Tbilisi Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatory

The V.Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire is the first higher institution in Georgia. For several years it remained the only High College for Music of European type in the whole Caucasus. The 1st of May 1917 is registered in the Georgian music history as the birthday of the Tbilisi Conservatoire. In 1924 it got the status of State Conservatoire. Since 1947 it bears the name of the famous Georgian singer- Vano Saradjishvili. As an architectural building, it has been included in the list of monuments of Georgian cultural heritage. Before the Conservatoire was founded there was a vibrant musical life in Tbilisi in the second half of the 19th century. The Georgian society got acquainted with the art of opera, the Western-European and Russian classical music, centres of musical education were opened, possibility of producing homegrown Georgian musicians appeared. Fundraising for the Conservatoire building began with a charitable concert given in 1981 by Anton Rubinstein. The sum, together with donations by Georgian cultural patrons, including the brothers Stepane, Levan and Jacob Zubalashvili, the Conservatoire building, designed by A.Shimkevich was completed in 1917. Today like a century ago the role of patrons, business groups and friends is very important. Excellent examples of such support are the concert halls of the conservatoire, reconstructed according to modern standards, viz.: the Grand Hall (500 seats) and the Recital Hall (200 seats) ; Chamber Hall (80 seats), Opera Studio and the Student Orchestra rehearsal halls; conference halls, audio library, equipped with modern technique and recording studios. The Conservatoire takes pride of its library; and the museum which preserves relics of Georgian music culture, documenting the history of the Conservatoire as well as the development of musical education in Georgia.