Adea Badivuku is a distinguished Kosovan pianist and a prizewinner of several international piano competitions. She has extensively concertized throughout Europe, the Balkans, and the United States, including at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. She is the first pianist from Kosovo to have earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from an R1 institution in the United States.

As a passionate advocate for contemporary music, Badivuku is the co-founder and director of the Shadows Contemporary Art Festival in Kosovo and Reno, as well as of the ADEDUO ensemble. She has played a pivotal role in organizing and leading the music scene in Reno, curating innovative performances, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and expanding opportunities for young musicians. She also served as President of the UNR Collegiate Chapter of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), leading initiatives that strengthened music education and community engagement.

Her commitment to both performance and pedagogy has earned her national recognition. In 2024, she became an MTNA Nationally Certified Teacher of Music in Piano, and she was honored with the prestigious Top Teacher Award from Steinway & Sons for her contributions to music education.

She has received numerous awards and distinctions, including First Prize at the 2021 New York International Piano Competition, Ars Kosova International Piano Competition (2014), Pianisti i Ri (2013), among others. Her achievements have been further recognized through prestigious honors such as the Loretta Beckman-Carr Piano Scholarship, Barringere Music Scholarship, Shirley & G.B. Avansino Scholarship, Margaret Ryan Sampson Endowed Award, and James Tenney Memorial Music Scholarship, along with full-tuition waivers for all her graduate studies. In 2022/2023, she was named UNR’s Most Outstanding International Graduate Student, and in June 2023, she received the Recognition for Contribution to Culture and Arts in Kosovo from the Bureau of Youth, Culture, and Sports of Vushtrri, Kosovo.

Currently, Badivuku serves on the piano faculty at Cuesta College and Allan Hancock College in California. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Prishtina in Kosovo, her Master of Music degree from Central Michigan University, and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with renowned pianists including Alfred Brendel, Giovanni Bellucci, Derek Han, David Rosenboom, and Jon Nakamatsu. She is also widely recognized for her dedication to contemporary music and her exceptional artistic leadership.