Guests from georgia: tbilisi giya kancheli string quartet and folklore trio rero

In the Old Town of Vilnius, where every twist of stone remembers centuries of cultural fellowship, St. Catherine's Church will once again become a living center of a musical sanctuary during this year's "Christmas Evenings" festival. An exclusive concert will take place here, where two Georgian musical traditions will meet: classical and folk. This is not just an artistic evening, but also a meaningful cultural dialogue that connects nations, generations, and different musical worlds.

The sound of classical music will be presented by the Giya Kancheli String Quartet, which promotes Georgian musical traditions internationally through its work.

The ensemble was founded in 2010 by students of the Tbilisi State Conservatory under the leadership of Professor Nodar Zhvania. Since its inception, the collective has actively participated in international competitions and festivals, won top awards, and collaborated with renowned musicians, including T. Litcheli, V. Shiukashvili, G. Babuadze, and others.

In 2018, by the decision of composer Giya Kancheli, the collective was granted his name.

The quartet is led by violinist David Akopian, a graduate of the Tbilisi State Conservatory who actively participates in international projects and collaborates with Lithuanian composers.

Performing on stage with him will be:

Violinist Nika Barateli – a graduate of the Tbilisi State Conservatory (prof. K. Vardeli's class), a laureate of international and national chamber music competitions, an artist of the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Georgian State Quartet.

Violist Mamuka Babuadze – a graduate of the Tbilisi State Conservatory, an artist of the Georgian National Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Tbilisi State Chamber Orchestra "Georgian Sinfonietta," actively performing in Georgia and other European countries.

Aleksej Solonovich-Gvamichava – a Georgian cellist actively performing in Georgia as a soloist and chamber music performer. He is a soloist of the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra, led by Vakhtang Kakhidze, a laureate of international competitions, and a regular participant in Georgian and foreign festivals, appearing both as a soloist and in chamber ensembles.

Traditional Georgian music will be presented by the joint Lithuanian-Georgian ensemble "Rero," where famous performers of instrumental and vocal ethnic music meet. The hymns and folk songs they perform will open the door to the archaic, polyphonic musical soul of Georgia, full of emotional depth, national identity, and contemporary expression.