Tbilisi State Conservatoire ( ka, თბილისის სახელმწიფო კონსერვატორია, ''Tbilisis Saxelmc̣ipo Ḳonservaṭoria'') is the State

Conservatoire A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, located in the capital

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...

History

The Tbilisi Conservatoire was founded on 1 May 1917. It was formally recognised by the

Russian Musical Society The Russian Musical Society (RMS) (russian: Русское музыкальное общество) was the first music school in Russia open to the general public. It was launched in 1859 by the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna and Anton Rubinstei ...

as a conservatoire later that year. A rival conservatoire was also founded in 1921 by D. Arakishvili, and it was not until 1924 that the situation was resolved by the

Soviet regime The political system of the Soviet Union took place in a federal single-party soviet socialist republic framework which was characterized by the superior role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the only party permitted by the Co ...

in favour of the original foundation. Since 1947 it has borne the name of Georgian singer Ivane Sarajishvili. Among the first teachers in Conservatoire were students of leading musicians such as Franz Liszt, Henryk Wieniawski, Antoine Marmontel,

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

, and

Ignaz Moscheles Isaac Ignaz Moscheles (; 23 May 179410 March 1870) was a Bohemian piano virtuoso and composer. He was based initially in London and later at Leipzig, where he joined his friend and sometime pupil Felix Mendelssohn as professor of piano at the Co ...

, as well as

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

and

Rosina Lhévinne Rosina Lhévinne (née Bessie; March 29, 1880 – November 9, 1976) was a Russian pianist and famed pedagogue born in Kyiv, Russian Empire. Early life, education and family Rosina Bessie was the younger of two daughters of Maria (née Katz) and ...

– later founder-teachers at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

of Music; Georgian musicians, former alumni of the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (russian: Московская государственная консерватория им. П. И. Чайковского, link=no) is a musical educational inst ...

and

St. Petersburg Conservatory The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (russian: Санкт-Петербургская государственная консерватория имени Н. А. Римского-Корсакова) (formerly known as th ...

– including

Dimitri Arakishvili Dimitri Arakishvili ( ka, დიმიტრი არაყიშვილი) (11 February 1873 – 13 August 1953) was a Soviet and Georgian composer and ethnomusicologist considered one of the founding fathers of modern Georgian music. He was ...

and Zachary Paliashvili (composers, and founders of modern Georgian music); Wanda Shiukashvili, A.Tulashvili and A.Virsaladze (pianists); L.Iashvili and L.Shiukashvili (violinists); D.Andghuladze and A.Inashvili (singers); Greek conductor

Odysseas Dimitriadis Odysseas Dimitriadis (7 July 1908 – 28 April 2005) was a Georgian of Greek descent and Soviet classical music conductor. During his 70-year career, Odysseas had conducted a number of the world's leading orchestras, as well as being a main conduct ...

and others. At different times the Tbilisi State Conservatoire was headed by prominent Georgian and Russian musicians, among them Nikolai Nikolaev (1917-1918),

Nikolai Tcherepnin Nikolai Nikolayevich Tcherepnin ( Russian: Николай Николаевич Черепнин; – 26 June 1945) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. He was born in Saint Petersburg and studied under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at ...

(1919-1922),

Tamara Vakhvakhishvili Composer Tamara Nikolayevna Vakhvakhishvili (23 December 1893 – 1976) was born in Warsaw, but lived much of her life in Georgia, where she was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. Vakhvakhishvili studied ...

(1921-1923),

Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov (russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Ипполи́тов-Ива́нов; 28 January 1935) was a Russian and Soviet composer, conductor and teacher. His music ranged from the late-Romantic era ...

(1924-1925),

Zakaria Paliashvili Zacharia Petres dze Paliashvili ( ka, ზაქარია ფალიაშვილი, ''Zakaria Paliaşvili''), also known as Zachary Petrovich Paliashvili (russian: Захарий Петрович Палиашви́ли, ''Zacharij Petrovi� ...

(1918-1919;1922-1923;1930-1931),

(1926-1929)

Otar Taktakishvili Otar Vasilisdze Taktakishvili ( ka, ოთარ თაქთაქიშვილი; russian: Отар Васильевич Тактакишвили; 27 July 1924 – 21 February 1989) was a prominent Georgia (country), Georgian composer, teach ...

(1962-1964), Sulkhan Tsintsadze (1965-1984), Nodar Gabunia (1984-2000), Manana Doidjashvili (2000-2012) and Reso Kiknadze (2012-2019). The current rector is Nana Sharikadze. Among the notable graduates of the Conservatoire are: composers

Gia Kancheli Gia Kancheli ( ka, გია ყანჩელი; 10 August 1935 – 2 October 2019) was a Georgian composer. He was born in Tbilisi, Georgia but resided in Belgium. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kancheli lived first in ...

, S. Nasidze and

Dagmara Slianova-Mizandari Dagmara Levanovna Slianova-Mizandari (December 1910 - 1983) was a composer born in the Republic of Georgia. Slianova-Mizandari studied at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire. She graduated in 1933, received a diploma in composition in 1935, and taught ...

; conductor

Jansug Kakhidze Jansug Ivanes dze Kakhidze ( ka, ჯანსუღ კახიძე; 26 May 1935 — 7 March 2002) was a Georgian musician, composer, singer and conductor nicknamed "the Georgian Karajan". Kakhidze was music director of the Georgian State ...

