PhD in Art Studies, teacher of the study courses – Aesthetics of chant and Church music of the Europe
In 2002, he graduated from the undergraduate program of Conducting the academic choir of the Faculty of Performing Arts of Tbilisi State Conservatoire, and in 2004 – from the master’s program of the same specialty. In 2008, he completed the master’s program of Church music at the Faculty of Composition and Musicology of Tbilisi State Conservatoire (research topic: “Peculiarities of the hymns of the high priestly service according to the archival materials of Stefane (Vasil) Karbelashvili (Liturgy of Katakmeveli)”. In 2011, he received the PhD degree in the Faculty of Composition and Musicology of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire (research topic: “Musical aesthetics of the Georgian hymn; essence and artistic method”). In 2014-2016, he took a series of master classes in symphonic conducting with the artistic director and chief conductor of the National Orchestra of Ukraine, Roman Kofman.
Since 1998, he has been the regent and artistic director of the patriarchal choir of the Holy Trinity Cathedral. In 2006-2010, he was a teacher of Church Chants and Folk Songs at the Giorgi Mtatsmindeli Higher School of Chanting. In 2013-2018, he was a member of the council of the Foundation “Georgian Chanting” and head of programs. In 2014-2019, he worked as the head of the department of traditional church singing at the State Folklore Center named after Anzor Erkomaishvili. In 2019-2021, he was the head of the department of church musicology at the Giorgi Mtatsmindeli University of Chant. From 2019 to the present, he is an invited teacher of the same University and leads the study courses – “Aesthetics of Western European Church Music”; “Aesthetics of Georgian singing”. From the same year until now, he is the advisor to the director of the State Folklore Center named after Anzor Erkomaishvili.
- Bishop Stefan (Vasil) Karbelashvili’s music manuscript archive (general overview, significant aspects). In the collection: sacred music. Series: Issues in Musicology. V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire. Tbilisi, 2007.
- Hymns with more than three voices in the Georgian tradition of worship. In: Fourth International Symposium of Traditional Polyphony. International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi State Conservatoire. Tbilisi, 2008.
- Peculiarities of transformation of polyphonic musical texture in “decorated” hymns. Fifth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony. International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi State Conservatoire. Tbilisi, 2010.
- About some regularities of the harmonic language of Georgian chant. Collection of scientific works of doctoral students of V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire. Series: Issues in Musicology. Ed.: Tsurtsumia Rusudan and others. Tbilisi, 2010.
- Anzor Erkomaishvili. In the anniversary CD “Anzor Erkomaishvili 70”. Tbilisi, 2011.
- Report at the round table “Modality of Georgian and European music of the Middle Ages”. Sixth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony. International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi State Conservatoire. Tbilisi, 2012.
- Kovelsa shina hmadlobdit. In the collection “Remembering Manana Andriadze”. Tbilisi, 2014.
- Georgian and European polyphony of the Middle Ages, some parallels. Seventh International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony. International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi State Conservatoire. Tbilisi, 2014.
- Introduction and comments of the Anthology Georgian hymns in volumes I-XXV.
- From 1998 to the present day – the regency of the Patriarchal Choir of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi in all services performed by the Catholicos-Patriarch, both in Georgia and abroad (Israel, Cyprus, Greece, England, France, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey).
- From 1998 to the present day – choral music (Georgian church hymns of the Middle Ages, Georgian folk polyphony, European and Georgian professional choral music – by G. P. Palestrina, J. S. Bach, F. Schubert, O. Taktakishvili, I. Kechakmadze, G. Kancheli, B. Kvernadze, J. Bardanashvili, Z. Bolkvadze, Ilia II and others) solo and festival concerts in Georgia and abroad – in Holland, Cyprus, Lithuania, England, France, Ukraine, Russia, Switzerland, among them in the halls: Vilnius Philharmonic (2008), London St. Johns Smith square (2011); Paris Salle pleyel (2012), National Philharmonic of Ukraine (2012); Moscow House of Music (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), Lucerne Festival (2015); Зарядье (2019, 2020), Frankfurt “Alte-Opera” (2018) and others.
- 2013. Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s VI Symphony and Zviad Bolkvadze’s In memoriam (world premiere) – Together with the State Symphony Orchestra named after Evgeni Mikeladze and the Patriarchal Choir of the Trinity Cathedral.
- 2015. Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s V Symphony. Gustav Mahler – vocal cycle Kindertotenlieder; Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen – from the vocal cycle Rukert-lieder. G. Mahler – Part IV (Adagietto) from the Symphony N5. Together with the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra named after Evgeni Micheladze and Ketevan Kemoklidze.
- 2017. Richard Wagner – Overture for the first act of “Nuremberg Meistersingers”. Parsifal’s first act overture and third act finale. Gustav Mahler – Parts IV-VI of the Third Symphony. Together with the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra named after E. Mikeladze, Tbilisi Trinity Cathedral Patriarchal Choir, Gori Women’s Choir, girls’ choir of the Gori school named after Sulkhan Tsintsadze, children’s choir “Anabana” and Nino Surguladze.
- 2019. Felix Kruglikov – Symphony Deus Conservat Omnia. On the poems of Anna Akhmatova (world premiere). Together with the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra named after Evgeni Mikeladze, the Patriarchal Choir of the Tbilisi Trinity Cathedral, the Gori Women’s Choir, Megi Chikhradze and Baia Saganelidze.
- 2019. Gia Kancheli. Idem et idem (world premiere); “Tsutisofeli” (world premiere). Together with the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra of Evgeni Mikeladze, the Patriarchal Choir of Tbilisi Trinity Cathedral, Zviad Michilashvili, Keti Kartvelishvili, Pavel Vernikov and Svetlana Makarova.
- 2022. Georgian traditional and modern choral music concert in the Vatican, in the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, together with the Patriarchal Choir of the Trinity Cathedral, the Papal Choir of the Sistine Chapel, Giorgi Donadze and soloists (Iano Alibegashvili, Zviad Michilashvili, Giorgi Khunashvili, Giorgi Tsagareli, Tornike Papidze, Gela Donadze , Keti Kartvelishvili).
- 2023. National Theater named after Shota Rustaveli. Musical arrangement of Robert Sturua’s play “Chained Prometheus”, together with R. Sturua.