Xheni (Jenny) Sinaj - Piano

Xheni Sinaj was born in Elbasan, Albania. She started her first piano lessons when she was 6 years old. She graduated from “Jordan Misja” High School, a very reputable public arts specialized high school in Tirana, Albania. Almost every famous Albanian artist within Albania and in today’s diaspora is alumni.

In autumn 2014, she was accepted into the public arts specialized university, University of Arts Tirana. She studied under the famous Albanian pianist, Professor Anita Tartari and Professor Marin Gjollma. During her years as a student, she was very active in competitions, including the National Piano Competition held in Saranda, Songs of the Earth, where she was awarded with first prize in 2009 and 2011. In 2012, she won another national piano competition called Pjeter Gaci, held in Shkoder, a city known for being the cradle of Albanian culture. In November 2011, she was invited to play the Franz Liszt piano concerto no.1 as a soloist.

During her first year as an undergraduate student, she was elected to participate in the 2014 Pianodrom International Piano Festival, in the night dedicated to the Young Talents of Albania. In her second year, she was invited to accompany the baroque string ensemble of the University of Arts on the harpsichord.

In 2018, she started her Master’s program at the University of Victoria under the tutelage of Canadian pianist Arthur Rowe. In April 2019, she won the concerto competition at the University of Victoria, and in January 2020, she performed the B-flat major Beethoven Concerto as a soloist with the University of Victoria Orchestra. She also accompanied the Uvic Wind Symphony for one semester and worked as a teaching assistant at University of Victoria for 2 years, 2018-2020. She successfully graduated from her Masters in May 2020.

She has 6 years of experience teaching piano to students of all ages and levels and is currently a sessional instructor at the University of Victoria.