; ethnomusicologist and evolutionary musicologist Joseph Jordania; musicians

Elisso Virsaladze Eliso Virsaladze ( ka, ელისო ვირსალაძე; born September 14, 1942) is a Georgian pianist. Biography She was born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR. Her father Constantine Virsaladze was a prominent doctor and scientist, so wa ...

Dimitri Bashkirov Dmitri Aleksandrovich Bashkirov (russian: Дми́трий Алекса́ндрович Башки́ров; November 1, 1931 – March 7, 2021) was a Russian pianist and academic teacher. Trained in his hometown Tbilisi and Moscow, he began an in ...

Lev Vlassenko Lev Nikolaevich Vlassenko ( Russian: Лев Никола́евич Вла́сенко; 24 December 1928 – 24 August 1996), was a Soviet pianist and teacher. Biography Lev Vlassenko was born on 24 December 1928 in Tiflis, Georgian SSR, Soviet Un ...

, Tamar Gabarashvili, Regina Gurgenyan,

Alexander Toradze Alexander Davidovich "Lexo" Toradze ( ka, ალექსანდრე თორაძე ''Aleksandre Toradze''; May 30, 1952 – May 11, 2022) was a Georgian-born American pianist, best known for his classical Russian repertoire, with a car ...

, Marine Iashvili,

Alexander Korsantia Alexander Korsantia (born 1965, Tbilisi) is a Georgian pianist. Alexander immigrated to Canada in 1992, settling in Vancouver, British Columbia. After living in Vancouver for a number of years, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts. He won the 198 ...

Giorgi Latso Giorgi Latso (born Giorgi Latsabidze, ka, გიორგი ლაცაბიძე, ; 15 April 1978) is a Georgian-American concert pianist, film composer, arranger, adjudicator, improviser and Doctor of Musical Arts. He is listed on the li ...

, Zurab Andjaparidze, Iano Alibegashvili (Tamari), Lado Ataneli, Tamar Atschba and others.

Building

The original building was designed by

Aleksander Szymkiewicz Aleksander Szymkiewicz (12 November 1858, in Saint Petersburg – 1908, in Tbilisi) was a Polish architect who worked in Georgia (primarily in Tbilisi) in the 1880s–1900s. He was a member of the City Council and municipal architect of Tbili ...

and built in 1901-05. Unlike most buildings of the same style in the given period, the conservatoire's column decorated main portal is not centrally located. Rather, along with the main facade it is built near the left corner of the building in order for it to face the main entrance from the

Rustaveli Avenue Rustaveli Avenue ( ka, რუსთაველის გამზირი, ''Rust'avelis Gamziri''), formerly known as ''Golovin Street'', is the central avenue in Tbilisi named after the medieval Georgian poet, Shota Rustaveli. The avenue s ...

. The style of the building is eclectic in nature. While original two-story building was built with elements of

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

and baroque, the exterior of the present four-story building is neoclassical and somewhat less ornate. The exterior displays the statue of

Anton Rubinstein Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein ( rus, Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, r=Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn; ) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor who became a pivotal figure in Russian culture when he founded the Sa ...

, a Russian pianist and composer who in 1891 donated an entire income from one of his concerts for the opening of the original conservatoire building.
Tbilisi State Conservatoire The main auditorium and the smaller auditorium are the two auditoriums in the building. The conservatoire's tiny auditorium is renowned for its ornately decorated walls.

Activities

Today the conservatoire teaching staff includes about 200 professors. There are about 400 students. Cultural events taking place at the Conservatoire include: music forums, national competitions, international symposia and scientific conferences, master classes, chamber and symphony concerts and student opera performances at the Conservatoire Opera Studio. Amongst those who have performed at the Conservatoire are

Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz; yi, וולאַדימיר סאַמוילאָוויטש האָראָוויץ, group=n (November 5, 1989)Schonberg, 1992 was a Russian-born American classical pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of al ...

Egon Petri Egon Petri (23 March 188127 May 1962) was a Dutch pianist. Life and career Petri's family was Dutch. He was born a Dutch citizen but in Hanover, Germany, and grew up in Dresden, where he attended the Kreuzschule. His father, a professional vio ...

Sviatoslav Richter Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter, group= ( – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet classical pianist. He is frequently regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time, Great Pianists of the 20th Century and has been praised for the "depth of his int ...

David Oistrakh David Fyodorovich Oistrakh (; – 24 October 1974), was a Soviet classical violinist, violist and conductor. Oistrakh collaborated with major orchestras and musicians from many parts of the world and was the dedicatee of numerous violin ...

Emil Gilels Emil Grigoryevich Gilels ( Russian: Эми́ль Григо́рьевич Ги́лельс; 19 October 1916 – 14 October 1985) was a Russian pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time. Early life and educati ...

, Mstislav Rostropovich and others. Since 1995 the State Conservatoire has aligned itself with the two-step European Educational System of studies. Since 2006 the Tbilisi State Conservatoire has become a member of the European Association of Conservatories. From 2005 the Conservatoire joined the Bologna Process with its international student transfer and credit system.

References

Bibliography

*Rusudan Tsurtsumia (ed.), ''Vano Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire'', Tbilisi, 1998 *Arutinov Devil (ed.), ''Vano Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire'', Tbilisi, 2000

External links