Tbilisi International Choral Music Festival 2019
By Anita Magradze
Wednesday, April 10
Tbilisi International Choral Music Festival, established by Tbilisi City Hall, is taking place from April 4 to May 14. Choirs from Georgia, Lithuania, Germany, Azerbaijan and the United States are taking part in the festival.
Promoted as "the only regional festival for development of choral music", the event will again draw on its tradition on choosing a new spot for its concerts.
This year, participating choirs are offered the stage at venues including the Catholic Church of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary in Tbilisi, Sokhumi State Drama Theater, city's Music and Drama Theatre and Tbilisi State University.
One of the concerts took place on April 9, which was dedicated to the commemoration of victims of the April 9 tragedy of 1989-crackdown on peaceful protesters by Soviet troops in downtown Tbilisi. Georgian choirs were joined by Choir Vilnius, a Lithuanian ensemble on this day.
“It is important to note that the festival is one of its’ kind in the region, which contributes to the development of choral music. This year we have a diverse program, along with locals, dozens of foreign participants will also visit Tbilisi. I would like to specifically highlight the concert that is scheduled on Rustaveli Avenue on April 9, in which Georgian and Lithuanian choirs will commemorate victims of the April 9 tragedy,” noted the Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi, Sophio Khuntsaria earlier.
This Festival takes place in Tbilisi under the initiative of manager of the Georgian National Music Center, Maya Chachava since 2011, with the active assistance of Tbilisi City Hall. Since 2013 Tbilisi City Hall has established these Festivals as “Tbilisi international Choral Music Festival”
The aim of the festival is to preserve, develop and promote choral performance heritage, to socialize existing academic choirs in Georgia with each other, present them to the audience and to create closer bonds between academic ensembles in Georgia and abroad.
Artistic values of Georgian choral music are defined by its unique polyphonic national folk music, which is recognized by the international community.
Professional choral festivals have become more organized and periodic since 1975 when these events were founded under the initiative of Choral Conducting Chair of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire professor Vakhtang Paliashvili. They took place in the Big Hall of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire until 1980.
