Tbilisi, Georgia:Â With the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tbilisi City Hall, an evening was held in the Zakaria Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theater in Tbilisi to honour the famous composer and great master of group music Joseb Kechakmadze.
In the evening, Georgian Minister of Culture and Sports Thea Tsulukiani attended.
It is worth noting that at the event, the talented Georgian musical collective, the Kutaisi Chamber Team (director Irine Lominadze), was awarded the name Joseb Kechakmadze with the state’s initiative and the support of the Kutaisi Municipal Hall.
Theatre scientist Nikoloz Tsulukidze led the jubilee evening, revealing many interesting and unknown facts about the composer’s life and work. Musicologist Manana Akhmetel also told the audience about the composer’s work and the genius of his music. Viewers saw fragments from the documentary, dedicated to Ioseb Kechakmadze’s 85th anniversary.
At the concert dedicated to the memory of Joseb Kechakmadze, the ensemble performed the works of the composer and the master of ensemble music.Â
Participating in the event: Georgian State Choir Chapel, named after Niko Sulkhanishvili (chief conductor Archil Ushveridze); Student Choir of Tbilisi State Conservatory, named after Vano Sarajishvili (director Liana Chonishvili), Gori Women Chamber Choir (director Teona Tsiramua), Student Chapel of Tbilisi National University named after Ivane Javakhishvili (leader Eli Lasha Mirotadze), Guram Kurashvili’s Abkhazia State Choir Chapel (Artistic Director Zviad Bolkvadze), Tbilisi Women’s Choir (Director Omar Burduli), State Folk Song Ensemble of Georgia “Basiani” (Artistic Director Giorgi Donadze), Batumi Women’s Academic Chamber Choir (Art Director Zaira Vadachkoria, Main Conductor Gela Vadachkolia), Trinity Cathedral Patriarchate / State Chamber Choir (Director Svimon Jangulashv Ili), Tbilisi Children’s Chapel (director Gela Farchukidze), Kutaisi Chamber Team (director Irine Lominadze), ensemble “Mdzlevari” (director Kakha Onashvili).
Organizers of the evening were “Narrative Art Platform” and director Gvantsa Meparishvili.
Generations of musicians are growing with Joseph Kechakmadze’s creativity. Among his works are masterpieces in the treasure of Georgian musical culture.
Particularly noteworthy are the group cycles “Pshauri Idylls”, five paraphrases “Songs of Old Tbilisi”, “Avlabruli basin”, “Davidian”, “Amer-Imer”, and “The soul is darkened”, as well as works based on Terenti Graneli, Galaktion Tabidze, and folk poems.
Church music has been banned since 1978. Joseph Kechakmadze has been composing hymns with the prayer blessing of Georgian Catholic Patriarch Ilia II.Â
In 1995, the composer was awarded the Shota Rustaveli prize for the hymns he created for the Cathedral of Sion from 1978 to 1994. Catholic Patriarch Ilia II presented Joseph Kechakmadze with the award.
Our national anthem is connected to the name of Joseb Kechakmadze. He transformed Kiazo’s aria Zakaria Paliashvili’s opera from the second act of “Daisi” into an anthem and gifted it to his country. His works are already in the repertoire of many foreign bands.
