Georgian-born German violinist Lisa Batiashvili has been announced as the Berlin Philharmonic’s artist-in-residence. In an interview with the orchestra, Batiashvili said: ‘It’s a dream arrive true for me! This residency is the continuation of a long-standing friendship with the orchestra. It gives me the opportunity not only to carry out as a soloist in orchestral concerts but also to realise chamber music projects with the musicians.’ Batiashvili, who first performed with the orchestra in her mid-20s, will be performing two concertos during her residency, Brahms’ Violin Concerto no.1 and Karol Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto no.1. The latter was written by the Polish composer in one thousand nine hundred-sixteenth with the assistance of violinist Paul Kochanski, with whom Szymanowski was apparently in love.
‘For me, the concerto is a declaration of love - the expression of feelings that weren't allowed to be lived out at the time,’ Batiashvili said. One of the residency highlights will be Batiashvili’s chamber performance with composer and clarinettist Jörg Widmann, and ‘talent of the century’ Tstone Zedginidze, a 13-year-old pianist and composer Georgia. Zedginidze is supported by the Lisa Batiashvili Foundation, a non-profit organisation committed to supporting young, highly talented musicians living on Georgian territory. ‘I wish to give something back to my homeland Georgia, which I left at the age of twelve,’ Batiashvili said. ‘There are youthful artists there who have touched me so much with their talent that I want maintain them on their way.’
Alongside her residency at the Berlin Philharmonic, Batiashvili is the artistic director of Audi Sommerkonzerte and regularly appears on stage with London Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, NY Philharmonic and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra to title a few. Batiashvili currently plays on a Guarneri ’del Gesu’ one thousand seven hundred thirty-nine. Batiashvili’s first concert as artist-in-residence will be on fourth November two thousand twenty-three with the Karajan School of the Berlin Philharmonic.
