Giorgi Latsabidze

Giorgi Latsabidze (გიორგი ლაცაბიძე, ; born 15 April 1978) is an international prize-winning Georgian piano virtuoso, composer and Doctor of musical arts. Latsabidze is one of the youngest pianists who has performed and recorded live 24 of the Chopin Etudes and the 24 Preludes as well as all 12 of the Transcendental Etudes of Franz Liszt and 12 Préludes (Book 2) of Claude Debussy.

Biography
Giorgi Latsabidze was born in Tbilisi (Georgia).

Latsabidze has appeared at most of the major festival venues in Salzburg, Vienna, Berlin, Mannheim, Florence, Lisbon, Beijing, Honolulu, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli International Piano Festival and Monte-Carlo Piano Masters, among others, and has performed as a recitalist throughout the world. His repertoire encompasses all stylistic epochs - his particular preference being the music of the 19th century.

His performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto at WUK Kulturhaus was described in the Austrian press as, “…a technically brilliant pianist imbued with a poignant lyricism and genuine profundity. ” England Rhinegold Classical Magazine called his recording of Debussy's Préludes, “...extraordinary imagination and a musical tone rarely heard. ”

As a composer, Latsabidze scored the film Waltz-Fantasy and won an award for the score at the Bologna Film Festival in Italy (2000). His more current compositions include Variations on the Theme of J. S. Bach and Cyber Moment for violin and piano.

Latsabidze recorded 24 Chopin Etudes; as well as 24 Chopin Preludes, Op.28; J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, BWV 988; 12 Transcendental Etudes of Franz Liszt; 12 preludes by Debussy's Book 2, among others. He had a partnership with the Polish violinist Irmina Trynkos, and has also worked with other musicians including Ernest Fleischmann, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Jansug Kakhidze, Friedrich Kleinhapl, Ivo Pogorelić, Yundi Li, Freddy Kempf, Joaquín Soriano, David L. Wen, etc.



In 2010, Latsabidze served as chairman for the International Piano Performance Examination Committee in Taiwan, (Republic of China). Also in 2010, he had his Wigmore Hall debut in London, where he world premiered his new composition, entitled Cyber Moment which was written for violin and piano, and commissioned especially for the occasion.

In June 2011 Latsabidze gave a benefit concert held in Triesner Guido-Feger Concert Hall under the patronage of her Serene Highness the Princess Marie Aglaë from Liechtenstein. This event was featuring cycle of 24 Preludes by F. Chopin, Op. 28 and R. Schumann’s Kreisleriana. Volksblatt Press wrote: “Within the romantic repertoire you can with full justification call him a magnificent pianist and a magician of impeccable technique”



Performances of his have been broadcast on radio and television in the USA, Europe, Asia and other countries.

Latsabidze was listed in the 65th edition of Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in American Art 2011. Since 2011 he is an honorary member of Pi Kappa Lambda american honor society recognized throughout the world.

In 2012, Georgian pianist got invitation from the Pope Benedict XVI. at his residence in Vatican City, Italy and made his performance debut at the acclaimed Berliner Philharmonie in the same year in Berlin.

Influences
Latsabidze has mentioned the following pianists as having inspired him: "Of those whom I heard on the stage I'd like to name first of all Maria João Pires. Judging by the records, it was Rachmaninoff, Sofronitsky, and Lipatti. As to esthetics, I feel most close to Vladimir Horowitz".

Awards
He has also won prizes in the Yehudi Menuhin Federation Competition in Salzburg, (Austria, 2005) and at the Young Artist International Piano Competition in Los Angeles (2006).

He received the Vladimir Spivakov Award (Moscow virtuosi) in 2001, the Georgian Presidential Prize in 1999/2002, the German Countess Marion Hedda Ilse Gräfin von Dönhoff Trust Award in 2002, DAAD the German Academic Exchange Award in 2004, the MTNA Academic Achievement Recognition of Excellence Award in 2004, Dr. Dr. Prof. Herbert Batliner Trust Award in 2005, the USC Keyboard Studies Department Award in 2007 and 2011, the American philanthropist Carol Hogel Music Scholarship in 2008, H.S.H. Princess Marie Aglaë of Liechtenstein Award in 2009, among others.

Teaching career
Dr. Latsabidze has presented master classes and concert performances throughout Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, South America and United States. His musical career includes being a concert pianist and collaborative artist, a professor and an international juror. In 2007-2010 served as President to the USC Chapter of the MTNA at the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. He has taught at the University of Southern California, Azusa Pacific University, at Glendale Community College.

He currently holds professorship at the Vienna Prayner Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna, Austria.

Recordings
Latsabidze has participated in numerous recordings and TV productions, including DVDs and CDs of compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Debussy, Stravinsky, and Schönberg. His own recordings include: Performances are available via social networking sites of Giorgi's interpretation of Mozart Piano Concerto No.21, Chopin’s 24 preludes, Op.28, F. Liszt’s – 12 Transcendental Etudes, Bizet-Horowitz – Carmen Fantasie (White House Edition) Claude Debussy’s – Préludes (Book II), Sousa-Horowitz-Latsabidze – Stars and Stripes Forever.
 * 2012: CD: WAGHALTER, I.: Violin Concerto / Rhapsody / Violin Sonata (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Trynkos, Latsabidze, A. Walker). Naxos Records
 * 2011: DVD: Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21in C major, K. 467. Taiwan Production
 * 2011: CD/DVD: Frédéric Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op.28; Robert Schumann: Kreisleriana, Op.16. Goyette Records Co.
 * 2011: CD: Giorgi Latsabidze: The Composer & Transcriber. Rhapsody Library Records
 * 2010: DVD: The IG-Duo performs works by Szymanowski, Brahms, Bizet-Waxman, Latsabidze. Red Piranha Films. Wigmore Hall, UK.
 * 2010: CD/DVD: Giorgi Latsabidze plays Claude Debussy; 12 Preludes (Book II). Charismartist Int. Rec.
 * 2009: CD: Schumann: Frauenliebe und -leben; Debussy: Ariettes oubliées. IG Initiatives LLC
 * 2009: CD/DVD: Latsabidze: The Recital; Onward Entertainment, Los Angeles.
 * 2008: CD: Johannes Brahms: The Piano Quintet in F minor, Op.34. Hurb Production Studio.
 * 2006: DVD: Original music score composed by Latsabidze for the film Twilight's Grace, Los Angeles.
 * 2005: DVD: Auf den Spuren von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; DVD documentary on Latsabidze in Salzburg, K-TV Austria.