| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Contact: Helen Pinch, Performance Santa Fe Phone: (505) 984 8759 Email: hpinch@performancesantafe.org Promotional Photos Full Press Release |
Santa Fe, NM, October 19, 2022 – Performance Santa Fe presents Ensemble Basiani, one of the most unique and magnificent vocal ensembles in the world. Performing music from the seventh through the thirteenth centuries in traditional Georgian costumes, the group of twelve male vocalists has thrilled audiences across the United States, from Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival to Cal Performances in Berkeley, with their “Hauntingly beautiful” (NY Times) music and “Otherworldly, mesmerizing performance,” (New York Music Daily). Ensemble Basiani now brings the soul of their homeland to Santa Fe for an unforgettable New Mexico debut performance at Cristo Rey Church.
Ensemble Basiani
Tuesday, November 8 | 7:30 p.m.
Cristo Rey Church
1107 Cristo Rey St, Santa Fe, NM 87501
$35 – $95
To purchase tickets, visit PerformanceSantaFe.org or call (505) 984 8759
Presented through the generosity of Leslie Jones and Paul Zeller; Elizabeth and Todd Sample. Season Sponsors Ann Murphy Daily and William W. Daily; Leah Gordon
About Ensemble Basiani
George Donadze – Artistic Director
Zurab Tskrialashvili – Director
Irakli Tkvatsiria
Tornike Merabishvili
Elizbar Khachidze
George Gabunia
George Khunashvili
Sergo Urushadze
Paata Tsetskhladze
Lasha Metreveli
Batu Lominadze
Zaza Zuriashvili
Ensemble Basiani was created in 2000 and became the Folk Ensemble of Georgian Patriarchate. In 2013 Ensemble Basiani was given the status of State Ensemble of Georgian Folk Singing.
Ensemble Basiani is composed of singers from different parts of Georgia. Most members come from families that perform traditional singing and have sung folk songs in different ensembles since childhood.
Since its inception, Ensemble Basiani actively promotes Georgian traditional polyphony by reviving traditional folk songs. Throughout the last 22 years, the ensemble has released numerous albums, participated in internationally acclaimed festivals, and performed at prestigious venues around the world, including Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Gulbekian Great Hall (Lisbon), Grand Hall of Saint Petersburg Academic Philharmonic, Aldeburgh Music Festival (England), Kilkenny Arts Festival (Ireland), and many more.
Ensemble Basiani has visited the USA four times (2010, 2012, 2016 and 2019), performing in prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Stanford Live’s Bing Concert Hall, Cal Performances, The Town Hall, Krannert Center for Performing Arts, and others. This performance marks the New Mexico debut of Ensemble Basiani.
Basiani is the name of one of the regions in Southwest Georgia (in what is now modern-day Turkey, northwest of the town of Erzurum). In 1203, Georgian royal troops defeated the enemy there with the victory consolidating Georgia’s position in Asia Minor. For Georgians, the battle of Basiani is associated with love of homeland, devotion, and unity. www.basiani.ge
George Donadze – Artistic Director
Born 1979, George Donadze was a member of Bichebi children’s folk choir and studied at Tbilisi music college between 1995 and 1999. Mr. Donadze was the children’s choir conductor at Tbilisi music school between 1997 and 2000 prior to becoming both the conductor of the Tbilisi Holy Trinity Cathedral Patriarchate Choir and founder and conductor of Ensemble Basiani. He studied for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Choir Conducting at the V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire. Since 2006 he has taught at G. Mtatsmindeli Church Chants Institution of Higher Education. He became the director of the Folklore State Center of Georgia in 2014.
Zurab Tskrialashvili – Director
Born in 1980, Zurab Tskrialashvili was part of Martve, a children folk’s choir, from the age of 9 to 16. He attended music school and college in Tbilisi before studying at the Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire for a Master’s in Choir Conducting. Zurab has been part of the Tbilisi Holy Trinity Cathedral Patriarchate Choir since 2000 and a member of Ensemble Basiani since 2002, first as a singer and, since 2013, as director. In 2007 he also became Assistant Professor at the G. Mtatsmindeli Church Chants Institution of Higher Education. From 2014 – 2018 he was a children’s folk choir conductor at Folklore National Palace.
About Performance Santa Fe
Performance Santa Fe has been bringing the very best of music, dance, and theater to iconic Santa Fe locations since 1937. Now in its 86th season, the organization upholds excellence in the performing arts and brings joy and enrichment to the community. Alongside its extensive performance season, the organization runs three dynamic, exciting, and inclusive educational programs for students in the community— Arts for Life, the Masterclass Series, and the Field Trip Series. PSF’s 2022-2023 season brings 27 performances to Santa Fe and celebrates the diverse possibilities of artistic expression. Learn more at PerformanceSantaFe.org. Performance Santa Fe is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
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