanderbeg), the play "Артуро Уи" (The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui),the play "Tri Motrat"(Three Sisters (play), the play "Makbethi" (The Tragedie of Macbeth), the play "На дното" (The Lower Depths), the play "Julije Cezar" (The Tragedy of Julius Caesar), the play Otello (Othello). • Illustration — The director Qëndrim Rijani while receiving an award from the ex-president of the Republic of North Macedonia. To this day, he has directed 29 plays in professional national and city theatres, one opera and three documentary films: • “Ne vijmë për Ajër” (based on - Catastrophic Love Puzzles in Outer Space) - Scott O'Moore • “Kapitulli i Dytë” (Chapter Two) - Neil Simon • “Gjymtimi” (based on - A Behanding in Spokane) - Martin McDonagh • “Doktor Shuster” (Doktor Šuster / Doctor Shoemaker) - Dušan Kovačević • “Art” - Yasmina Reza • “Gënjeshtër Pas Gënjeshtre” (The Lying Kind) - Anthony Neilson • “Ushtria e Ui Tomasit” (based on - The Lieutenant of Inishmore) - Martin McDonagh • “Shtëpia e Bernarda Albës” (The House of Bernarda Alba) - Federico Garcia Lorca • “Darka e Thërrimeve” (Dinner of crumbs) - Refet Abazi • “39 Hapat” (based on- The 39 Steps) - Alfred Hitchcock • “Gratë” (based on- Huit femmes / Eight Women) - Robert Thomas • “Roberto Xuko” (Roberto Zucco) - Bernard-Marie Koltès • “Në Det” (Na pełnym morzu / Out at Sea) - Sławomir Mrożek • "Jashtë Bie Borë" (...e fuori nevica! / And It's Snowing Outside) - Vincenzo Salemme • "Xhelatët (Hangmen)" - Martin McDonagh • "Opera për tre grosh" (The Threepenny Opera) - Bertolt Brecht • "Plus 18" (based on Edmond) - David Mamet & Arian Krasniqi • " Të Xhindosurit" (based on - Twelve Angry Men) - Reginald Rose • "Fishkëllimë në Errësirë" (A Whistle in the Dark) - Tom Murphy • "Tregtari i Venedikut" (The Merchant of Venice) -William Shakespeare • "Артуро Уи / Arturo Ui" (The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui) -Bertold Brecht • "Tri Motrat"(Three Sisters (play) -Anton Chekhov • "Жени во собрание" (based on - Assemblywomen) -Aristophanes & Biljana Krajchevska • "Tartufi" (Tartuffe)-Molière • "На дното" (The Lower Depths) - Maxim Gorky • "Makbethi" (The Tragedie of Macbeth) - William Shakespeare • "Körler" (based on The Blind) - Maurice Maeterlinck & In the Name of Identity -Amin Maalouf • "Julije Cezar" (The Tragedy of Julius Caesar) - William Shakespeare • "Otello" (Othello) - William Shakespeare • Illustration — Qëndrim Rijani during a rehearsal of the opera "Skënderbeu" (Scanderbeg) in the National Theatre of Opera and Balet of the Republic of North Macedonia.

The opera “Skënderbeu” (Scanderbeg) is one of the most important works of Qëndrim Rijani as a director, on which he worked with the composer Fatos Lumani and the librettist Arian Krasniqi. This opera is the first Albanian opera in North Macedonia. This historical opera premiered at the national theater of the Macedonian Opera and Ballet on 23 December 2019.

• Year — Documentary — Script — Director — Festivals — Awards — Ref. • 2017 — "Kokën Mbrapa" — Qëndrim Rijani — Qëndrim Rijani — / — / • 2021 — "Në mundsh" — Based on "Kronikë në gurë" - Ismail Kadare — Qëndrim Rijani — / — / • 2025 — "Promised land" — Venko Andonoski — Qëndrim Rijani — 4 — 2

