Batumi Black Sea Music & Art Festival to host cellist Alexander Hülshoff, pianist Alexandra Massaleva, showcase emerging talent

Alexander Hülshoff and Alexandra Massaleva, the latter returning to the festival after her appearance at 2017 edition, will take to the stage of Batumi Art Centre on day seven of the programme. Photos via alexanderhuelshoff.com, alexandramassaleva.com

Agenda.ge, 01 Jul 2022 - 15:48, Tbilisi,Georgia

Cellist Alexander Hülshoff and pianist Alexandra Massaleva will be among the headlining performers at this year's Batumi Black Sea Music & Art Festival, a popular celebration of classical music in the seaside city that has been enriched with multi-faceted art forms in recent editions.

The two prominent artists are in the roster for the festival along with singer Sopho Khalvashi and vocal performers of Batumi ensemble, as well as Italian classical performers, young musical talent joined by pianist and Artistic Director Elisso Bolkvadze, and other artists.

The programme will also host a range of non-musical events including a book presentation, film screenings, a workshop and a showcase of Georgian cuisine. It also involves events marking anniversaries of diplomatic relations between Georgia and a number of countries.

Hülshoff - an internationally recognised cellist and Artistic Director of Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz and Orchesterzentrum NRW - will be joined by Massaleva, the youngest winner of the Moscow Young Talent Competition, near the tail end of this year's festival programme.

They will perform at the Batumi Art Centre venue a day after Khalvashi and the Batumi ensemble sing at the seaside Petra Fortress archaeological site, and before a multi-faceted event brings together a screening of A Family Affair, a documentary "portrait of Greece’s leading musical family" and a performance of Georgian polyphonic to celebrate the anniversary of Georgia-Greece diplomatic relations on July 30.

Diplomatic anniversary between Georgia and Italy will then close the festival on July 31, with flutist Giuseppe Nova, saxophonist Alex Sebastianutto, accordionist Sebastiano Zorza and Massaleva are hosted in two events at the Gonio Fortress site and Batumi Art Centre.

Festival's Artistic Director and acclaimed pianist Elisso Bolkvadze will be on stage of Batumi Art Centre on the very first day of the event, joined by emerging musical talent in a charity gala designed to support Ukrainian children affected by the war in their country and broadcast live.

In other events, the festival will mark Georgia-France relations with a film screening, host the Georgian Wikipedia group for a workshop, showcase Georgian gastronomy and hold a Japanese tea ceremony along with vocal performances and a jazz improvisation evening. Composer and pianist Tempei Nakamura will be involved in entertaining the audience in the latter segment.

Running under the patronage of the UNESCO, this year's Batumi Black Sea Music & Art Festival will host its audiences between July 23-31.