Fjoralba Zguro always dreamed of being a concert pianist, but educational opportunities in her native Albania were scarce.
“I love my country, but I always felt like I didn’t have the freedom to do what I loved there,” she said. “Music, and especially piano, were the greatest treasures I had; but both, in my opinion, were not appreciated enough in Albania. Albania is still considered a developing country, which means that the people’s attention does not go to education.”
Two years ago, while searching online for college opportunities in the United States, Zguro came across Tyler Junior College -- and its Albanian-born piano professor, Dr. Gjergji Gaqi.
“I decided to contact him and find out more about TJC and its music program and he kindly agreed to help me,” she said. “Even without being here, I loved the place and the faculty. I decided to audition, and I got some amazing scholarships from the music department, so I decided to come to TJC.”
Gaqi said, “Fjoralba has been a great student and a wonderful ambassador of TJC and our music department, eager to perform in many of our ensembles and as a soloist, both on campus events and out in the Tyler community.
“She has many great qualities, not the least of which are her desire to learn and determination to improve. She has made tremendous progress as a pianist here, and I have no doubt she will continue to be successful wherever her next chapter takes her.”
From the moment she arrived, Zguro immersed herself in all things TJC, from Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society to the music department, where she collaborated with the TJC Wind Ensemble, accompanied her fellow instrumental and vocalist students for their recitals, and performed for TJC’s 90th Anniversary Gala.
Next week, she will be the star of her own show and perform a solo recital. The performance is set for 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 30, in Jean Browne Theatre on the TJC main campus. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.
“Recitals are a rite of passage and usually involve a program by many students, but solo recitals are even more special because they are reserved for students of exceptional talent, who are willing to learn the amount of necessary repertoire,” said C. Jeanie Oxler, TJC music department chair and professor. “Alba is truly exceptional and we will miss her, but we know she’s ready to take the next step.”
The next step is a full-tuition scholarship to Baylor University this fall, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in piano performance. She chose Baylor from a list of offers that also included Ithaca College, Stephen F. Austin State University and Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, among others.
Her future academic goals would be to obtain a master’s degree, followed by a doctorate.
“Then, hopefully, after a lot of practicing and performing, my dream of becoming a concert pianist will come true,” she said.
She credits her TJC experience for helping her get this far.
“I’ve met people from very, very different backgrounds and been able to learn from the best professors in the world,” she said. “I will forever be grateful to my piano professor Dr. Gjergji Gaqi and every single one of my professors at TJC because they have brought me one step closer to reaching my goals.”
For more on the TJC music program, go to www.tjc.edu/music.