BIOGRAPHY
Born in 2000, Anila Aliu has established an international concert career spanning Europe, Asia, and Americas. Recognized for her depth of interpretation and commanding stage presence, she has been lauded as “A young star in the world of classical music” and celebrated as
“The golden girl who is breaking boundaries with her talent, giving Kosovo a voice all over the world.”
Anila began her piano studies at the age of seven and made her performance debut at eight. Since then, she has earned top prizes at competitions across the globe, including first prize and special awards at the Golden Classical Music Awards in New York and London, NSMC Competition in Chicago, International Piano Competition Bangkok, San Donà di Piave Venezia, the Swiss International School of Culture and Art in Lugano, Chopin Piano Kosovo Competition, Piano Competition Mozart, as well as numerous competitions across the Balkans. Recently, she was awarded first prize at the Concerto Competition at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, making her a soloist with the CCPA Orchestra.
Her concerto collaborations include the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra, Balkan Mediterranean Orchestra (Italy), Xalapa Filarmonia Orchestra (Mexico), Eastern Illinois Orchestra, the CCPA Orchestra, and the Heartland Festival Orchestra.
Her performances have taken her to major international venues and festivals in the United States, Kosovo, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Mexico, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Thailand and Malaysia. Her appearances include
Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, Gotham Hall (New York), Beethoven-Haus Bonn (Kammermusiksaal), Bonner Schumannfest (Germany), Chopin Piano Fest (Kosovo), Vienna International Pianists (Austria), Asia Pacific Arts Festival (Malaysia), Bach Festival (Wisconsin), Piano Loop Festival (Croatia), DAM Festival (Kosovo), Klassik zu Gast bei Coppeneur (Germany), Fest 62 (Albania), European Music Institute Vienna (Austria), IPSIA (Italy), Pro Klassik Deutschland (Germany), ESMA Western Balkans (Kosovo), International Festival Brescia (Italy), Salvatorberg Festivals (Germany), Tower Arts Series (Chicago), Army Navy Country Club (Washington D.C), Dvorak Hall (Charleston), AARC Gala (Recital under the patronage and in the presence of the President of Kosovo).
Her musicality has drawn praise from the legendary pianist Dmitri Alexeev, who commended her “true musicality” and described her playing as both deeply thoughtful and brilliant. She has further refined her artistry through masterclasses with distinguished pianists including Sarah
Davis Buechner, Natalia Trull, Dmitri Alexeev, Dragomir Bratić, Andreas Frölich, Stephan Möller, Milana Chernyavskaya, Winston Choi, Jason Moy, Chi-Chen Wu, and Christoph Declara.
In addition to her performance career, Anila is active as both educator and mentor. She serves as a jury member at international festivals, where she adjudicates and presents masterclasses, and is on the piano faculty at the New Music School in Chicago, working with students from early childhood through advanced levels. She is also a member of the Steinway & Sons STEP program, joining a global community dedicated to artistic excellence.
She is currently pursuing her second Master of Music in Piano Performance at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, where she also completed her Artist Diploma under the tutelage of internationally celebrated pianist Professor Adam Neiman. She previously
earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Pristina in Kosovo.
Anila was recognized as the 36th most influential classical musician on the Internet, ranked among the Top 70 worldwide for her role in drawing new audiences into classical music.
In 2026, she was honored with a Citation from the New York State Assembly, recognizing her artistic achievements and her role as a cultural ambassador representing Kosovo on the global stage.
Awards and concerts:
2026- Concert at the NSMC, Skokie, IL, USA. 2026- Winner of “North Shore Music Club Competition, Chicago, USA. 2026- Soloist with the Heartland Festival Orchestra, Peoria, IL, USA 2026- Concert at “Bach Around the Clock” Festival, Madison, Wisconsin, USA 2026- Citation from the New York State Assembly, New York State Capitol, Albany, USA 2025- Concert at the Army Navy Country Club, Washington DC, USA 2025- Soloist with the CCPA Orchestra, Graz Hall, Chicago, USA 2025- Concert at the AARC Gala, Gotham Hall, New York, USA 2025- Adjudicating at Asia Pacific International Arts Festival - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2025- "Distinguished Artist Prize" Book of Records - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2025- Concert at Asia Pacific International Arts Festival - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2025- Recital at CCPA, Ganz Hall, Chicago, USA 2025- Main Prize at the Solo Concerto Competition, Chicago, USA 2025- Piano Fest at CCPA, Chicago, USA 2024- Concert at Brescia Summer Music Festival 2024- "Distinguished Artist Prize" Book of Records - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2024- Adjudicating at Asia Pacific International Arts Festival - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2024- Concert at Asia Pacific International Arts Festival I- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2024- Concert at Asia Pacific International Arts Festival II- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2024- Recital at CCPA Ganz Hall- Chicago, Illinois
