Mr. Kancheli had piano lessons as a child at a music school in Tbilisi and studied at the Georgian State Conservatory in Tbilisi from 1959-63, where his composition teacher was I.I. Tuskiya.

His many honors include the USSR State Prize (1976, for Symphony No. 4, ‘In Memoria di Michelangelo’). Since 1971, he has served as Director of Music at the Rustaveli Theatre in Tbilisi, for which he has written incidental music for many productions, mostly in cooperation with director Robert Sturua.

Mr. Kancheli left Georgia in 1991 (before the collapse of the Soviet Union), after receiving a grant from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst and stayed in Berlin until 1995. In 1995-96, he served as composer-in-residence to the Royal Flanders Philharmonic in Antwerp and has lived in Belgium since.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Street address: Mr. Giya Kancheli, c/o Internationale Musikverlage Hans Sikorski, Johnsallee 23, D - 20148 Hamburg, Germany

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS (note that the composer wishes for these not to be categorized, but instead listed only chronologically; film scores are listed separately)

1960s: Concerto for Orchestra, 1961; Quintet, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1961; Largo and Allegro, piano, timpani, string orchestra, 1963; The Accusation (incidental music, play by Robert Sturua, Georgi Kavtaradze), 1964; A Sunlit Night (incidental music, play by Nodar Dumbadze), 1966; Le Chapeau de Paille d’Italie (incidental music, play by Eugène Labiche), 1967; Symphony No. 1, large orchestra, 1967; Khanuma’s Merry Tricks (incidental music, play by Avksenty Tsagareli), 1968, revised 1973; The Good Women of Setzuan (incidental music, play by Bertolt Brecht), 1969

1970s: Symphony No. 2, ‘Chants’, large orchestra, 1970; Medea (incidental music, play by Jean Anouilh), 1971; Symphony No. 3, mezzo-soprano/countertenor/tenor, large orchestra, 1973; The Party Committee Secretary (incidental music, play by R. Tabukashvili), 1974; Symphony No. 4, ‘In Memoria di Michelangelo’, 4 off-stage church bells, large orchestra, 1974; The Caucasian Chalk Circle (incidental music, play by Bertolt Brecht), 1975; Grandma, Iliko, Illarion, and Myself (incidental music, play by Nodar Dumbadze, Georgi Lordkipanidze), 1977; Symphony No. 5, ‘In Memory of My Parents’, large orchestra, 1977; Easy Money (incidental music, play by Aleksandr Ostrovsky), 1978; Richard III (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 1979; The Rôle for a Débutante (incidental music, play by Tamaz Chiladzed), 1979

1980s: Symphony No. 6, 2 violas, large orchestra, 1978-80, revised 1981; As You Like It (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 1980; Blue Horses on Red Grass (incidental music, play by Mikhail Shatrov), 1980; Belle from Amherst (incidental music, play by David H. Lewis), 1981; The Centenary (gala celebration for the Rustaveli Theatre), 1981; Samanishvili’s Stepmother (incidental music, play by Vladimir Kostantinov, Boris Ratser, after D. Kldiashvili), 1981; Variations on a Contemporary Theme (incidental music, dialogue with the spectators by Robert Sturua), 1981; Music for the Living (2 act opera, libretto by Robert Sturua), 1982-84, revised 1999; Lichte Trauer (requiem, texts by Galaktion Tabidze, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, William Shakespeare, Aleksandr Pushkin), 2 boy sopranos, boys’ chorus, large orchestra, 1984-85; Symphony No. 7, ‘Epilogue’, large orchestra, 1986, revised 1991; Electra (incidental music, play by Sophocles), 1987; King Lear (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 1987; Mother Courage and Her Children (incidental music, play by Bertolt Brecht), 1988; Oedipus rex (incidental music, play by Sophocles), 1989; Tartuffe (incidental music, play by Jean-Baptiste Molière), 1989; Vom Winde beweint (liturgy, in memoriam Givi Ordzhonikidze), viola, large orchestra, 1989 (also version for cello, large orchestra, 1996)

