violinist liana Isakadze was a musician at the age of three - she independently learned to play the piano and compose music. The violinist became accidentally: at seven, on the day of listening to the piano class, she fell ill and was forced to pass the violin exam a week later. She became a student of prof. L. Shiukashvili
Three months later, Liana was already playing in front of the public. At nine, she performed with a symphony orchestra, and at ten she held her first recital, after which she was invited to participate out of competition at the international Festival-Competition in Moscow, where she played the competition program. It is significant that the chairman of the jury of this competition was David Oistrakh. The glory of Liana Isakadze spread throughout the Soviet Union.
At the age of twelve, she won the I Prize at the Transcaucasian Violin Competition. At fourteen, in the form of an exception, she was admitted to the All-Union Competition of Musicians-Performers (in which violinists over 17 years old were allowed to participate), where she won the II prize. At the insistence of D. Oistrakh, she graduated from the Tbilisi Central Music School a year earlier and was admitted to the Moscow State Conservatory in the class of D. Oistrakh without exams. At the end of the conservatory, she became his assistant. Conductor David Oistrakh often invited Liana Isakadze as a soloist to perform Beethoven and Tchaikovsky concerts. In 1974, in Amsterdam, where D. Oistrakh, together with L. Isakadze and her brother, cellist Eldar Isakadze, were supposed to perform the Brahms Double Concert, before the concert, the Great Musician D. Oistrakh tragically died.
Liana Isakadze's video, which was shot in the 1960s. The footage is stored in the "Golden Fund" of the First Channel of Georgia
In 1965, at the age of eighteen, Liana Isakadze won the Grand Prix and I Prize at the International Competition named after M. Long and J. Thibault in Paris; in 1970 she became a laureate of the P. Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow (III Prize); in the same year, she was awarded the I prize and a special prize for the best performance of the Sibelius concert at the International Competition named after J. Sibelius in Helsinki. From 1970 to 1994, L. Isakadze was a soloist of the Moscow State Philharmonic. She toured Europe, America, and Asia with the USSR State Orchestra (conductor Yevgeny Svetlanov) and with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra (conductor D. Kitaenko). She performed with G. Rozhdestvensky, K. Kondrashin, A. Katz, D. Kakhidze, and other outstanding conductors of the USSR. Numerous recordings at the Melody company, on the Central Radio and TV of Moscow, belong to this period.
From 1964 to 1981 she played the Stradivarius violin, which was provided to her as an exception by the Moscow State Collection of Musical Instruments. Since 1965, as a soloist and conductor, she successfully concerts in all the largest halls and prestigious festivals in Europe with leading European orchestras and conductors, such as Rudolph Kempe, Kurt Mazur, Herbert Blumstead, Jukka Pekka Saraste, Neeme Järvi, Charles Dutoit, Mikhail Yurovsky, Zhiri Kout, Vaclav Neumann, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Jiri Beloglavek, Yehudi Menuhin, Maris Jansons, Paavo Berglund, Valery Gergiev, Dmitry Liss, Vladimir Verbitsky, Gintaras Rinkevicius, Alexander Dmitriev and others.
Telemuseum Liana Isakadze, 1960s recording
In 1988, a festival dedicated to Liana Isakadze was held in Vienna, where she performed as a soloist, conductor, chamber, and jazz musician (Vienna music critic called her "Grapelli in a skirt"!). A similar festival was also held in Liechtenstein. In chamber music, her partners were Gidon Kremer, Maxim Vengerov, Justus Franz, Grigory Zhislin, Igor Oistrakh, Arto Noras, Ivan Monighetti, Natalia Gutman, Alexei Lyubimov, Maria Yudina, Viktor Tretyakov, Alexander Slobodyanik, Yuri Bashmet, Barbara Hendrix, Dmitry Alekseev , David Geringas, Edward Bruner, Gustav Revinius, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Franz Hummel, Frida Bauer, Alexander Knyazev, Alexander Rudin and others. Many works of Georgian, Russian and German composers are dedicated to her.
Liana Isakadze is the author of treatments of many musical compositions: Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Bockerini, Mendelssohn, Gershwin, I.S. Bach, Paganini, Franz Hummel, L. Bernstein and others, the first performer of many violin and orchestral works in the USSR, including. Liana Isakadze was awarded the most honorary titles, awards, and prizes of the USSR. She and V. Tretyakov are the youngest musicians awarded the title of "People's Artist of the USSR."
