Telavi International Music Festival Set for October 9-15

Telavi International Musical Festival, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection, is to be held between 9 and 15 October 2016 within the frames of large-scale government project ‘Check in Georgia.’

Founded by renowned pianist Eliso Virsaladze in the 1980s, the festival was resumed after a break, in 2010. Since then, it is annually conducted with the support of the Ministry of Culture.

It is a tradition for the Telavi festival to host top-class musicians of various generations and this year the festival program is dedicated to the 70th anniversary of famous 20th century violinist, Oleg Kagan. Along with Eliso Virsaladze and Natalia Gutman, Kagan was a great supporter of the idea to establish this festival.

The key novelty of the 2016 festival is the arrival of a European orchestra. The Beethoven Academy Orchestra from Krakow, Poland, will conduct two concerts directed by prominent conductor Jacek Kaspszyk and young Georgian conductor Mirian Khukhunaishvili. The visit of the Polish orchestra and conductor was made possible with the support of the Embassy of Poland in Georgia.

From 9 through 15 October, the Telavi Vazha-Pshavela State Drama Theater will host five concerts performed by celebrated performers Kolja Blacher, Eliso Virsaladze, Alexander Buzlov, as well as young performers William Dutton (Great Britain), Zhang Wei (China), and Dmitry Shishkin (Russia). Other participants in the festival are the David Oistrakh String Quartet and the Tbilisi State Chamber Orchestra “Georgian Sinfonietta.” The festival also includes a concert by popular pianists Nana Dimitriadi and Nana Avalishvili performing piano duets in the Aleksandre Chavchavadze House Museum in Tsinandali. Given the size of the venue of this concert, the number of tickets available is limited.

As per tradition, the festival will offer a diverse program which includes both masterpieces of world classical music and works of famous 20th century composers, some of which will be performed for the first time ever in Georgia.

In parallel with the concerts, masterclasses will be held for piano and wind instruments. Along with students of the Tbilisi Conservatoire, these masterclasses will be attended by youth from the regions.

Tickets can already be bought on biletebi.ge and at the box office of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, and will be available from the Telavi Vazha-Pshavela State Drama Theater box office from 1 October.

The organizer of the festival is LEPL Center for Protection, Development and Promotion of Classical Music.

Supporters of the festival are: Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Georgia, GPI Holding, Aleksandre Chavchavadze House Museum in Tsinandali, Telavi City Hall, Hotel “Alaznis Veli,” Hotel “Zuzumbo,” Flower Nursery “Gardenia,” Château Mere.

Publicity of the festival will be ensured by: Radio Fortuna, Radio One, Rustavi 2 TV company, Channel 1 of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, GHN news agency, Georgia Today newspaper, and ARTAREA TV company.