'Night Serenades' charity festival supports Georgia’s young cancer patients

The summer season is winding down in Georgia and before the festivities end the country will host an international charity festival called Night Serenades.

On August 24 Batumi will turn into a cascade of world-class musicians for the first of several charity concerts featuring local and world-class musicians. Over the next few days concerts will be held in the Black Sea coastal city before ending in capital Tbilisi on September 4.

All funds raised will support children living with cancer.

Georgia’s renowned violinist, Liana Isakadze, founded the Night Serenades festival in the 1980s and the annual event was held in Bitchvinta, a resort town in Abkhazia’s Gagra district. But when Abkhazia became an occupied region, the festival could not continue.

However seven years ago it was revived in the Adjara region in Gonio Castle and was later moved to Batumi.

This year Isakadze will lead the festival accompanied by an orchestra of World Chamber Virtuosos, internationally recognised leading soloists and conductors. All funds raised from the concerts will go to the Georgian Solidarity Fund to fund vital medical treatment for children with cancer.

This year Tbilisi City Council supported the festival and gave it international accreditation.The classical music festival has been successful every year and was annually organised by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia.

We have been supporting this festival for years since it is a respected festival. It is our goal to continue so in the future,” said Deputy Minister Kakha Kandelaki.

Concerts will be held in Batumi on August 25, 26, 28 and 30 then in Tbilisi at the Conservatory’s Great Hall on September 2 and 3.

The final evening of this year’s festival will be held on September 4 at Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel.