Georgia’s Night Serenades Festival Concludes
Georgia’s Night Serenades festival concluded September 4 with a gala-concert honoring violinist Liana Isakadze at Tbilisi’s National Opera and Ballet Theater.
The final night’s concert featured Isakadze performing with prominent musicians from around the world to celebrate her 70th birthday.
The concert was part of the 8th annual Batumi-Tbilisi International Festival. The Tbilisi leg of the festival kicked off with a charity event on September 2 at the new Biltmore Hotel.
The following evening the historic Rustaveli Theatre screened a documentary by Sandro Vakhtangov about Isakadze, which was followed by the gala on September 4.
Georgia’s Minister of Culture, Mikheil Giorgadze, attended the final evening of the festival and awarded Isakadze with a special prize for her contribution to the country’s arts.
“I congratulate Liana on this beautiful night of music. She is the pride of out country, a unique musician and person, as well as my friend. I am very honored today to wish her happiness, success and good health for many years to come!” conductor and composer Vakhtang Machavariani told GEORGIA TODAY.
Georgian pianist Tamar Licheli joined renowned artists from Russia, Kazakhstan and Spain at the event, which included performances of Bach, Rakhmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Tsintsadze, Gershwin, Shostakovich and Youmans.
The Night Serenades gala was organized as part of the state-sponsored Check in Georgia project, in Batumi, Anaklia and Tbilisi from August 27 to September 4.
The main organizers of the event were the Georgian Ministry of Culture and Monuments’ Protection, as well as the city governments of Batumi and Tbilisi.
By Maka Lomadze
Edited by Nicholas Waller