World classical music stars join Batumi Music Fest 2016

Classical music stars from across the world are coming to Georgia's seaside city Batumi this month with a mission to demonstrate the power of cultural dialogue for peace at the annual Batumi Music Fest.

From September 17-22, internationally renowned musicians including Cypriot-French pianist Cyprien Katsaris, American conductor Philip Mann and Belarussian pianist Maya Irgalina will lend their talent to the event, which organisers are calling "one of the most important cultural events of Georgia".

The Batumi Music Fest was established in 2013 by the Lira Charity Fund, headed by acclaimed Georgian pianist and UNESCO Artist for Peace Elisso Bolkvadze. When speaking about the event, Bolkvadze said one of the festival’s main goals was to utilise the power of music as "one of the important bridges of building peace around the world".

Last year the festival became a member of the European Festivals Association (EFA) and this year the event is taking place for the fourth time.

Bolkvadze is artistic director of the festival and she will perform at the event. Her repertoire will include timeless musical pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Giuseppe Verdi and other legendary late composers.

Watch Batumi Music Fest artistic director and UNESCO Artist for Peace Elisso Bolkvadze perform Concerto No. 2 by Camille Saint-Saens below:

The life and musical career of late 20th Century Georgian composer Aleksi Matchavariani will also be honoured by artists performing his music from films and ballets.

Hosted by the Batumi Music Centre, the annual festival will offer its stage to a range of Georgian bands and artists including the Batumi Symphony Orchestra, Georgian Voices and conductors Mamuka Alapishvili, Vakhtang Matchavariani and David Kintsurashvili.

In addition to concert events, Batumi Music Fest will invite young pianists and violinists from across the country to attend master classes led by Russian pianist professor Valery Piassetski, while master classes for up-and-coming violinists will be offered by Georgian professor Manana Kantaria.

At the end of the four-day classes, several participants will be selected to perform at international gala concerts abroad.

See Cypriot-French pianist and UNESCO Artist for Peace Cyprien Catsaris perform Ballade No. 3  by Frederic Chopin below:

Last year's Batumi Music Fest celebrated the 70th anniversary of UNESCO in Georgia's Black Sea city, while Bolkvadze was awarded the Order of Arts and Literature of France for her efforts to develop cultural relations between France and Georgia.

Full details of Batumi Music Fest 2016 can be found here.