In 1988, L. Isakadze was elected People's Deputy of the Reform Parliament of the USSR. She was a member of the elected troupe accompanying M. Gorbachev during his visit to Italy, as well as nine deputies of the new parliament invited by the US Senate. Within two weeks, the delegation participated in the work of the Senate. On the final day of the delegation's stay, at the banquet, Liana Isakadze performed 4 preludes by D. Shostakovich. After a stormy ovation, the head of the Soviet deputies, Mr. Yevgeny Primakov, addressed the senators and the public present: - Ladies and gentlemen! You finally saw the true face of our new parliament!!
In 2009, "Süddeutsche Zeitung" released an album consisting of 5 CDs "Violinists of the Century," where among 20 outstanding musicians there
is also a liana Isakadze.
In 2003, the "I International Violin Competition of Liana Isakadze" was held in St. Petersburg.
Liana Isakadze is included in the encyclopedia "2000 Outstanding Musicians of the Twentieth Century," published in 2002 by the International
Biographical Center in Cambridge (England).
In 2001, the Honorary Star was opened in front of the Tbilisi Philharmonic in honor of L. Isakadze with her autograph.
She took part in the jury of international competitions in Paris - named after Jacques Thibault,
in Helsinki - named after Sibelius, ARD - in Munich, Tibor Varga - in Sion, D. Oistrakh - in Odessa and many others.
Liana Isakadze was the chairman of the jury of the international competition named after P. Tchaikovsky in Moscow (1998).
(see source)
Liana Isakadze, along with other performers, is represented in three monographs published in Germany, The Great Violinists.
In March 2011, she performed with great success as a soloist and conductor with the youth Euro-Classical Orchestra in Berlin, Melsungen, and Kassel.
L. Isakadze leads Master Classes in Salzburg (Mozarteum), Vienna, Schlernfestival (Italy).
In 1994, at the initiative of Liana Isakadze and with the support of the authorities of the city of Ingolstadt, the university building of the 15th century was restored
and the Academy named after D. Oistrakh was created.
Since 1983, L. Isakadze has been the artistic director of International Festivals: "Night Serenades" in Pitsunda (Georgia), Eichstedt (Germany), Open Air Festival in Batumi (Georgia),
"Festival of Arts" in Borjomi (Georgia).
In 2011, Liana Isakadze created the Facebook Virtuosos ensemble (orchestra) from prominent musicians from around the world who are friends of Facebook. The first performances of the orchestra took place at the festivals
"Night Serenades" and "Friends of Facebook" founded by Liana Isakadze in August 2011 in Batumi (Black Sea coast of Georgia).
She currently lives in Tbilisi(Georgia).
Liana Isakadze's speech at the festival "Musicians are joking". The record was prepared in 1985
Since 1982, the orchestra with conductor and soloist Liana Isakadze has toured Europe, the USA, Asia, Australia. He performed at the largest festivals in the world.
Liana Isakadze with the State Chamber Orchestra of Georgia recorded many works at the companies Melody (Moscow) and Orfeo (Munich). Inviting
conductor S. Sondeckis, violinist O. Rat, composer A. Schnittke, recorded Concerto Grosso No. 2 Alfred Schnittke, where the author performs the piano part.
The record is the only one with the participation of the author.
For the first time in the USSR, the "Little Soloist Mass" by J. Rossini, orchestrated by the composer himself, was performed in the orchestral
version under the direction of L. Isakadze.
During the leadership of Liana Isakadze, such outstanding musicians as Kurt Mazur, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Yehudi Menuhin, Gidon Kremer, Natalya Gutman,
Mikhail Pletnev, Victor Tretyakov, Sergey Nakaryakov, Barbara Hendriks, Sabine Maya and others.
Since 1982, the orchestra with conductor and soloist Liana Isakadze has toured Europe, the USA, Asia, Australia. He performed at the largest festivals in the world.
Liana Isakadze with the State Chamber Orchestra of Georgia recorded many works at the companies Melody (Moscow) and Orfeo (Munich). Inviting conductor S. Sondeckis, violinist O. Rat, composer A. Schnittke, recorded Concerto Grosso No. 2 Alfred Schnittke, where the author performs the piano part. The record is the only one with the participation of the author.
For the first time in the USSR, the "Little Soloist Mass" by J. Rossini, orchestrated by the composer himself, was performed in the orchestral version under the direction of L. Isakadze.
During the leadership of Liana Isakadze, such outstanding musicians as Kurt Mazur, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Yehudi Menuhin, Gidon Kremer,
Natalya Gutman, Mikhail Pletnev, Victor Tretyakov, Sergey Nakaryakov, Barbara Hendriks, Sabine Maya and others.
Liana Isakadze formed the ensemble-orchestra "Facebook Virtuosos" from famous musicians of Facebook friends from different countries.
The first performances of this orchestra took place in August 2011 - "Night Serenades" and "Facebook Friends."
