Elina Duni Takes on a Professorship in Basel
Singer and composer Elina Duni has been appointed to a professorship in voice and ensemble at the Jazz Institute of the Basel University of Music FHNW.
Raised in Tirana in a family of artists, Duni was already performing on stage at the age of five. After studying classical piano in Geneva, she turned to jazz and founded the Elina Duni Quartet while studying at the Bern University of the Arts. She has been releasing her music on ECM Records since 2012. In addition to her work as a solo artist, she has enjoyed a long-standing musical collaboration with British guitarist Rob Luft. Their joint album, *Reaching for the Moon*, was released in April 2026.
According to the Basel University of Music, Elina Duni’s music blends the song traditions of Albania and the Balkans with the freedom and openness of jazz improvisation. She has made a name for herself internationally with «her distinctive voice, her stylistic versatility, and her unique sensitivity to musical storytelling.».
In 2017, Elina Duni received the Swiss Music Prize, and in 2025, she was honored with the Swiss Jazz Award. She also served as a mentor at the Montreux Jazz Academy.
