Night Serenades has become a celebration of music. The festival, founded four decades ago is now a guardian of classical music and the pathway for new generation musicians to rise and shine in front of audiences who love true classical music. GEORGIA TODAY interviewed the director of the festival, Nina Tsagareli, to find out more about the foundation as well as about this year’s celebration.
“This year, the festival ‘Night Serenades’ celebrates its 40th anniversary,” she tells us. “It was 1982 when famous Georgian violinist, Liana Isakadze, founded the festival in one of the most beautiful regions of Georgia, Abkhazia, in Bichvinta. This legendary festival has a special jubilee this year. For this reason, we published a book, ‘Celebration of Music.’ ‘Meditations,’ named by Liana Isakadze herself, is a part of the book, in which you’ll see writings from her logbook dating back to when she was in her twenties.
You can also find photos from her family album and remarks about her biography and artistic life. Also, the memories of her friends and her nephew – Giorgi Isakadze, the art director of the festival since 2018 and founder of the Academy of Music and Classical Ballet in Ingolstadt and Munich.”
Batumi was the first city to host the first two concerts of the 2022 festival. Tell us more about it.
This year’s month-long festival included four concerts, masterclasses and workshops, as well as an exhibition and the presentation of the book “Celebration of Music”. Two concerts were held in Batumi, Ilia Chavchavadze Drama Theater, on the 25th and 26th of August, in which great soloist musician women participated. Sabine Grofmeier, a German clarinetist, was the first to present her interpretations and arrangements to the audience, which was truly interesting for them. The second concert was also enjoyable on the 26th of August. American Kate Megan, who is known as an innovative pianist, also presented her interpretations and arrangements to the audience. Both concerts were exciting, and the performers received a lot of ovations. Besides them, “Georgian Virtuosos” as the festival’s chamber orchestra was also present at Batumi sessions. This orchestra, founded by Liana and Giorgi Isakadze, is unique as every single member is a soloist. Parallel to the concerts, in the hall of Ilia Chavchavadze Drama Theater, there was an exhibition of the paintings of Nino Mirianashvili, a painter-designer who dedicated this exhibition to the festival.
On the 17th and 18th of September, Tbilisi State Conservatoire Grand Hall hosted two concerts.
Yes. On the 17th of September, Gloria Campaner’s trio performed for the audience. The trio consists of three soloists, Gloria Campaner – pianist, Alessandro Carbonare – Clarinet and Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi – Bandoneon. They presented the concert “ASTOR. The evening was dedicated to the 30-year diplomatic relations between Georgia and Italy. The next day, on the 18th of September, a great Baroque performer, French violinist Andres Gabeta, performed for the audience. It’s worth mentioning that the violin he played belonged to Pietro Guarneri, who lived in the 18th century. The concert was dedicated to 30 years of diplomatic relations between Georgia and France.
Tell us more about the supporters and sponsors of the festival
Every year we publish a festival booklet in which we show gratitude towards all the festival sponsors and supporters who helped us for all these years. I want to thank Tbilisi City Hall, Batumi City Hall, and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Adjara Autonomous Republic. For the first time in the festival’s history, the French Embassy and the French Institute in Georgia supported us. And I have to mention the Italian embassy, which has supported the festival for years. The official insurance company of the “Night Serenades” festival is “Ardi”. Hilton Garden Inn hosted the guests of the festival. Have to thank all the media who have shown interest in the festival. The creative group of the festival, as well as all musicians and soloists, deserve a round of applause. Most importantly, we thank our very dear and loyal audience.
Interview by Erekle Poladishvili