1990s: Life without Christmas, 1990-92 (each of its four sections may be performed separately: Morning Prayers, alto flute, bass guitar, piano, 19 strings, tape, 1990; Midday Prayers, boy soprano, clarinet, small orchestra [19 players], 1990-91; Evening Prayers, 8 altos, small orchestra, 1991; Night Prayers, string quartet, tape, 1992 [also version for soprano saxophone, string orchestra, tape, 1994]); Abii ne viderem, alto flute, bass guitar, piano, string orchestra, 1992 (also version for viola, bass guitar, piano, string orchestra, 1993); The Comedy of Errors (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 1992; Hamlet (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 1992; Noch einen Schritt…, off-stage viola, orchestra, tape, 1992; Flügellos, large orchestra, 1993; My Psalm, soprano, alto flute, viola, cello, double bass, synthesizer, 1993; Psalm 23, soprano, small orchestra, 1993 (later incorporated into Exil; may be performed separately); Exil (texts by Paul Celan, Hans Sahl, the Old Testament), soprano, alto flute (+ bass flute), violin, viola, cello, double bass, synthesizer, 1993-94 (incorporates Psalm 23); Caris Mere, soprano, viola, 1994; Having Wept, cello, 1994 (also version for violin, string orchestra, tape, 1994); Lament (concerto, text by Hans Sahl, in memoriam Luigi Nono), soprano, violin, large orchestra, 1994; Magnum ignotum, flute/alto flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, double bass, tape, 1994; Trauerfarbenes Land, large orchestra, 1994; Violin and Voice, violin, string orchestra, tape, 1994; …à la Duduki, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, orchestra, 1995; Macbeth (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 1995; Rag-Gidon-Time, violin, piano, 1995 (also version for violin, viola, cello, 1999); Simi, cello, large orchestra, 1995; Instead of a Tango, violin, double bass, piano, bandoneon, 1996 (also version for piano, 1998); Lamara (incidental music, play by Grigol Robakidse), 1996; Measure for Measure (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 1996; Time…and Again, violin, piano, 1996 (also version for violin, viola, cello, 1998); Valse Boston, piano, string orchestra, 1996; Diplipito (text from ancient Georgian sources), countertenor, guitar, cello, bass guitar, piano, percussion, string orchestra, 1996-97; In l’Istesso Tempo, violin, viola, cello, piano, 1997; With a Smile for Slava, cello, piano, 1997; Childhood Revisited, oboe, bass guitar, piano, string orchestra, 1998; The Serpent Woman (incidental music, play by Carlo Gozzi), 1998; Sio, piano, percussion, string orchestra, 1998; And Farewell Goes out Sighing…, countertenor, violin, large orchestra, 1999; Coriolanus (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 1999; Hamlet (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 1999; Rokwa, large orchestra, 1999; Styx, mixed chorus, viola, orchestra, 1999

2000s: …Al niente, large orchestra, 2000; Eine kleine Daneliade, violin, piano, percussion, string orchestra, 2000; Ergo, large orchestra, 2000; The Merchant of Venice (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 2000; Twelfth Night (incidental music, play by William Shakespeare), 2001; Don’t Grieve (texts by Dylan Thomas, Wystan Hugh Auden, various Georgian, Russian poets), baritone, string orchestra, 2002; Fingerprints, large orchestra, 2002; Lonesome, violin, large orchestra, 2002; Sinior Todero (incidental music, play by Carlo Goldoni), 2002; Warzone, large orchestra, 2002

