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memory of the Georgian genius

“Gia Kancheli. I didn`t like clarinet. ” The idea came up in April this year, when, after a concert by Julian Milkis and NB Chamber group in the Urban Music Hall (Odessa), together with Artur Geuchmann discussed plans for the future. It should be noted that Yulik, in a good way, was “sick” with Kancheli’s music, and “infected” me, Arthur and many others with it. Then the composer was alive and we dreamed that suddenly he would be able to come (!) To the concert. It was then, in April, that work on a documentary about Gia, which was shot by Canadians Olga and Grigory Antimoni, was ending.
In summer, this program – a film + cycle of Miniatures for clarinet and piano – music of theater and cinema, was shown as part of the Odessa Classics international festival. The program was a great success; it was sold out.

When the Georgian Embassy found out about the idea of ​​organizing the same concert in Kiev, they offered their help. Permanent Zurab Topuria, the most sincere words of gratitude from the entire team of the Ederi Management Agency!
The Embassy of Canada in Ukraine did not leave its fellow citizens without support either – many thanks for the effective partnership! Kancheli’s music united the continents, and this is no exaggeration, because the concert attracted fans of the composer and performers (a whole family from another city came to Polina Osetinskaya, former Kievans arrived from Boston, etc.) from all over the world. It is this internationalism that shows Kiev and Ukraine on the cultural map of the world, this is what I always want to achieve with my work, so that Ukraine is perceived as a country where I need to go to premiere performances, to festivals, but not as a cultural province.

The preparatory work went on as usual, but on October 2 at 8 a.m. I received a message from Yulik: “Gia is no more.” From that moment, the concert was filled with a different meaning …
I am very glad that it turned out that the result was the one that Yulik told me about: “People in all countries of the world cried when they listened to this music.” These are good tears, these are tears of pure feelings from music and film. I was happy when I was Olga and Gregory Antimoni – the authors of the film said that they would come to a concert in Kiev, and when I found out that Sandro Kancheli would arrive (!) – the excitement of responsibility increased many times.

But I was with colleagues, partners, friends, Facebook friends (I have never seen them in my life, but many of them gave me valuable advice, shared contacts during the preparation!) Who helped to build such a project and present it on the stage of the conservatory.
To everyone who took part, my deep gratitude to new projects!
Photos of the great pro, Olexei Plisko, will help return that evening.

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