Gianandrea Noseda
Conductor

Gianandrea Noseda is one of the world’s most sought-after conductors, equally recognized for his artistry in both the concert hall and opera house. He was named the National Symphony Orchestra’s seventh music director in January 2016 and began his four-year term with the 2017–2018 season. In September 2018, at the start of his second season with the NSO, his contract was extended for four more years, through the 2024–2025 season. He leads 12 weeks of subscription concerts with the Orchestra this season, as well as their first appearance together at Carnegie Hall in New York in May 2019.

In addition to his position with the NSO, Noseda also serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In July 2018, the Zurich Opera House appointed him the next General Music Director beginning in the 2021–2022 season where the centerpiece of his tenure will be a new Ring Cycle directed by Andreas Homoki, the opera house’s artistic director.

Nurturing the next generation of artists is important to Noseda, as evidenced by his ongoing work in masterclasses and tours with youth orchestras, including the European Union Youth Orchestra, and with his recent appointment as music director of the newly-created Tsinandali Festival and Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra in the village of Tsinandali, Georgia, which begins in 2019.

Noseda has conducted the most important orchestras and at leading opera houses and festivals including the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, La Scala, Munich Philharmonic, Met Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Opera House, Salzburg Festival, Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, and Zurich Opera House. From 2007 until 2018, Noseda served as Music Director of Italy’s Teatro Regio Torino where he ushered in a transformative era for the company matched with international acclaim for its productions, tours, recordings, and film projects.

Lisa Batiashvili
Violin

“Batiashvili’s fearless playing is so tonally rich and technically immaculate.” (The Guardian)

Lisa Batiashvili, the Georgian-born German violinist, is praised by audiences and fellow musicians for her virtuosity. An award-winning artist, she has developed long-standing relationships with the world’s leading orchestras, conductors and musicians.

Batiashvili is the Artistic Director of Audi Sommerkonzerte, Ingolstadt. For the 2020 festival, she originally designed a programme to celebrate the festival’s 30th anniversary year, as well as Beethoven year 2020 under the motto ‘Lights of Europe’. Due to the global pandemic, an adjusted version with streamed concerts under the motto ‘Together for Music’ featured Lisa and other leading musicians, sending out a strong message of solidarity and adaptability.

Lisa Batiashvili regularly appears on stage with orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Staatskapelle Dresden, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa and Boston Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra was officially established in 1925 and its first artistic director and principal conductor was Ivane Paliashvili. In 1933 the Orchestra was awarded with the State status and its principal conductor became Evgeny Mikeladze – legendary conductor, who was a victim of 1937 repressions. In 1971 GPO was awarded with the status of honored Orchestra and in 1994 – it was named after Evgeny Mikeladze.
At different times the Orchestra was directed by the conductors: Aleksandre Gvelesiani, Grigol Kiladze, Aleksandr Gauk, Shalva Azmaiparashvili, Odissey Dimitriadi, Jemal Gokieli, Zakaria Khurodze, Jansugh Kakhidze, David Del Pino Klinge, Vakhtang Matchavariani; also, music directors: composers Andria Balanchivadze and Alexi Matchavariani.
In 2005 GPO, together with other State status collectives, was united in newly established Georgia National Music Center and 25 years old composer Nikoloz Rachveli was invited from Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts as an Artistic Director. From 2007 he has combined the position of principal conductor of the Orchestra.
The Orchestra has implemented lots of successful performances. Among them are concert tours abroad in various worldwide venues, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Athens and Frankfurt Concert Halls, Paris Les Invalides, Pierre Cardin Center, UNESCO Hall & Salle Pleyel, St. Petersburg Dmitri Schostakovich Philharmonie, Moscow Conservatory Grand Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Brussels Centre for Fine Arts BOZAR, Strasbourg Convention Centre, Tallinn NORDEA Concert Hall, Hamburg ElbPhilharmonie, Frankfurt Alte Oper, etc.
The Orchestra’s repertoire includes all the most important pieces of the Georgian symphony music and numerous masterpieces of the world’s symphony and opera music. The Orchestra is the first performer practically of all important National symphony music pieces, as well as performs Georgian premieres by numerous foreign composers.
In 2013, due to the reform at the National Music Center of Georgia, the young talented musicians of the new generation, successfully performed in the various Orchestras of Georgia and abroad, joined the GPO; the outstanding Georgian Musicians: Giya Kancheli, Alexander Toradze, Paata Burchuladze, Josef Bardanashvili and Shalva Mosidze were elected as an Artistic Council of the National Music Center of Georgia and during the same year, Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Nikoloz Rachveli became the initiators of the historic reform in Georgia, the result of which was a right given to the musicians to choose their creative director (before this position was appointed by the Georgian Minister of Culture). From December 2013, Maestro Nikoloz Rachveli is the first elected Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra.
During 94 years of its existence, the Orchestra has performed with the following outstanding musician-performers: Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sviatoslav Richter, Yakov Flier, Emil Gilels, Ani Fisher, Van Cliburn, David Oistrach, Mstislav Rostropovich, Kurt Mazur, Kent Nagano, Yuri Temirkanov, Valeri Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet, Boris Berezovski, Alexander Toradze, Liana Isakadze, Marine Iashvili, Paata Burchuladze, Eliso Virsaladze, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Kim Kashkashian, Nino Ananiashvili, Lisa Batiashvili, Khatia Buniatishvili, Dudana Mazmanishvili, Valerian Shiukashvili, David Geringas, Nicolas Altstaedt, Natalia Gutman, Gidon Kremer, Michele Crider, Katia Ricciarelli, Giuseppe Giacomini, Badri Maisuradze, Lado Ataneli, Makvala Kasrashvili, Anita Rachvelishvili, Nino Machaidze, Tamar Iveri, Giorgi Gagnidze, Iano Tamar, Maxim Risanov, Giorgi Zagareli, Andres Mustonen, Ariel Zuckermann, Sergei Nakariakov, Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, Chris Botti, STING, BJORK, Nani Bregvadze, Nato Metonidze, Nino Katamadze and many others.