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"Where words leave off, music begins." - Heinrich Heine

Djansug Kakhidze

DJANSUG KAKHIDZE was born in Tbilisi on the 26th of May, 1935.
He started his artistic career already during his studies at the Tbilisi State Conservatory, where he graduated in 1958 from the Choir Conducting department and in 1963 from the post-graduate courses for Opera and Symphony Orchestra Conducting under Professor Odyssey Dimitriadi.  In 1957 he founded the men’s vocal ensemble “Schvidkatsa” (Seven Men), which  took part at the World Exposition in Brussels, where it was awarded the Gold Medal.
  From 1957-62 Djansug Kakhidze was the Artistic Director and the Chief Conductor of the Georgian State Choir. From 1962-71 he worked at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater. In 1965 he was appointed Chief Conductor of the Opera House and held the position till 1968. In 1971-73 he was working at the Opera Houses of Lodz and Warsaw (Poland), where he realized several opera and ballet performances. During his work in Poland, for the first time a Georgian opera was staged abroad: “Abesalom and Eteri” by Zakhary Paliashvili.
  On his return to Georgia in 1973, Djansug Kakhidze became the Artistic Director and the Chief Conductor of the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra. During the 20 years of his tenure (till 1993) the orchestra improved its artistic level and held successful concert tours in many cities of the former Soviet Union and abroad.
  In 1993 he founded the new “Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra” and led it until his death (2002). The orchestra achieved distinguished success. During its concert tours to France, Switzerland, Luxemburg Turkey and Germany it was praised as a highly professional orchestra of European standards. During those years the orchestra also recorded more than 150 albums in collaboration with famous recording companies.
In 1989 Djansug Kakhidze founded the new hall for symphonic music in Tbilisi. The quality of the hall was continuously improved so that as a result the Tbilisi Center for Music and Culture was established there. It was and still is is the most important spot of the musical life in the city. Djansug Kakhidze was the president of the center until his  death. In 1993 the Tbilisi Center for Music and Culture together with the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra founded the International Music Festival “Autumn Tbilisi”, which unites concerts of classical music, jazz and folk. Annually the guests of the festival are world famous musicians. The festival has gained a great popularity and is considered to be one of the highest artistic level events in the musical life of Georgia. Besides, the digital audio recording studio was established in the Center of Music and Culture. For several years now this studio continues to produce CDs, with a substantial share of Georgian performers and composers. They are released internationally and herald the Georgian musical culture abroad.
  Djansug Kakhidze’s international career is of special importance. He conducted in the most famous concert halls such as the London Festival Hall, La Salle Pleyel, Theatre de Champs Elyssee and Chatelet in Paris, La Scala in Milan, St. Cecelia Music Academy Concert Hall in Rome, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Berlin Philharmonic, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Megaron Concert Hall in Athens, New York Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera, Melbourne Philharmonic, Tokyo Bunkamara and many others.
  He worked with famous orchestras such as St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Academic Symphony Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra London, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Symphonique de Paris, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhaus Symphony Orchestra Leipzig, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, La Scala Symphony Orchestra, Santa Cecilia Music Academy Symphony Orchestra   His baton is kept in the Busseto Verdi museum side by side with the baton of Arturo Toscanini.
  He began to write music himself in the 50s of 20th century.  First he composed songs and romances, then he worked for the choir music, and later he took interest in the music for different theatrical performances. But the crucial point in his development as a composer was his collaboration with the film-makers. In the end, it resulted in more than 40 soundtracks and over a 100 songs from different movies. Those songs brought him an immense fame and the love of the public. They are often included in different concerts and what is more, they are sung by the ordinary people.
  In 1977 Djansug Kakhidze was awarded the Sh. Rustaveli State prize. In 1978 he became the Peoples Artist of Georgia, and in 1985 - the Peoples Artist of the former Soviet Union. In 1995 he received the special prize of Tbilisi Municipality for particular achievements in the art and in 1996 he was awarded the supreme prize of Georgia - “Order of Honor”. Besides, he was an honored citizen of Lodz (Poland).
  Djansug Kakhidze died In Tbilisi, on the 7th of March, 2002. The Tbilisi Center for Music and Culture, as well as its garden were posthumously named after him.