These performances have received over seventy prizes. Through them, he has earned sixteen personal awards as a director, including awards such as "Director of the Year" in Albania, "Director of the Year" in North Macedonia, the "Performance of the Year" award in Kosovo, the "Vojdan Chernodrinski" award for the best direction (won twice, in 2022 and 2025), the "Moisiu" award for the best direction and the best performance. Additionally, he was named the "Artist of the Year" by the Presidential Office of Republic of North Macedonia". • Year — Title — Author — Institution — City/Country — Festivals — Awards — Ref. • 2013 — "Ne vijmë për Ajër" Based on -Catastrophic Love Puzzles in Outer Space — Scott O. Moore — National theater — Tirana / AL — 1 — 1 • 2013 — "Kapitulli i Dytë" (Chapter Two) — Neil Simon — Andon Zako Çajupi Theater — Korcha (Korçë) / AL — 5 — 5 • 2014 — "Gjymtimi" Based on-A Behanding in Spokane — Martin McDonagh — National Albanian Theater — Skopje / RNM — 6 — 6 • 2015 — "Doktor Shuster" (Doktor Šuster / Doctor Shoemaker) — Dušan Kovačević — Andon Zako Cajupi Theater — Korcha (Korçë) / AL — 8 — 10 • 2015 — "Art" — Yasmina Reza — National Theater of Tetovo — Tetovo / RNM — 3 — 1 • 2015 — "Gënjeshtër Pas Gënjeshtre" (The Lying Kind) — Anthony Neilson — National Experimental Theater — Tirana / AL — - — - • 2016 — "Ushtria e Ui Tomasit" Based on-The Lieutenant of Inishmore — Martin McDonagh — National Theater of Tetovo — Tetovo / RNM — 1 — - • 2016 — "Shtëpia e Bernarda Albës" (The House of Bernarda Alba) — Federico Garcia Lorca — Andon Zako Cajupi Theater — Korcha (Korçë) / AL — 1 — - • 2016 — "Darka e Thërrimeve" (Dinner of crumbs) — Refet Abazi — National Albanian theater — Skopje / RNM — 3 — 4 • 2017 — "39 Hapat" Based on- The 39 Steps — Alfred Hitchcock — Metropol Theater — Tirana / AL — 1 — 3 • 2017 — "Gratë" Based on-Huit femmes / Eight Women — Robert Thomas — National Albanian Theater — Skopje / RNM — 7 — 16 • 2018 — "Roberto Xuko" (Roberto Zucco) — Bernard-Marie Koltès — Bekim Fehmiu Theater — Prizen / RKS — 1 — - • 2018 — "Në Det" (Na pełnym morzu / Out at Sea) — Sławomir Mrożek — National Albanian Theater — Kumanovo / RNM — 1 — - • 2018 — "Jashtë Bie Borë" (...e fuori nevica! / And It's Snowing Outside) — Vincenzo Salemme — National Theater of Tetovo — Tetovo / RNM — 7 — 4 • 2019 — "Xhelatët" (Hangmen) — Martin McDonagh — National theater — Tirana / AL — - — - • 2019 — "Skënderbeu" (The Opera Scanderbeg) — Librettist:Arian Krasniqi Composer: Fatos Lumani — Nacional Macedonian Opera and Ballet Theater — Skopje / RNM — - — - • 2020 — "Opera për tre grosh" (The Threepenny Opera) — Bertolt Brecht — Nacional Theater of Tetovo — Tetovo / RNM — - — - • 2021 — "Plus 18" Based on Edmond — David Mamet & Arian Krasniqi — Theater Hadi Shehu — Gjakovë / RKS — 2 — 2 • 2021 — "Të Xhindosurit" Based on- Twelve Angry Men — Reginald Rose — National Theater of Gostivar — Gostivar / RNM — 1 — 1 • 2021 — "Fishkëllimë në Errësirë" (A Whistle in the Dark) — Tom Murphy — National theater — Kumanovo / RNM — - — - • 2022 — "Tregtari i Venedikut" (The Merchant of Venice) — William Shakespeare — Andon Zako Cajupi Theater — Korcha (Korçë) / AL — 3 — 2 • 2022 — "Артуро Уи" (The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui) — Bertolt Brecht — National Theater of Bitola — Bitola / RNM — 1 — 5 • 2022 — "Tri Motrat" (Three Sisters (play) — Anton Chekhov — National Albanian Theater — Skopje / RNM — 1 — 3 • 2023 — "Жени во собрание" Based on-Assemblywomen — Aristophanes & Biljana Krajchevska — National Theater of Comedy — Skopje / RNM — 2 — 1 • 2023 — "Tartufi "(Tartuffe) — Molière — Theater of Gjilan — Gjilan / RKS — 1 — 5 • 2024 — "На дното" (The Lower Depths) — Maxim Gorky — National Theater of Bitola — Bitola / RNM — 1 — 1 • 2024 — "Makbethi "(The Tragedie of Macbeth) — William Shakespeare — National Theater of Kosova — Pristina / RKS — - — - • 2024 — "Körler" based on The Blind & In the Name of Identity — Maurice Maeterlinck & Amin Maalouf — National Turkish Theater — Skopje / RNM — 6 — 4 • 2025 — Julije Cezar (The Tragedy of Julius Caesar) — William Shakespeare — Hrvatsko narodno kazalište Split -Splitsko Ljeto / Croatian National Theater Split - Split Summer Festival — Split / HR — 1 — 1 • 2026 — Otello (Othello) — William Shakespeare — National Theater of Albania — Tirana / AL — - — -

Besides the awards won by plays in festival, Qëndrim Rijani has also received these yearly awards for his work as a theater director: • Year — Award — Presented by • 2015 — Achievement of the Year in Stage Arts — Milingona e artë • 2016 — Director of the Year — Akademia Kult • 2021 — Play of the Year — Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kosovo • 2022 — Vojdan Chernodrinski — Theater Festival "Vojdan Chernodrinski" • 2022 — Moisiu — Theater Festival "Aleksandër Moisiu" • 2022 — Artist of the Year — Presidential Office of the Republic of North Macedonia • 2025 — Vojdan Chernodrinski — Theater Festival "Vojdan Chernodrinski"