How silly is the attempt to explain anything – why is it so? God has interwoven love into nature, not explanation
***
My God, even though You have separated yourself from human beings, how is it, that everything depends only on You. You are great in Your solitude, but even greater in Your closeness to human beings.
A human being might be someone who at each circumstances of life remains a representative of the other world.
I desire such a life, where the cause of everything is nothing but love. Here I am all alone, since only my feelings are defending me, but that is not enough. Maybe feelings are deceiving me, but behind them is a heart and purity. Behind you stands all this false world, with false people. On your side is thought and tongue: on mine, heart.
We are often helped by our tears. When something is lacking, tears are always close by to take the place of that “something”. In this way they help us to love and rejoice – as the tear loves and rejoices when it tenderly caresses the cheek
By its nature love is all freedom and what crime we commit when we subordinate it to our reason – not so pure, not so just as love. Do not give up love to the slavery of reason!
***
How little we comprehend in this world. Only feelings and desires penetrate our consciousness. We are feckless and helpless without a teacher. He must drag us by the hand throughout our lives. God forbids that we should believe in the abilities of our mind and trust it-at that same instant we shall be drowned by falsity, because truth is alien to our consciousness.
***
If you want to live and get pleasure from life, remain the slave of this world – live for trifles. Adorn yourself with the bartered virtues of an illusory life. Garner the grains of earthly fame, to plate the dome of falsity that divides heaven and earth. Freedom will be yours no more. Or create in true freedom, getting rid of this world and hoping that you will be saved by him who gives life. Yes, you will be again the slave, but the slave of freedom. What is your choice – creativity in soaring or the values of creatures creeping in the dust?
Your shelter is in the holiness of other men. Seek it and you will not be limited by life
***
We see that in this battle for existence the winner are impudent, self-assured people, patiently searching for devious ways to organize their private well-being. They meticulously choose the moment to pour scorn upon man; a monckery that makes their lives a continual attack of mange
The man who has decided to perceive God is still a slave of himself but, as he starts to live in God, he begins to master himself. All his life is within his power and fate does not dare to burden him. He is creating his own fate.
There, where the claws of the crowd are sharp, where in its madness reign oblivious people, where under the sunshine glitters and fades away human fame – and this is your whole life – there you will not find shelter for the soul. Why are people so malicious? They are afraid of themselves, and to hide it, mercilessly attack others and celebrate victory over their fear. Yes, the reason of all earthy sufferings is lack of self-cognizance.
Your inner “I” that is hidden inside of you, which is so hard to detect, that is yours. Outwards man belongs to all and to nobody
Death is an ambassador of the truth and freedom. It erases evil and transforms Satan into a mirage. Only death evaluates the true essence and worth of man; only death reveals how sincere he is towards God; only death opens gates for the suffering spirit and mounts it to the heights of its destiny.
To bring good to humans is a gift, entrusted to us by God. For this happiness we cannot demand gratitude.
We all come here under the auspices of the sparkling smile. The Creator is smiling at the appearance of the new creature in this world.
In a lifetime, smiles change. Frequently they become contemptuous, evil, imperial, and egocentric. Only few preserve throughout their lives the secret of a primal smile that gives them power to live and be kind.
Music is the basis of the arts, therefore a real connoisseur of art in all its manifestations, heart music. In music is interwoven the spiritual world. Spirituality is also an art and it also demands hearing
The real musician could help the listener open a hidden essence of his soul: to feel the whole scale of sensations – from inspired happiness to depressing tragedy.
"The special charm of Liana’s work is also that in it, along with great pain, there is both a celebration and a victory. Here is the versatility, abundance and beauty of her talent, how she embraces the world, how hard she opens the gates of its mysteries, and with her we step on the threshold of these riches, here with her we touch the string of the divinity of the world, which sounds like a whisper, her gentle voice tells us about freedom of mind, love, dreams..."
"From time to time, nature produces individual wonders with outstanding personalities; one of these wonders is Liana Isakadze"
"It is a work of profound religious thinking and contemplation of Liana Isakadze, which has no equal in the world among works of this genre with its high spiritual poetics and sincerity, metaphorical thinking, supernatural access to the invisible world and love."
The International Festival Night Serenades, founded by world-famous violinist and conductor Liana Isakadze in 1982, is one of the longest-running traditional festivals in the most beautiful part of Georgia – Abkhazia.
In an interview with a journalist of Radio Liberty, Liana Isakadze says: “The festival I founded in Abkhazia in 1982, I named Night Serenades, because Mozart has a work – “Eine kleine Nachtmusik’’, and for the love of the brilliant composer, I called this festival Night Serenades.
The festival was initially held at Bichvinta Cathedral since 1982. Before the war in Abkhazia, another festival was scheduled, famous musicians from all over the world were going to arrive. It was one of the world’s most popular festivals. Before the first concert, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic unexpectedly received a letter from the Ministry of Culture of the Abkhaz ASSR saying they do not advise Ms. Liana to hold this festival this year. The Ministry of Culture, however, tells me: don’t pay attention, hold it, you must hold it! I categorically refused: I would not hold it under any circumstances. Guests come to me from all over the world and how could I put the musicians at risk. – I said I would not hold a concert and ... the war started that day.’’
Due to the events in the country in 1991, the festival ceased to exist until it was revived under the name of “Art Festival” in Borjomi in 2002, and in 2009 it returned to the Black Sea, moving again to beautiful Batumi under the name of “Night Serenades”. Over the years, the great interest in the festival has led to its geographical expansion in 2015; by the decision of the Tbilisi City Council, it was named the “Batumi-Tbilisi International Festival”. Since the founding of the festival until 2018, Liana Isakadze was supported by the general manager of the festival, Mariam Davitashvili and for years the festival was headed by Lasha Zhvania
2018, the artistic director of the festival is a German-based Georgian musician and teacher Giorgi Issakadze, who is also the founder and the director of music and ballet academies in Ingolstadt. He says: "The Night Serenades Festival has always featured a rich and diverse repertoire throughout its many years of existence, as well as a stellar cast of performers.
It is impossible to talk about the festival without mentioning Abkhazia and Bichvinta. In 2018, the festival Night Serenades was awarded by the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia for its contribution to the development of Georgian-Abkhaz cultural relations.
The festival "Night Serenades" faced a big challenge for the second time in its history. The recent processes turned out to be completely extraordinary for the whole world and for our country. Despite the severe epidemic caused by the pandemic, art won and Batum-Tbilisi International Festival "Night Serenades", which has a history of four decades, was held traditionally and delighted the loyal listeners.
Mr. Giorgi Isakadze recalls this event as follows: “I have been organizing Night Serenades for almost ten years. This process is always very tense and emotional. In 2020, there were also special difficulties, due to the pandemic, the attendance at the festival was limited, however, livestreams and live broadcasts allowed thousands of viewers to watch and enjoy classical music. I’m glad we overcame the difficulties, and despite the pandemic, the work started by Ms. Liana in 1982 continues.”
The Night Serenades Festival won the Georgian Brand Day 2021 award and became the winner in the Successful International Project nomination. The award was given to the director of the festival and the founder of the company “Art Alliance” – Nina Tsagareli
The successful organization of the festival from 2018 until today is provided by the festival organizing company “Art Alliance”. The team of the International Festival Night Serenades continues to work today to popularize classical music. Finally, we hope that someday the Night Serenades festival will return to its origins, to its roots – an integral part of Georgia, Abkhazia, Bichvinta Cathedral.
A diverse program of world-famous composers was performed at the concerts held in Batumi on August 25-26, 2022. The arrangement of the piece performed at the concert belonged to soloists Katie Mahan (piano, USA) and Sabine Grofmeier (clarinet, Germany). For the first time, the audience had the opportunity to listen to new versions of the well-known work, which received a great ovation and approval.
At the concerts held in Tbilisi, a diverse program of world-famous composers was performed. At the concert held on September 17, 2022, for the first time in Georgia Trio Gloria Campaneri's author project "Astori" was performed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Astor Piazzolla, with the composition of Gloria Campaneri (piano), Alessandro Carbinare (clarinet) and Mario Stefano Pietrodarki (bandeon). The Georgian audience had the opportunity to listen to the new versions of Astor Piazzolla's famous work performed by the trio, which aroused admiration from the audience.
The special guest of the festival was the world-famous writer and music critic Alessandro Barico, who was delighted with the concert and in an interview with journalists gave the concert within the framework of the festival the highest evaluation. And on September 18, the work of Antonio Vivaldi was performed at the concert, which was performed by the excellent French musician Andres Gabetta in the baroque style. Italian bandoneonist Mario Stefano Pietrodarki was a special guest of the concert. At the end of the concert, Andres Gabetta, together with Mario Stefano Pietrodarki and the base orchestra "Georgian Virtuosos" performed "Four Seasons of Buenos Aires" by Astor Piazzolla, based on the work "Four Seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi. The concert was attended by representatives of state structures and foreign diplomatic corps, musicians and classical music lovers. Concerts were dedicated to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Georgia, Italy and Georgia.
On the opening day of concerts within the framework of the festival, in the lobby of the State Conservatory named after Vano Sarajishvili, the audience got acquainted with the interesting, innovative works of the artist-designer Nino Mirianashili, made with the collage technique, which he dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the festival.
Classical music with Liana Issakadze