2024- Recital at Tower Arts Series- Chicago, USA
2023- Concert at Fest 62 Festival of Music and Arts- Tirana, Albania
2023- Concert in Piano Fest "Rachmaninoff 150" - CCPA at Roosevelt University Chicago, USA
2023- Concert in "Bonner Schumannfest"- Bonn, Germany 2023- Concert in "Town Hall"- New York, USA 2023-"World Championship International Competition"- FIRST Prize- Bangkok, Thailand 2023-"World Championship International Competition"- Showmanship Award- Bangkok, Thailand 2023- Solo Concert in Ljubljana, Slovenia
2023- Chamber music Concert in Ljubljana, Slovenia
2022- Piano Concerto- Soloist with Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra- Prishtina, Kosovo 2022- Piano Concerto- Soloist with Mexican Orchestra Filarmonía- Orizaba, Mexico 2022- Piano Concerto- Soloist with Mexican Orchestra Filarmonía- Puebla, Mexico 2022- Piano Concerto- Soloist with Mexican Orchestra Filarmonía- Tlaxcala, Mexico 2022- Piano Concerto- Soloist with Mexican Orchestra Filarmonía- Xalapa, Mexico 2022- Recital Concert in "Klassik zu Gast bei Coppeneur"- Bonn, Germany 2022- Recital Concert in Salvatorkirche- Aachen, Germany 2022- Concert in "Hrvatski Dom"- Split, Croatia 2022- Performance in "Piano LOOP Festival"- Split, Croatia 2022- Recital Concert in "Gesellschaft für Musiktheater"- Vienna, Austria 2021-"The most distinguished Student of University of Arts" University Prize- Prishtina, Kosovo 2021- Concert in “Carnegie Hall”- New York, USA
2021-“Golden Classical Music Awards Winner”- New York USA
2021- Concert at Ehrbarsaal- Vienna, Austria
2021- Concert at Laudon Palace- Vienna, Austria 2021-“Chopin Piano Fest “ Concert and special Prize
2021-“ISCART International Music Competition”- (First Prize), Lugano, Switzerland
2021-“Mozart International Piano Competition”- (Frist Prize)- Belgrade, Serbia
2021-“Bangkok International Piano Competition”- (First Prize), Bangkok, Thailand
2020-“Golden Classical Music Awards”- (Prize: Performance at Carnegie Hall), New York- US
2020-“Golden Classical Music Awards”- (First Prize), New York- US
2020- Recital concert, Aachen- Germany
2020- Recital concert, Konigswinter- Germany
2019-“San Dona di Piave”, Venice – Italy (Special prize)
2019- Recital concert, Bonn- Germany
2019- Concert at “Chopin Piano Fest”, Prishtina- Kosovo
2019- Concert, Peja- Kosovo
2019- Concert, Prizren- Kosovo
2019- Concert, Tetovo- North Macedonia
2019- Concert, Gjakova- Kosovo
2019- Concert, Tirana- Albania
2019- Concert, Prishtina- Kosovo
2018- Mayor of the High Schools of Gjilan- Prize shared from the Municipal Directorate of Education
2018- Recital concert for Singaporeans artists, Prishtina- Kosovo
2018-“ARS Kosova” , Prishtina- Kosovo (Absolute prize 100 points)
2018-“European Academy- ESMA”, Gjakova- Kosovo (Special Prize)
2018- Recital concert , Prishtina- Kosovo
2018-“Best student”, Gjilan- Kosova
2018-“Chopin Piano Fest”, Prishtina- Kosova (First prize, Special prize)
2017- Mayor of KYC (Kosovo Youth Council)
2017-“Student of the year”, Gjilan- Kosovo
2017-”Gevgelija International Competitions”, Gevgelija- North Macedonia (Absolute Prize 100 points)
2017-“Polihymnia International Competitions”, Skopje- North Macedonia (first prize)
2017-“The Young Pianist”, Prishtina- Kosovo (Absolute prize 100 points)
2017- Concert with the Mediterranean Orchestra, Forli- Italy 2017- Concert with the Mediterranean Orchestra, Santa Sofia- Italy
2017-“Pjetër Gaci”, Shkodra- Albania (First prize)
2017-“ARS Kosovo” , Prishtina- Kosovo (First prize)
2016-“EPTA Piano Competitions”, Tirana- Albania (First prize)
2016-“ARS Kosovo” , Prishtina- Kosovo (First prize)
2015-“Student of the year”, Gjilan- Kosovo
2015-“Lithuania International Competitions”, Kaunas- Lithuania (Third Prize, Special Prize)
2014-“ Knowledge quiz”, Gjilan- Kosovë (Second prize)
2014-“The Young Pianist”, Gjakova- Kosovo (First prize)
2014-“The Young Pianist”, Gjakova- Kosovo (Prize: “Kosovo representation in Lithuania”)
2013-“The Young Pianist”, Prishtina- Kosovo (Absolute first prize 100 points)
2012- Concert with the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra, Prishtina- Kosovo
2011-“The Young Pianist”, Prishtina- Kosovo (Absolute first prize)
2011-“The Young Pianist”, Prishtina- Kosovo (Prize: Soloist with the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra)
2011-”Citta di Barletta”, Bari- Italy (Special jury prize)
2010-”Citta di Barletta”, Bari- Itali (Second prize)
2010-“Pianisti i Ri”, Prishtina- Kosovo (First prize)
2010-“ARS Kosova” , Prishtina- Kosovo (First prize)
2009-“Pianisti i Ri”, Mitrovica- Kosovo (Special jury prize)
"SHE HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A SPARKLING STAR IN THE MUSIC WORLD"
BONNER GENERAL ANZEIGER