Biography

Shavleg Shilakadze (b.21.02.1940, Tbilisi), Georgian composer and conductor, is a Professor at the V.Saradjishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire and Artistic Director of the Chamber Orchestra
"Concertino Tbilissi".

He graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatoire in "viola" under Professors A. Begalishvili, and L. Iashvili and in "composition" under Prof. O. Taktakishvili. In 1968-71 he studied at the same Conservatoire in specialty "Opera-Symphony Conducting" (Prof. O. Dimitriadi).
In 1974 he graduated from the N. Rimsky-Korsakov Leningrad State Conservatoire (Prof. N. S. Rabinovich, Prof. A. S. Dmitriev)

In 1959-1969 he plaied viola in the Georgian State Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. He made his debut as a composer in 1959, and as a conductor in 1966. From 1969 he worked at the Tbilisi Music College no.1 and at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire (chamber music, orchestra), in 1973-1974 he headed the Georgian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra; in 1976-1977 he worked as the Head of the chamber music department of the Georgian Philharmonie.

In 1976 he founded chamber ensemble "Camerata Tbilissi" which he headed until 1985. Together with this orchestra he has given about 300 concerts both in Georgia and in the major halls of cultural centers of the former USSR – Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Vilnius, Tallinn. Odessa. Baku, Erevan, etc.

In 1988 he founded chamber orchestra "Concertino Tbilissi", together with which he has given more than 300 concerts both in Georgia and abroad- in Germany (1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997); in Spain (October-November, March, 1993); in Switzerland (1996,1997) and in Great Britain (London, Edinburgh, 1998).

In 1999-2002 he was invited as a resident-conductor to the Cairo Art Academy Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra under Sh.Shilakadze's baton gave concerts in Cairo and Alexandria, five concerts in Spain at the Murcia International Festival of Young Orchestras, successfully collaborated with the Cairo Chamber Orchestra "Amadeus".

Since 1973 Sh. Shilkadze has been a member of the Georgian Composers Union and several times has occupied leading positions at the Union.

Sh.Shilakadze's conducting repertoire includes the works of Bach, Bartok, Beethoven, Bizet, Brahms, Britten, Cimaroza, Dvorak, Corelli, Haendel, Haydn, Hindemith, Honegger, Lutoslawski, Mahler, Mozart, Orff, Rameau, Schoenberg, Shostakovich, Schubert, Schumann, Schütz, Stravinsky, Verdi, Vivaldi, as well as chamber, symphony, vocal, opera and cantata-oratorio works, and also the works of many Georgian composers- V. Azarashvili, J. Bardanashvili, Z. Butskhrikidze, R. Gabichvadze, N. Gabunia, I. Gedjadze, N. Gigauri, O. Gordeli, M. Davitashvili, O. Taktakishvili, V. Lomdaridze, N. Mamisashvili, S. Nasidze, M. Odzeli, K. Rosebashvili, Sh. Shilakadze, S. Tsintsadze and others.