The Child Prodigy
70'S
The first recognition by the Ministry of Culture to M. Irma Picari takes place in 1974 as a soloist, during the National Competition of Music Schools in Tirana.
In the same year she won the competition to enter the piano art school.
In these years Irma studied and deepened the piano repertoire of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Moskovskij, Mendelssohn, Haydn, Clementi, Schumann, and at the same time she committed to accompany the violin, clarinet, flute and cello classes.
In 1978 she graduated with honors and won the competition to enter the Tirana Conservatory, placing herself fifirst out of fifty competitors, where she was guided by Prof. Anita Tartari.
80'S
In 1982, as a student, Irma took part in the National Piano Competition in Tirana. She won the contest exhibiting "CARNAVAL" by Schumann, Ballad n. 2 by K. Lara. At the same time, the pianist M. Kristidhi wrote an article in "Drita", the most important newspaper of Albania: "Irma played by transmitting amplitude and vastness of different emotions, taking care of every detail for each number, arriving at unifying the idea without falling into fragmentation".
In that period Irma Picari was requested for numerous recordings on Albanian TV and Radio. At the same time, she continued, as a student, to accompany the brass, violin and cello classes at the Conservatory. Subsequently, Irma was chosen by the Chair, under the guidance of the cello teacher M.Denisi, as chamber music pianist.
In 1983 she graduated with honours, holding for the occasion a concert with the RTA orchestra conducted by Eno Koço, performing the concert nr 1 in B flat minor by Tchaikovsky.
At the same time, Irma won the First Prize in the National Competition with Liszt's Sonata in B minor.
Irma then began her activity as a teacher and a very long series of concerts in which she was engaged both as a soloist and as an accompanist pianist, giving her great fame throughout the country. Appreciated by the State Radio and Television, she was often requested for numerous recordings.
The League of Artists of Albania recognised her as its member in 1985. Irma took part in the National Piano Festival of Tirana with the preview for Albania "Pictures of an exhibition" by Mousorgskij, and the critics nominated her best performer in the piano category. Radio and television requested her to perform this work, which was then taken on tour to various Albanian cities.
In 1987 Irma presented for the first time the Concert for Piano and Orchestra by N.Kraja, under the direction of E.Dizdari, and accompanied by the Durres Symphony Orchestra.
In 1989 Irma played the Sonata N0 1 for violin and piano by B. Bartok, with the violinist Florin Vlashi, for the first time in Albania. The Albanian critic wrote "New sound timbres discovered tonight by Picari... the accompaniment part surpasses the solo one".
Her piano technical researches made Irma the referent of the school of interpretation of Albanian works.