FILM SCORES (DIRECTOR): The Children of the Sea, 1964 (Konstantine Pipinashvili); An Unusual Exhibition, 1968 (Eldar Shengelaya); Don’t Grieve, 1969 (Georgi Daneliya); The Jug, 1970 (I. Kvirikadze); Peola, 1970 (Baadur Tsuladze); I’m a Detective, 1971 (Giorgi Kalatozishvili); The Neighbours, 1971 (Rezo Charkhalashvili); Gladiator, 1972 (Baadur Tsuladze); When Almonds Blossomed, 1972 (Lana Gogoberidze); The Eccentrics, 1973 (Eldar Shengelaya); Sea Wolf, 1973 (Rezo Charkhalashvili); White Stones, 1973 (T. Palavandishvili); The Captains, 1974 (T. Gomelauri); A Captive in the Caucasus, 1975 (Giorgi Kalatozishvili); A Caucasian Romance, 1975 (A. Darsavelidze, Rezo Gabriadze); The Knights-Errant, 1975 (T. Palavandishvili); Mimino, 1977 (Georgi Daneliya); The Races, 1977 (G. Gomelauri); A Caucasian Tale, 1978 (Giorgi Kalatozishvili); Le Cinéma, 1978 (Liana Eliava); Samanishvili’s Stepmother, 1978 (Eldar Shengelaya); The Call of the Ancestors, 1979 (T. Lordkipanidze, T. Chokhonelidze); The Quarry, 1979 (P. Charkviani); Several Interviews on Personal Matters, 1979 (Lana Gogoberidze); It’s Thy Son, Oh Earth, 1980 (Rezo Chkheidze); The Stray Bullet (Vasily Kikvidze), 1980 (Gizo Gabeskiriye, Giorgi Kalatozishvili); Tears were Falling, 1982 (Georgi Daneliya); Amiran’s Fairy Tales, 1983 (G. Levashov-Tumanishvili); Blue Mountains, or Unbelievable Story, 1983 (Eldar Shengelaya); Ratili, 1983 (Giorgi Kalatozishvili); And Snow Fell on White Orchards, 1984 (G. Levashov-Tumanishvili); The Day Lasts Longer than the Night, 1984 (Lana Gogoberidze); Dies irae, 1985 (Sulambek Mamilov); The Flow of Life, 1986 (Lana Gogoberidze); Kin-Dza-Dza, 1986 (Georgi Daneliya); The End of the World, 1987 (T. Lioznova); Passport, 1990 (Georgi Daneliya); The Wilderness, 1991 (Mikhail Kats); Hélas pour moi, 1993 (Jean-Luc Godard); Heads and Tails, 1995 (Georgi Daneliya); The Comic Owls, 1996; The Pitcher, 1996; Emporte-moi, 1999 (Léa Pool); Fortuna, 2000 (Georgi Daneliya); The Quickie, 2001 (Sergei Bodrov); Bear’s Kiss, 2002 (Sergei Bodrov)

TV PRODUCTIONS (DIRECTOR): Siberian Grandfather, 1973 (Giorgi Kalatozishvili); Don Quixote, 1988 (Rezo Chkheidze)

DISCOGRAPHY

Symphony No. 3; Symphony No. 6. Gimlet Gonashvili, countertenor; Giya Chaduneli, Archil Kharadze, violas; Djansug Kakhidze/Georgian State Symphony Orchestra (Olympia: OCD 401)

Symphony No. 4, ‘In Memoria di Michelangelo’; Symphony No. 5, ‘In Memory of My Parents’. Djansug Kakhidze/Georgian State Symphony Orchestra (Olympia: OCD 403)

Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 7, ‘Epilogue’; Vom Winde beweint. Svyatoslav Belonogov, viola; Fyodor Glushchenko/Moscow State Symphony Orchestra (Olympia: OCD 424)

Dies irae; Don’t Grieve; Kin-Dza-Dza; Passport (suites). Sergey Skripka/USSR Cinematographic Symphony Orchestra; Djansug Kakhidze/Georgian State Symphony Orchestra (Olympia: OCD 608)

Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 4, ‘In Memoria di Michelangelo’; Symphony No. 5, ‘In Memory of My Parents’. James DePreist/Helsinki Philharmonic (Ondine: ODE 829)

Symphony No. 2, ‘Chants’; Symphony No. 7, ‘Epilogue’. Michail Jurowski/Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (CPO: 999 263)

