Jansug Kaxidze

Jansug Kakhidze (Georgian: ჯანსუღ კახიძე) (May 26, 1936 in Tblisi – March 8, 2002) was a Georgian conductor, nicknamed "the Slavic Karajan". Kakhidze was music director of the Georgian State Symphony Orchestra for two decades beginning in 1973. -In 1958 he graduated from the Choir Conducting department of the Tbilisi State Conservatory and in 1963 the post-graduate courses for Opera and Symphony Orchestra Conducting of the same institution under Professor Odyssey Dimitriadi. Later he had training in Moscow with famous French conductor Igor Markevich. In 1993 Djansug Kakhidze founded a new "Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra” and led it till his death (2002). From 1982 till 2002 Djansug Kakhidze was the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater again. The following opera performances were released under his direction: R.Strauss "Salome”, Mozart "Don Giovanni”, Mussorgsky "Boris Godunov”, Verdi "Trovattore”, "Othello”, "Rigoletto”, Mascagni "Cavaleria Rusticana”, Puccini "Giani Schichi”, Donizetti "Love Drink”, Tchaikovsky "Queen of Spades ”, Prokofiev "Fire Angel”, "Love for three oranges”, "Duenja”, Paliashvili "Abesalom and Eteri”, Kancheli "Music for living”, Kvernadze "And it was in the eight year”, "The daughter of Kolkhs”. In 1989 Djansug Kakhidze founded the new hall for the symphony music in Tbilisi. On the basis of the hall there was established the Tbilisi Center for Music and Culture. In 2000 Djansug Kakhidze long standing wish came true – he founded the first professional choir of boys on the basis of Tbilisi Center for Music and Culture. It was an important step forward in development of the classical performing art in Georgia. - -Famous for his innovative program and devotion to contemporary works from his homeland, Kakhidze gained wide recognition during his life as a close friend and strong advocate of composer Giya Kancheli, recording his entire cycle of seven symphonies along with many other works. - -The peak of Kakhidze's career included numerous appearances conducting throughout Europe and Australia. His performance of Berlioz's Damnation of Faust with the Orchestra de Paris in 1990 drew high praise from critics and helped him to secure further international success in places such as the United States, where appeared as a guest conductor with both the Boston Symphony and the National Symphony Orchestra. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.