Batumi Music Festival joins European Festivals Association
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A classical music festival founded by Georgian pianist Elisso Bolkvadze has become a member of a prestigious international festival group alongside more than 100 significant festivals of the world.
Batumi Music Festival was established by Bolkvadze, a world renowned pianist and UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2013, and has recently become the first music festival in Georgia to be accepted as a member of the European Festivals Association (EFA).
The decision for the Batumi Music Festival to become a member of EFA was made on June 6 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
The EFA has existed for more than 60 years and is an umbrella organisation that brings together leading music, theatre and dance festivals all over Europe and beyond, such as the Edinburgh International Festival, the Beirut Chants Festival and London’s BBC Proms.
Georgia’s Ministry of Culture and Monuments Protection said festivals that wanted to gain EFA membership must meet certain standards.
The outstanding history of the Batumi Music Festival, infrastructure of the city and Georgia’s opportunity of tourism and culture satisfied the criteria of the EFA and as a result Bolkvadze’s-founded festival became a member of the European Festivals Association,” said the Ministry in a statement.
The Ministry also stressed that being a member of EFA would offer new opportunities to Georgia’s classical music performers and allow them to promote their talent outside of their country.
Georgia will participate in international programs, will take the European experience of management development, will explore new contacts and Georgia will become a new space for foreign musicians,” said the Ministry.
This year is the third annual Batumi Music Festival, which is dedicated to Georgian classical music and folklore and will take place from September 10-15. The event will bring together world recognised classical music stars from around the world.
The woman who established the festival said each year the Batumi Music Festival aimed to attract a large audience from around the world and open their eyes to traditional Georgian folk culture and the country’s beautiful nature.
We promise to soon become a great occasion for visiting the beautiful country of Georgia and gain an important place on the international classical music season,” said pianist Bolkvadze.
The Batumi Music Festival will end with a gala concert at Batumi Piazza and will be dedicated to the 70th anniversary of UNESCO.
Meanwhile, Georgia is already represented in theatre in the EFA. The Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre became a member of the EFA in 2011. This festival is held every year at the end of September/beginning of October and is one of the major cultural events in Georgia.
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