Festival ‘From Easter to Ascension’ Closes
On June 5, Tbilisi Concert Hall hosted the concert of world-famous Georgian pianist Alexander Korsantia in a show held in the frame of the annual festival ‘From Easter to Ascension.’.
The festival was founded in 2006 by the Patriarch and the Akaki Ramishvili Foundation ‘Tradition and Innovation.’ The partner is Artists’ Union ‘ConceptArt’.
Over the years, the well-loved festival has been led by many world-famous Georgian legends. Since 2011, the internationally acclaimed Georgian pianist Alexander Korsantia has been the permanent artistic director and works to greatly enrich the program. On June 5, he welcome the packed hall to the 11th festival. He assessed the festival as “a talented young student who knows a lot already and is already a serious performer, but who realizes well that it is not the end and is committed to self-development, aiming to go further and grow.”
This year’s festival was opened by Verdi’s Don Carlos by Iano Alibegashvili, to commemorate the great composer’s 115th anniversary, followed by Georgian composer Vajha Azarashvili’s Creative Evening and Jewish genius Khen Tsimbalista’s performance on drums.
Korsantia in particular highlighted the ‘unforgettable’ concert of Sergey Babayan, where the latter performed Bach’s 24 fugas and preludes, a show that is reportedly “to remain fixed in the memories of those who attended it.”
The festival was supported by the Georgian Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection, namely, the project ‘Check in Georgia,’ and Tbilisi City Hall. Just before the start of the latest performance, Davit Narmania, Mayor of Tbilisi, also spoke to the audience: “We will actively support the festival next year. I want to thank his holiness, as well as Alexander Korsantia, who is actively involved not only in this festival’s organization, but also in other interesting cultural occasions. That is why, last year, we conferred on him the title of Honorary Citizen which I congratulate him with once again!”
Korsantia stepped forward together with the Evgeny Mikeladze Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by famed Georgian conductor and composer, Nikoloz Rachveli, who gave an honorary accompaniment to the legendary pianist. The Patriarchate Choir of the Sameba (Trinity) Cathedral, headed by Svimon Jangulashvili, also participated. The core of the program consisted of Sergey Prokopiev’s piano and orchestra concerto 3. From the Georgian repertoire, the local classical musician Alex Machavariani’s Suite from the Ballet ‘Othello’ was in the spotlight. As scheduled, there were choir compositions of the Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia the Second as well as those written by various Georgian composers. However, the main surprise came with three musical pieces from the well-loved film ’Once upon a Time in America,’ composed by Ennio Morricone.
The audience enjoyed the divine musical piece of his Holiness, called ‘Kyrie Eleison’, which opened and closed the June 5 concert. Together with the Male Choir, the solo was sung by the young and very promising opera singer Natalia Kutateladze. For the second time, this blissful tune was played by Alexander Korsantia, at encore, transporting many a listener to a higher realm.
GEORGIA TODAY spoke briefly to the attending legendary Sukhishvili dancer Pridon Sulaberidze: “It was an incomparable concert. Such days makes us live longer.”
And so right he was!
Maka Lomadze