Pianist Giorgi Mikadze, cellist Lizi Ramishvili, Basiani trio to go under spotlight at Berlin concert

A handful of Georgian artists will showcase their talents at fusing varying musical genres to audiences of a Berlin concert of the Young Euro Classic festival later this month.

The evening will see pianist and composer Giorgi Mikadze take to the stage along with emerging cello talent Lizi Ramishvili and a trio of singers from folk ensemble Basiani.

The group will be joined by JazzFest Berlin Artistic Director Nils Landgren, Kongsberg Jazz Festival award-winning bassist Ellen Andrea Wang, Echo Jazz Newcomer of the Year Eva Klesse and Swedish Jazz Final Best Soloist Award recipient Bjoern Atle Anfinsen.

#18MakeJazzFellow alum @GiorgiMikadze & Nils Landgren bring Georgian music to Berlin #ClassicMeetsJazz#MusicMondayhttps://t.co/mOEdLkjXCb

— 18thStreetArtsCenter (@18thStreetArts) August 14, 2017

Hosted at Konzerthaus Berlin on August 29, the artists will represent the project Classic Meets Jazz, headed by Landgren.

The initiative brings together performers of varying musical genres, while the appearance at the Berlin venue is titled Georgian Overtones.

Georgian music traditions reaching back millennia merge with groovy rhythms and improvisation. An entirely unusual evening awaits you[...]”, said a preview for the show from the festival.

The concert will see the latest performance involving Mikadze with singers Sergo Urushadze, Paata Tsetskhladze and Zurab Tskrialashvili of the Basiani ensemble.

The pianist recently joined the full roster ensemble to present the collaborative musical project Voisa at the Beijing Concert Hall.

The Classic Meets Jazz project is led by trombonist Nils Landgren. Photo: www.nilslandgren.com.

Mikadze has achieved recognition in the United States and Georgia through his work incorporating varying musical genres ranging from folk song to jazz.

In a move underlining his emerging profile in the US, Mikadze was announced as guest professor of the Berklee College of Music in the United States for its Summer Performance Program this year.

Georgian cellist Lizi Ramishvili received her initial musical training at Tbilisi’s Central Musical School No. 1, under the tutorship of professor Tamar Gabarashvili.

The 20-year old artist followed her graduation in the Georgian capital with studies at the Kronberg Academy in Germany and, starting this year, the High School of Music in Geneva, Switzerland.

In recognition of her talent Ramishvili was awarded within last year's Zurab Zhvania Tsinandali Award for Young Scientists and Artists in Tbilisi.

Bassist Ellen Andrea Wang will play at the Berlin venue alongside the Georgian artists.

Her talents have allowed Ramishvili to perform on prestigious international stages and events including the Carnegie Hall in New York and the Mstislav Rostropovich Festival in Moscow.

Ramishvili has also held the scholarship named after Rostropovich, the famed Soviet cellist, from 2010-2015.

The Berlin show will mark 25 years of diplomatic relations between Georgia and Germany, an anniversary celebrated throughout this year in the two countries.

The concert will be held in frame of the Young Euro Classic festival, running from August 18-September 3.