Symphony No. 5, ‘In Memory of My Parents’; Lichte Trauer. Djansug Kakhidze/Moscow Sveshnikov Choral College Boys’ Chorus, Georgian Radio Orchestra, Georgian State Symphony Orchestra (Ina: MSFL 896)

Symphony No. 3. David James, countertenor; Franz Welser-Möst/London Philharmonic (EMI: CDC 55619)

Rag-Gidon-Time (original version). Gidon Kramer, violin; Oleg Maisenberg, piano (Elektra: 17222)

Symphony No. 4, ‘In Memoria di Michelangelo’; Symphony No. 5, ‘In Memory of My Parents’. Djansug Kakhidze/Georgian National Orchestra (Nonesuch: 79290)

Night Prayers. Kronos Quartet (Nonesuch: 79346)

Instead of a Tango. Gidon Kremer, violin; Alois Posch, double bass; Vadim Sakharov, piano; Per Arne Glovigen, bandoneon (Nonesuch: 79462)

Vom Winde beweint. Kim Kashkashian, viola; Dennis Russell Davies/Orchester der Beethovenhalle Bonn (ECM New Series: 1471)

Morning Prayers; Evening Prayers; Abii ne viderem (viola version). Natalya Psenitsnikova, alto flute; Kim Kashkashian, viola; Hilliard Ensemble; Dennis Russell Davies/Stuttgarter Kammerorchester (ECM New Series: 1510)

Exil. Maacha Deubner, soprano; Vladimir Yurovsky/ensemble (ECM New Series: 1535)

Midday Prayers; Caris Mere; Night Prayers (saxophone version). Maacha Deubner, soprano; Eduard Brunner, clarinet; Kim Kashkashian, viola; Jan Garbarek, soprano saxophone; Dennis Russell Davies/Stuttgarter Kammerorchester (ECM New Series: 1568)

Trauerfarbenes Land; …à la Duduki. Dennis Russell Davies/Radio Symphonieorchester Wien (ECM New Series: 1646)

Lament. Maacha Deubner, soprano; Gidon Kremer, violin; Djansug Kakhidze/Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra (ECM New Series: 1656)

Magnum ignotum; Simi. Mstislav Rostropovich, cello; Djansug Kakhidze/Royal Flanders Philharmonic (ECM New Series: 1669)

Symphony No. 6; Symphony No. 7, ‘Epilogue’. Djansug Kakhidze/Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra (Sony Classical: SMK 66 590)

Symphony No. 4, ‘In Memoria di Michelangelo’; Symphony No. 5, ‘In Memory of My Parents’. Djansug Kakhidze/Georgian State Symphony Orchestra (Melodiya: SUCD 10-00130)

Lichte Trauer; Vom Winde beweint. Yuri Bashmet, viola; Djansug Kakhidze/Moscow Sveshnikov Choral College Boys’ Chorus, Georgian State Symphony Orchestra (BMG: 74321 49958)

Lichte Trauer; Vom Winde beweint (cello version). France Springuel, cello; Rudolf Werthen/I Fiamminghi, Cantate Domino (Telarc: 80455)

Lichte Trauer. Djansug Kakhidze/Leningrad Philharmonic, Moscow Sveshnikov Choral College Boys’ Chorus (Col Legno: 0647 2 86)

And Farewell Goes out Sighing… Derek Lee Ragin, countertenor; Gidon Kremer, violin; Kurt Masur/New York Philharmonic (New York Philharmonic: NYP 0107)

…À la Duduki. Michael Helmrath/Dresdner Sinfoniker (Arte Nova: 74321 82556)

Lichte Trauer. Melitta Heim, Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, sopranos; John Nelson/MDR Kinderchor, MDR Sinfonieorchester (VKJK: 9917-5/6)

Styx. Yuri Bashmet, viola; Valery Gergiev/St. Petersburg Chamber Choir, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon: 471 494)

(Last updated on October 13, 2002)