Jansug Kakhidze

Jansug Kakhidze, a famous Georgian conductor, composer and singer, was born in 1935 in Tbilisi. In 1954 he graduated from the Tbilisi 7^th secondary school of boys. At the same time he had finished Z.Paliashvili Central Music school (Piano Department). In 1958 he graduated from the Choir Conducting department of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and in 1963 the post-graduate courses for Opera and Symphony Orchestra Conducting of the same institution under Professor O. Dimitriadi. Later he underwent period of trainee in Moscow with famous French conductor Igor Markevich. The artistic career of Djansug Kakhidze had already started during his studies at the conservatory. In 1957 he was the first in Georgia, to found the men’s vocal ensemble “Schvidkatsa” (Seven Men), which became the Gold Medal winner at the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow and a year later the ensemble took part at the World Exposition held in Brussels, where he was awarded with the Gold Medal again.

Djansug Kakhidze’s creative activities in the fields of cinematography and theatre holds important roles in his carrier. The 1960-1990s are rightly considered the flourishing period of the Georgian film industry. The soundtracks of almost all the movies of the period were conducted by Djansug Kakhidze. Djansug Kakhidze perceived himself firstly as a conductor. As he used to say, to write music was “hobby” for him. However, it should be noted that the song had a special place in his life and he had a great influence on the process of his formation as a versatile musician; Kakhidze’s songs are well-known not only in Georgia – the famous jazz saxophone player Jan Garbarek included one of his best composition – “The Moon over Mtatsminda” into the CD album “ghites” and was absolutely delighted of Djansug’s singing. After the death of Jansug Kakhidze, the Tbilisi Music and Cultural Center and its surrounding garden were named after him. The Georgian Musical Society awarded him posthumously the Prize of Zakhary Paliashvili.