The Shkodra Yunus Emre Institute hosted a chamber music concert by the Western Balkans Youth Orchestra (WBYO). The concert, held on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., the concert, held in the Institute’s garden, brought together young musicians from various countries in Shkodër and treated music lovers to an enjoyable evening with a rich repertoire ranging from classical music pieces to works by Turkish composers and traditional melodies.

Supported by the European Union as well as numerous municipalities and institutions, the Western Balkans Youth Orchestra continues its work as an international organization that brings together young musicians from Balkan countries. Founded in 2019, the orchestra operates with the participation of musicians from many countries and holds concerts in different countries every year.

Speaking at the opening of the concert, Oğuzhan Sakoğlu, Coordinator of the Yunus Emre Institute in Albania, highlighted the importance of Yunus Emre’s approach—centered on love, tolerance, and humanity—in the Institute’s cultural and artistic activities. Noting that the Institute promotes Turkey’s cultural heritage in various countries through its cultural, artistic, and literary activities, Sakoğlu stated that these efforts contribute to cultural diplomacy. Emphasizing that Turkey is an integral part of the Balkans, Sakoğlu thanked the artists and all those who contributed to the event, noting that the Western Balkans Youth Orchestra serves as an important platform for collaboration, bringing together young musicians from different countries.

Following Sakoğlu, Desar Sulejmani, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Western Balkans Youth Orchestra, spoke and expressed his pleasure at performing alongside young musicians in Shkodra. Sulejmani thanked the Yunus Emre Institute for its hospitality and support in organizing the concert, emphasizing the importance of young artists from different countries coming together on the same musical platform. Following Sulejmani’s remarks, the young musicians were invited to the stage, and the concert program began.

The concert featured not only select works from the classical music repertoire but also pieces by Turkish composers and traditional Turkish melodies. Works by Ulvi Cemal Erkin and Nuri Sami Koral, as well as pieces of Turkish music such as “Çayeli’nden Öteye” and “Atabarı,” were performed by the young musicians. The concert, which featured young musicians from Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Italy, Germany, Greece, and Ukraine, included chamber music ensembles composed of various instrument groups—such as string instruments, wind instruments, brass instruments, and piano.

The concert drew intense interest from art lovers in Shkodër thanks to the young musicians’ successful performances and a repertoire that brought together Turkish music with the musical traditions of various countries. The Western Balkans Youth Orchestra’s Shkodra program brought together different cultures on the same stage through the universal language of music and, with the support of the Shkodra Yunus Emre Institute, contributed to strengthening cultural interaction and ties between Turkey and the Balkans.