Gert Kumi
Albanian native, Gert Kumi has performed as a violin soloist and recitalist across North America, Europe, China, South Korea and Africa. Gert began playing violin at age eight. Soon after, he won national recognition as the top prize winner of his country’s music competitions. At age 16, He made his orchestral debut with the Tirana Philharmonic Orchestra.
As concertmaster of the “Young Virtuosi of Tirana” Chamber Orchestra, Gert toured throughout Europe. He performed for dignitaries such as Prince Rainier III of Monaco, the King of Morocco, the Queen of Liechtenstein and the Royal Swedish family. And his performances were featured on radio and television throughout Germany, Austria, Italy, Sweden, and Albania, as well as Hungarian television, and Vatican radio.
In the summer of 1995, Gert was invited to study at the Menuhin Academy in Switzerland, as a scholarship student of Alberto Lysy, protégé of Lord Yehudi Menuhin. In the fall of that year, he was appointed Associate Concertmaster of the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Albania.
In February 2000, Gert immigrated to the United States to begin the Master’s Program at the prestigious Juilliard School, as a scholarship student of Stephen Clapp. He participated in masterclasses with Dorothy DeLay, Itzhak Perlman, David Kim, Donald Weilerstein, Robert McDuffie and many others as part of the DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies at the Juilliard School.
Throughout his career, Gert has played under world renowned conductors such as Sir Roger Norrington, Itzhak Perlman, Jahja Ling, and Otto Werner Mueller. He made his American debut in February 2006, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, performing Chausson’s Concerto for Violin Op. 21 with the Bachanalia Chamber Orchestra. Gert has performed at the most important venues in New York City including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, St. George Theater and Town Hall. In July 2004, he was selected to perform with Sir Elton John as part of the Elton John American Tour Orchestra at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The performances were featured on NBC and Bravo.
From 2005-2007, Gert served as Adjunct Professor at Nyack College in New York City. In 2007, was appointed Artist in Residence at Grace College in Winona Lake, where he served for three years. Under his leadership, the string program grew considerably in both size and quality.
Professor Kumi is currently on the faculty of the Masterworks Festival for Christian Performing Artists in Winona Lake and was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Music at Anderson University. He performs as concertmaster and soloist with Symphony of the Lakes in Winona Lake, and plays regularly with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Anderson Symphony. His Christmas CD “O Come Let Us Adore Him,” which includes some of his favorite Christmas tunes, was successfully released in the fall of 2009.
Gert Kumi has been with Anderson University since 2011.
Contact Gert:
gkumi@anderson.edu
Assistant Professor of Music
B.M., Tirana Arts Academy, Tirana, Albania
M.M., The Juilliard School
