George Vatchnadze has appeared with orchestras and in recital throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Israel, Russia, Japan, Taiwan as well as Central and South America. He has performed at the Hollywood Bowl Festival, Ravinia Festival, Stresa Festival and Rotterdam Philharmonic’s “Philips Gergiev” Festival. He has also been a frequent guest of St. Petersburg’s “White Nights” and “Mikkeli” (Finland) festivals. In 1997 Mr. Vatchnadze made a sensational recital debut at the prestigious Edinburgh International Music Festival and received the “Herald Angel Award” presented by the “Scottish Herald” newspaper. He has appeared on live broadcasts of the Dutch National Radio, BBC and NPR’s “Performance Today.” In 1999 Mr. Vatchnadze made his New York recital debut at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Critic and writer Faubion Bowers wrote in American Record Guide: “Vatchnadze is a consummate artist, now at the height of his musical and intellectual powers. He can do absolutely anything he wants at the piano. He commands delicate pianissimi, massive diapasons and everything in between.” Mr. Vatchnadze’s engagements have included performances with the Mariinsky Orchestra under the direction of Gianandrea Noseda, at the St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater and London’s Covent Garden, as well as appearances at the Salzburg Festival, Maggio Musicale Festival, Stresa Festival, Gilmore Festival, Ravenna Festival, London’s Wigmore Hall and others.
His most recent engagements include appearances at the Osaka Symphony hall with Japan Century orchestra, Great Philharmonic Hall and Mariinsky Piano festival in St. Petersburg, Stravinsky and Shostakovich Festivals in Washington DC, Woodstock Festival (NY), Stanford Stravinsky Festival, Pacific Symphony Rachmaninoff Festival, SYArts Festival in Taiwan, performances in Japan, Georgia, Italy and others.
Mr. Vatchnadze recorded
Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 and Ravel Concerto for the Left Hand with the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Jansug Kakhidze. The recordings were reissued several times and received the highest critical acclaim. The recording of
Prokofiev Sonatas was just released in Japan on Triton label. In addition to this recording, Mr. Vatchadze’s two new recordings are being released this year -
Gia Kancheli piano music and the live performance of Rachmaninoff Piano concerto no. 3 in Japan. Additional recordings in Mr. Vatchnadze's discography include
Nights in the Gardens of Spain with the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra and the
Concertino for Two Pianos, Op. 94 of Shostakovich with Alexander Toradze.
Mr. Vatchnadze studied at the Tbilisi Central Music School for Gifted Children, Tbilisi State Conservatory, Mannes College of Music and Indiana University, where his teachers were Wanda Shiukashvili, Arkady Aronov and Alexander Toradze. He is a winner of numerous International Piano Competitions including 1994 Gina Bachauer Competition, 1998 Palm Beach Invitational Competition, 1996 Alabama competition and 1997 World Piano Competition.
Mr. Vatchnadze is an associate professor and throughout his teaching career, his students have won top prizes at the numerous international competitions and have performed extensively throughout the world.
Mr. Vatchnadze is a founder and artistic director of the Villa Sandra International Piano Academy in Lesa (Lago Maggiore),Italy.
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