Ms. Nina, you have been successfully leading the festival for seven years. What does this festival mean to you?
The Liana Isakadze International Festival “Night Serenades” is the longest-running festival in Georgia and holds a special place in the country’s cultural life. What makes it especially significant is that it was founded by the legendary Georgian violinist and conductor Liana Isakadze, who led the festival for more than three decades, during which she brought numerous world-class musicians to perform.
Over the years, “Night Serenades” has nurtured generations of listeners, maintained its relevance, and continues to be eagerly anticipated by audiences.
For me personally, this festival is incredibly dear to my heart—it truly feels like one big musical family. Many of the participants have become devoted friends of Night Serenades, and this circle continues to grow every year. Each season brings new names—young, successful musicians alongside internationally acclaimed performers—making the festival a vibrant platform for artistic exchange, creative collaboration, and, most importantly, the joy of making music together.
That’s why leading Night Serenades is both a great honor and a profound responsibility. Above all, we are committed to preserving the festival’s finest traditions and artistic legacy, continuing the path begun by Liana Isakadze—with the respect and excellence it so richly deserves. At the same time, we strive to embrace innovation and stay attuned to the ever-evolving trends in the world of classical music.
I believe we’ve succeeded in striking this balance so far. Much of the credit belongs to our Artistic Director, Mr. Giorgi Issakadze, as well as to our valued supporters: the Ministry of Culture of Georgia, the Ministry of Culture of Adjara, the Tbilisi, Batumi, and Borjomi City Halls, and the LEPL “Creative Georgia.”
The enthusiastic attendance at our concerts and the heartfelt feedback from our audiences stand as clear proof of this success. We sincerely hope to maintain—and build upon—this high standard in the years ahead.
This year marks the seventeenth edition of the festival since its revival. What will make it special?
Every season of the festival is special and, in its own way, unique. The concert programs and performer lineups are never repeated from year to year, which gives each edition its distinctive character.
This year, we will present six concerts in Borjomi, Batumi, and Tbilisi. In addition to the performances, we’ve planned an especially rich program of masterclasses. These were requested both by the artists and by the audience, who greatly value the opportunity to engage with internationally renowned musicians.
We’ll also host workshops for students, young people, and individuals with disabilities, alongside exhibitions by Georgian artists. And of course, there will be many musical surprises for our audiences. That’s why we warmly invite everyone to join us on this exciting and diverse musical journey.
Tell us about this year’s performers and concert programs.
This year, we’ve placed particular emphasis on thematic concert programs, with each evening centered around a unifying artistic idea. For instance, in Batumi, we will present three musical evenings titled: “Morricone – A Cinema Legend”, “Vivaldi Fever” and “The Soul of Tango”
As the festival’s grand finale, we will offer a “dance concert” titled “Astor”—a truly unique production created to mark the 100th anniversary of Astor Piazzolla’s birth. This concert will feature Piazzolla’s powerful music performed by the world-renowned bandoneonist Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, alongside contemporary choreography by Balletto di Roma, one of Italy’s leading dance companies.
The concert “Morricone – A Cinema Legend” will be presented by Nello Salza, often called “the Trumpet of Italian Cinema.” An exceptional musician, Salza has worked for decades with Italy’s most prominent film and television composers. Most notably, he had a long-standing friendship and artistic collaboration with the legendary Ennio Morricone.
His playing can be heard in the films such as The Hateful Eight, Life is Beautiful, Once Upon a Time in America, The Legend of 1900, Cinema Paradiso, Octopus, and many others. During this special evening, Salza will perform unforgettable soundtracks of Ennio Morricone and will also share personal stories and memories from his creative work with legendary Maestro.
The program “Vivaldi Fever” is a joint project by Andres Gabetta and Maurice Steger, two musicians hailed as true masters of Baroque music. Both Gabetta and Steger are among the leading interpreters of Baroque repertoire today and regularly collaborate with such legends as Cecilia Bartoli, Franco Fagioli, and others. Their recordings have received numerous international awards. It is a great honor to host them at our festival—especially as they have generously agreed to give masterclasses for young Georgian musicians, despite their busy schedules.
“The Soul of Tango” will celebrate everything that defines the spirit of this deeply emotional dance. Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, together with Tamar Licheli and the string quintet Georgian Virtuosi, will perform works by Piazzolla, Di Marino, Palmer, Villoldo, and others. Some of these pieces are well-known and beloved by Georgian audiences, while others will be performed in Georgia for the very first time.
We’re also looking forward to an exceptional concert in Tbilisi, where the brilliant Italian conductor Beatrice Venezi will join forces with the outstanding Georgian violinist Veriko Tchumburidze. They will present iconic repertoire from romanticism era, including Johannes Brahms’s Violin Concerto in a special chamber orchestra arrangement by Ilan Rechtman, as well as Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings.
Our base orchestra, Georgian Virtuosi, will perform at every concert. This is a remarkable ensemble, assembled each year especially for Night Serenades, and composed of some of Georgia’s most accomplished musicians. It is led by the wonderful violinist Lela Mtchedlidze.
As mentioned earlier, the final evening of the festival will feature Astor, a project by Balletto di Roma. It is both a great honor and a significant responsibility for us to host one of Italy’s leading dance companies, who will give a one-time, exclusive performance as part of the festival”.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Embassy of Italy in Georgia for its longstanding support and unwavering partnership, as well as for making it possible to bring this remarkable project to life in Georgia.
Where and when will the concerts take place?
It has become a cherished tradition for the festival to open in Borjomi, at the beautiful Borjomi-Likani Hotel. This year will be the third time we inaugurate Night Serenades with an open-air concert, featuring Maurice Steger and Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi performing alongside our base orchestra, Georgian Virtuosi.
The next three concerts will take place in Batumi, at the Ilia Chavchavadze Drama Theatre, on August 22, 24, and 26. Then, on October 9, we’ll return to Tbilisi for a concert at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire Grand Hall. Finally, the closing performance will be held on the stage of the Aleksander Griboyedov State Drama Theater.
We warmly invite everyone to join us—we promise evenings filled with inspiration, powerful emotions, and unforgettable musical experiences.
🎟️🎟️🎟️ You can view the concert program and purchase tickets at the following link.
