Elisso Bolkvadze on the Batumi Black Sea Music & Art Festival (BBSMAF) 2019

Exclusive Interview

The #SpendYourSummerInGeorgia campaign has proved to be one of the most successful social campaigns launched in Georgia. Begun in 2019, it calls on thousands of travelers all around the globe to choose this country for their summer holidays this year. Mesmerizing nature and landscapes, stunning historical and cultural sights sprawled across the various regions of the country, mouthwatering food and unforgettable hospitability, Georgia has it all! All of the above has allowed Georgians to speak out proudly about their homeland and invite foreigners with confidence. However, there is yet another feature which makes it worth visiting Georgia this summer – music!

In 2019, Georgia is to treat music-lovers to an incredible array of musical events, mostly taking place in the city of Batumi, Ajara. And the Batumi Black Sea Music and Art Festival (BBSMAF) 2019, a 10-day festival which is set to take place on September 1-10, is one of the most outstanding events on the list.

The BBSMAF, launched under the Patronage of UNESCO, is an original event where great artists and young talents of classical music come together to place music at the heart of culture. It was established by Elisso Bolkvadze, the prominent Georgian pianist, UNESCO Artist of Peace and founder of the Charitable Foundation “Lyra,” in 2013, and has been offering beautiful shows to classical music enthusiasts since then.

GEORGIA TODAY contacted Elisso Bolkvadze to find out more about the festival.

“Our festival was founded in 2013, representing an outcome of the desire to introduce a new and interesting festival to wider audiences in the Black Sea coastal city,” she tells us. “Guram Odisharia, who was the Minister of Culture at the time, came up with the idea that along with various projects, it would be a pleasant novelty to hold a classical music festival in the region of Ajara.”

Elisso Bolkvadze is strongly engaged in various projects aimed at supporting youngsters. Therefore, while speaking about the wonderful initiative of promoting the masterpieces of world-renowned classical musicians in Batumi, she strongly accentuates the major principles of the event.

“Based on my values envisaging helping youths, it was of crucial importance that the festival create an interesting platform for young talent and to be primarily focused on Georgian interests. The government is actively engaged in this project, supporting it in numerous aspects,” Bolkvadze tells us, noting that each festival that takes place in the country presents Georgia and raises awareness about it on the international arena.

“It has always been my aim to serve my country and its youth,” she says, adding that after obtaining the status of the UNESCO Artist of Peace, inspiration and responsibility towards such projects increased greatly.

The pianist also states that while Georgia has strong European aspirations, it is pivotal to also have high aspiration in the cultural sphere, while keeping and continuing major traditions. Bolkvadze does not forget to say that all artists who live and work beyond the borders of Georgia should feel responsibility towards their country and commit to its further development.

We ask Elisso about this year’s BBSMAF.

“There has been a major change in the name of our festival this year, that now it is entitled ‘Batumi Black Sea Music and Art Festival’, which means that the format of the project has been broadened, enabling us to enhance cultural relations with the Black Sea countries and launch multiple international forums and conferences within the scope of the festival, for musicians, as well as the representatives of various cultural branches.”

She highlights as one example the exhibition of French-based painter and illustrator Anri Matchavariani set to be held in the frames of the event, with emigration being one of the major themes of the festival. Georgian artists who live far from their homeland and may not be well-known in Georgia, will also be introduced.

“In addition, Emerging Europe, a large-scale international forum, has become a partner of the BBSMAF 2019 and along with promoting Georgia abroad, it is to serve as another wonderful source for attracting major investments and thus contribute to the improvement of our country’s economy. What’s more, we plan to enhance our cooperation with Emerging Europe in future,” she stated.

It is also interesting to compare the first year of the festival with 2019 and learn about the dynamics of engaging youngsters in the initiative.

“There is huge interest and engagement from youth. We offer individual care and support to each of them. A number of young talents have been discovered over the years, who were later sent abroad to continue their studies. Unfortunately, there are some major issues with regards to the level of professionalism and infrastructure in Georgia, which hinder the representatives of the younger generation from acquiring the appropriate education in the field. We spare no effort to help them blaze their path into a better future, and engagement in the festival augments each year,” Bolkvadze tells us, noting that in general the project is able to assist minors aged 14-15.

The focus on youngsters, and the chance for novices to perform along with the experts, is the most distinctive feature of the festival, which has much contributed to its strength and its finding its own niche.

We are also interested to find out about the involvement of foreigners in the Batumi Black Sea Music and Art Festival 2019.

“Foreigners are also actively engaged in the project,” she says. “Maestro Michel Sogny is to give masterclasses for the third time this year. We also plan to invite other professionals in future.”

Finally, we move beyond the topic of the upcoming festival and ask the famous pianist for her views on the cultural sphere in Georgia, which, against the active political background, might have lost popularity. What are the challenges the sector has to face today, and what are its perspectives for the future?

“I do strongly believe that politics and culture can co-exist,” she replies with a smile. “I think that when there is a strongly established cultural ideology worldwide, it will be easier to gradually decrease the importance of politics and the focus on it. In this case, it is paramount to launch more forums and more festivals to represent Georgia with dignity. The new generation is to build the future of our country and we need to work hard in this direction. As for me, within the scope of this festival, I launched an Art Camp three years ago, where children from different regions of Georgia can participate in various concerts and trainings, through which they expand their global outlook. I do strongly believe that a person who loves music and is interested in it has higher values.”

By Ketevan Kvaratskheliya

26 August 2019 18:46