An impressive lineup of soloists including András Schiff, Yuja Wang and Thomas Hampson took part in the inaugural Tsinandali Festival. Spearheading the whole event was the Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra (PCYO).
Gianandrea Noseda, its illustrious music director, opened proceedings with a blistering account of Mahler’s 2nd Symphony. With players hailing from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Ukraine, its aim is to bridge communities in a divided region.