From Easter to Ascension:
Georgian, foreign stars perform in month-long festival

A month-long Georgian festival that bridges the gap between the Orthodox Christian celebrations of Easter and Ascension is kicking off this week and involve performances from top Georgian and foreign artists.

Celebrating its 11th edition, the annual festival From Easter to Ascension will see classical and contemporary performers take to the stage in four Georgian cities.

Five events are planned for capital Tbilisi while three classical music concerts will be held in the eastern Georgian city Dedoplistskaro as well as in the mountainous town Mestia and Black Sea coastal city Batumi.

The festival will start this Thursday – several days after the Easter celebration – and will run until Ascension, the next significant date for Christian followers in May.

An exhibition showcasing the work of Caucasian photographer Manaba Magomedova will open the month-long festival. Photo from www.riadagestan.ru.

This year's cultural celebration will be held in frame of the Check in Georgia initiative, which brings numerous Georgian festivals and exhibitions under its umbrella this year.

United States-based famous Georgian pianist Alexander Korsantia is the artistic director of the festival and will host his own musical performances within the event.

The festival will open on May 5 with a photo exhibition showcasing artist Manaba Magomedova at the Ioseb Grishashvili Tbilisi History Museum (also known as Karvasla).

Awarded the titles of The People's Artist of Georgia and Dagestan, Magomedova has held personal exhibitions both in Georgia and in the North Caucasus republic.

The photographer, who also holds the title of Honorary Citizen of Tbilisi, has been recognised for her portraits of mountainous people and public figures.

Georgia's capital will also host the festival's second event - a concert performance of the famous Italian classical composer Giuseppe Verdi's 1867 opera Don Carlos.

See Spanish conductor Jose Luis Gomez lead a performance of late Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich's piece below:

The show will mark the first concert performance of the opera at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre and host celebrated Spanish conductor Jose Luis Gomez for the evening. The opera show will also feature global stars of the scene including Italian bass Giacomo Prestia and Albanian tenor Giuseppe Gipali.

Other events within the festival include classical concerts in Tbilisi, Dedoplistskaro and Mestia, while prominent Israeli artist Chen Zimbalista will visit Tbilisi on May 20 to entertain audience with his percussion skills.

Israeli percussionist Chen Zimbalista has won a number of international competitions including the Francois Shapira Prize. Photo from www.zimbalista.com.

The festival From Easter to Ascension will conclude on June 9 at the Batumi Music Centre in Georgia's seaside city.

The final show will feature Alexander Korsantia, Batumi Music Centre Symphony Orchestra and the venue's choir in a performance conducted by David Mukeria. The concert will be dedicated to the 125th birthday of the famous late Russian classical composer Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953).

The festival From Easter to Ascension was established in 2006 and will be held for the 11th annual time this year.