Acclaimed Georgian singer, pianist host Paris charity concert

Two of Georgia’s most prominent performers in the global opera scene are taking to the stage in France to raise money for charity.

Mezzo soprano Anita Rachvelishvili and pianist David Aladashvili are hosting a special performance in Paris next week in the latest Young for Young international charity concert to help youth in need.

The Espace Pierre Cardin Theatre in the French capital will host the October 28 performance of classical recitals, with the two artists performing a program of works by Frédéric Chopin, Gabriel Fauré and Georgian composer Otar Taktakishvili.

The concert will be part of the Young for Young charity project, founded by Aladashvili, which brings together young performers from around the world. Over the years the charity shows have raised funds for youth in Georgia and the United States.

Georgian pianist David Aladashvili. Photo from www.lepoissonrouge.com.

The two Georgian performers received their musical education in Tbilisi before launching their international careers.

Rachvelishvili, an acclaimed mezzo soprano, rose to international prominence with her 2009 title role performance of Carmen in Milan, Italy. Her talents in a 2014 Metropolitan Opera performance of the same role were applauded in a review by culture critics of wwwlatinpost.com.

Anita Rachvelishvili brought her customary lush voice to the role of the gypsy. It's hard to find a better singer who possesses all the qualities needed for Carmen," the reviewer said about the Georgian singer.

Aladashvili rose to prominence in 2010 after performing at New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Centre before graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the city’s private Juilliard School Conservatory, where he later continued his Masters studies.

The New York Times reviewer Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim praised the pianist’s 2013 debut album Opus 13 for "plenty of delights and characterful surprises” in the artist’s concept of bringing together 13 young composers for the piece.