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| The beautiful
Adjara State Art Museum is a must visit for
the traveler to Batumi. The Museum has collections
of world and Georgian art, as well as a comprehensive
treasure of Adjarian works. Programs are offered
for young artists, professionals and those interested
in continuing experiences in the visual arts. |
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| Batumi Childrens
State Opera and Ballet Theatre performance of
“Turandot” by Carlo Gozzi |
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| Verdi’s
“Othello” on the stage of Batumi State
Opera and Ballet Theatre. |
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| Georgians
are known for the dance and one of the nation’s
top performing companies is the “Adjarian
State Song and Dance Ensemble,” seen here
in an exhibition of their important regional
folklore, Khorumi. |
Over the past ten years the cultural
center of Georgia has moved to the Adjarian Region.
It is in Batumi that the arts have has been most
well-promoted and nurtured.
The Batumi State Opera and Ballet
Theatre was established in 1992 and was inaugurated
with performances of the opera “Abesalom and
Eteri” by Zakharia Paliashvili, Georgia’s
most famous composer. The performance was a national
sensation and received wide recognition abroad.
Subsequently the Theatre premiered its renditions
of “Lela” by Revaz Lagidze, as well as
“Aida” and “Othello.” The first
ballet performances were Verdi’s – “Choreographic
Novels” and “The Evening of Ballet.”
The Batumi State Opera and Ballet
Theatre participated in the International Opera
Festival “Bravo” held in Tbilisi and achieved
great success. “Othello” was met by ovation
and applause at the Aspendos International Festival
in Turkey.
Adjarian Tamar Javakhishvili (Ivery)
performs on the world’s leading stages. She
is a soloist of the Batumi State Opera and Ballet
Theatre, Laureate of the international competition,
“Voices of Verdi” and winner of the Grand-Prize
of the Mozart International Competition of Vocalists
in Salzburg. Ms. Javakhishvili has conquered European
stages, with triumphs in Bonn, Vienna and other
venues. This year she will also perform in solo
concerts in Japan as well on other leading stages
of the world. She will debut in 2003 at the Royal
Theatre in Vienna.
The State Symphonic Orchestra and
Choir of Adjara were founded in the 1990s. Their
repertoire includes Verdi’s “Requiem”,
Beethoven symphonies, and other masterpieces of
world classical music.
Batumi’s Ilia Chavchavadze State
Drama Theatre has received great success over the
years with its performances of classical and modern
drama. The State Youth Puppet Theatre in Batumi
performs Georgian and international plays.
Adjara’s State Vocal Ensemble
“Batumi” has had triumphant performances
in Italy, Russia, Israel, Iran, Turkey. In 1997,
the Ensemble was awarded the Grand-Prize at the
International Choir Festival held in Sweden.
The State Dance and Song Ensemble
of Adjara has participated in special productions
at home and abroad, including a fashion show of
Couturier Stefano Ricci in Florence and in performance
at the International Festival of Folklore held in
Iran. The Ensemble had a highly successful tour
in Spain and Portugal this past summer and has performed
in 27 countries of Europe and Asia.
Batumi Vocal Ensemble “Riki”
is making its first successful steps on the world
stages but has already achieved its own place among
top groups in world folklore since its foundation
in 2001.
The Batumi Women’s State Choir
from the Paliashvili State Conservatoire has students
participating in international competitions in the
US, France, Italy, Germany and elsewhere. It has
won numerous prizes in these events.
There are over 50 children’s
musical and theatre studios in the Autonomous Republic.
The Batumi Children’s State Folklore Ensemble
is comprised of 300 children and the Batumi Children’s
Choreographic Ensemble has more than 400. Other
important institutions for young people include
the Batumi State Classical Ballet School and the
Batumi Children’s State Choir.
Batumi Children’s State Opera
and Ballet Theatre, a magnificent center for performing
arts, was inaugurated with a performance of “Princess
Turandot” by Carlo Gozzi and featured more
than 200 children.
In June 2002, the Theatre Company
gave two triumphant performances at Moscow’s
Kremlin State Palace Concert Hall. Over 12,000 enjoyed
this pleasure. The Company also went on to perform
in Italy this summer and has been invited to various
countries, including Great Britain, France, Austria,
Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic and Australia for
coming seasons.
International competitions, drama
and opera performances are frequently held in Adjara.
The highest level of performance was given by such
superb singers, musicians, conductors and actors
as Zurab Andjaparidze, Paata Burchuladze, Muslim
Magomaev, Tamara Sinyavskaya, Vladislav Pyavko,
Elena Obraztsova, Zurab Sotkilava, Odisei Dimitriadi,
Maria Bieshu, Makvala Kasrashvili, Badri Maisuradze,
Eliso Bolkvadze, Liana Isakadze, Oleg Tabakov, Armen
Jigarkhanyan, Marc Zakharov and others.
Batumi annually hosts world famous
pop stars and DJs. The Third International Youth
Art Festival “Subtropic – 2002” was
held in August 2002, with representatives of 11
countries participating.
Special attention is paid toward
preservation of historical monuments in Adjara.
Important institutions for archeology and related
fields, the Adjara Archaeological Museum, the Gonio
Apsaros Museum-Reservation, the State Art Museum
and Frank Maisler’s Gallery have been established
in the Region.
Among major contributors to the national
arts, the Movie Studio “Adjara,” has produced
more than 15 television, documentary and feature
films during the last decade.
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