George Ramishvili

Chairman and Founder

The Tsinandali Foundation is committed to investing in the bright and peaceful future
of the talented young musicians of this region. Our vision for the Tsinandali Estate from day one, when Silk Road Group engaged with the project, was to establish a meaningful and sustainable cultural and educational center in Georgia. Our friends and partners joined the project with the same understanding. The importance of the Language of Music initiative cannot be underestimated, as music is the most powerful ambassador for peace, prosperity and for strengthening cultural and economic ties between Caucasian nations.

Yerkin Tatishev

Founder and Board Member

It is my profound honour to be one of the founders of the Tsinandali Foundation and Festival. Rarely in life does one come across an opportunity this unique – a chance to help lay the foundations for the establishment of a centre for cultural exchange and the gathering of human and intellectual capital. United by music and a common
understanding of the centrality of the arts, Tsinandali will be a place where people from all cultures – in particular young people – will participate in open exchanges in a dynamic and free environment and have a continuous journey of discovery. It is my hope that the dream of Tsinandali will be shared by countless visitors for many
generations to come.

Martin Engstroem

Artistic Director and Board Member

“When George Ramishvili initially approached us to start a music festival in Tsinandali it didn’t take long before his vision and enthusiasm convinced us that this was something that could be very special. We then travelled to Tsinandali and discovered the wonderful estate of Alexander Chavchavadze and were taken aback with the beauty of the region, the friendliness of the people and the possibilities we imagined. Meetings followed with the Prime Minister and four other ministers in order to understand the government’s proposed support for an international music festival in Tsinandali. Their vision and enthusiasm matched those of George’s so we knew that this was something we wanted to be part of”.

David Borger

Founder and Board Member

David Borger is a partner of the Silk Road Group, serving on the boards of different group companies. He holds a PhD in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics, where he was also teaching for several years. Before joining the Silk Road Group in 2005, he worked in information technology and with major management consultancy companies, advising large corporations as well as private equity investors. He loves music and is an active member of his local church choir. David lives with his family in Munich.

Abraham Shoshani

Artistic Director and Board Member

“The concept we developed was for a fully-fledged music festival accompanied by an academy and the creation of the Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra. The creation of this youth orchestra for musicians aged between 18-28 was vital to us as the Caucasian region has historically been a melting pot for cultural exchange but also of long-lasting hostilities. By giving these players the chance to work together and learn from the best international musicians we are convinced this will bring better understanding of each other and create lasting friendships across the region and beyond. Establishing the Tsinandali Estate as a regional cultural centre is something we are very enthusiastic about and we hope that everyone, artists included, will become effective ambassadors for this wonderful and exciting new initiative”.

Alex Topuria

Founder and Board Member

Alex’s academic background comprises advanced studies in Economics and Business Management at Witten/Herdecke University in Germany and studies in Economic Geography at Tbilisi State University, Georgia. He is fluent in Georgian, Russian, German and English.

Alex Topuria’s private interests include travelling, football, music and spending time with the family. He was a member of football cadre of Dynamo Tbilisi FC from 1983 to 1984.

Gianandrea Noseda

Music Director

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.

Since 2017, Noseda has served as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC. He is Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Orquesta de Cadaqués, and Artistic Director of the Stresa Festival in Stresa, Italy. On July 2, 2018, it was announced that Maestro Noseda was appointed next General Music Director of the Zurich Opera House and he shall start his engagement there in 2021.

Noseda has led performances with the most important orchestras and at the 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.

David Sakvarelidze

General Director

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In the beginning was… We know very little about the creation of the Universe. Yet. Almost nothing, in fact. Mankind exerts effort and time and money on experiments to discover even small clues to knowing just a little more… I am not sure what the results of these efforts are but I do remember that scientific experiments found that there are particles which emit some kind of sound. In a sense, we are gathering in Tsinandali to discover the mystery of the Universe, we are uniting to feel life more profoundly. We who love classical music differ from scientists because we discovered a long time ago that sound is a universal beginning. Sound is a source of melody and harmony, of music that pleases and amuses, makes us cry and love, excites us and gives us life itself. Through Tsinandali Festival we may decipher the universal mysteries through music. Let closer neighbours join us first and then let’s expand it to others further afield. Because together it will be easier to unravel the mysteries of the world, don’t you think? So dear friends, come and join us, especially those friends who
believe that in the beginning was… Sound.