Petrit Ceku is a renowned classical guitarist from Kosovo who has gained international recognition for his exceptional talent and virtuosity. Born on February 5, 1985, in Prizren, Kosovo, Ceku showed an early interest in music and began playing the guitar at the age of seven. He was inspired by his father, Luan Ceku, who was also a guitarist and a music teacher. Ceku's early musical education was in Kosovo, where he studied with his father and later with the renowned guitarist, Xhevdet Sahatxhija. He also attended the Music High School in Pristina, where he received a solid foundation in music theory and performance. In 2002, Ceku won first prize at the International Guitar Competition in Tirana, Albania, which marked the beginning of his successful career as a classical guitarist. In 2004, Ceku moved to Zagreb, Croatia, to study at the Music Academy with the renowned guitarist, Darko Petrinjak. He graduated with honors in 2008 and continued his studies with Petrinjak as a postgraduate student. During his time in Zagreb, Ceku won several prestigious international competitions, including the Andres Segovia International Guitar Competition in Velbert, Germany, and the Michele Pittaluga International Classical Guitar Competition in Alessandria, Italy. Ceku's international career took off in 2007 when he won first prize at the Anna Amalia International Guitar Competition in Weimar, Germany. This was followed by a series of successful performances and collaborations with leading orchestras and conductors around the world. In 2009, Ceku made his debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York, where he received critical acclaim for his performance of works by Bach, Scarlatti, and Piazzolla. Since then, Ceku has performed in major concert halls and festivals in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and the Seoul Arts Center. He has also collaborated with leading orchestras such as the Zagreb Philharmonic, the Slovenian Philharmonic, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, and the Tokyo Philharmonic. Ceku's repertoire is diverse and includes works from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods. He is particularly known for his interpretations of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Francisco Tárrega, and Manuel Ponce. He has also premiered works by contemporary composers such as Tonči Huljić, Dušan Bogdanović, and Vojislav Ivanović. Ceku's exceptional talent and virtuosity have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. In addition to his competition wins, he has received the Young Musician of the Year award from the Croatian Ministry of Culture, the Porin award for Best Classical Music Album, and the Medal of Merit from the President of Kosovo. He has also been a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, which allowed him to study at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, with the renowned guitarist Manuel Barrueco. Ceku is also a dedicated teacher and has given masterclasses and workshops at leading music institutions around the world, including the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Juilliard School in New York, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He is currently a professor of guitar at the Music Academy in Zagreb, where he continues to inspire and mentor the next generation of classical guitarists.

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