Draft:Lizi Ramishvili

Lizi Ramishvili

Lizi Ramishvili (born 1997) is a Georgian cellist who has achieved international recognition through competition wins and performances. She began studying the cello at age seven and gave her first public recital at age eight. Ramishvili won top prizes in major international competitions – notably the First Prize and "Golden Nutcracker" award at the Nutcracker International Television Competition in Russia, and the Grand Prize at the Renaissance (Revival) International Competition in Armenia. In 2012 she won the Georgian national final of the Eurovision Young Musicians competition. She has performed at prestigious venues including New York's Carnegie Hall and Berlin's Konzerthaus, and appeared at leading music festivals worldwide. Ramishvili has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Ivry Gitlis, Yuri Bashmet, Renaud Capuçon, and Khatia Buniatishvili, and has played as soloist with orchestras including the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, the Arpeggione Hohenems Chamber Orchestra, the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra, the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia, the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, the Novaya Rossiya State Symphony, and the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra. In 2021 she was named to Forbes Georgias "30 Under 30" list in the Culture & Style category.

Early life and education

Ramishvili was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1997 and began cello lessons at age seven. She trained under Professor Tamara Gabarashvili at the Paliashvili Central Music School in Tbilisi, where she gave her first concert just over a year after starting the cello. As a youth she studied at the Kronberg Academy's Pre-College in Germany with cellist Frans Helmerson. She continued her studies at the Haute École de Musique de Genève in Switzerland, and in 2017 enrolled at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid under Professor Jens Peter Maintz. While at Reina Sofía, she received a scholarship from the Fundación Albéniz, which also provided a Fernando Solar González cello on loan. During her studies she participated in masterclasses with cellists such as Menahem Pressler and Torleif Thedéen.

Competitions and awards

Ramishvili's early career was marked by success in international competitions. In 2011 she won both the First Prize and the "Golden Nutcracker" award at the Nutcracker International TV Competition in Russia. That same year she took the Grand Prize at the Renaissance (Revival) International Competition in Armenia. In 2012 she won the national final of Georgia's Eurovision Young Musicians Competition and represented Georgia in Eurovision Young Musucians Competition. Later, in 2017 she received the Zhvania Tsinandali Award for Young Scholars and Artists in Georgia. She has been the recipient of full scholarships from the foundations of renowned cellists and musicians – including the Rostropovich Foundation, the Nikolai Myaskovsky Foundation, and the Boris Pergamenschikov Foundation.

Career and performances

After her competition successes, Ramishvili's concert career expanded internationally. She has performed as a soloist with prominent orchestras and at major music festivals. Her concert appearances include Carnegie Hall in New York and the Berlin Konzerthaus. She has appeared at festivals such as the Rheingau Music Festival, Ruhr Piano Festival, Musica Mundi, Young Euro Classic, the Kronberg Academy Festival, Energy for Life (Moscow), Arpeggione (Austria), Musikeverein Energy for Life (Russia), Peregrinos Musicales (Ecuador), the Al Bustan Festival, the International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival, and Moscow Meets Friends. Ramishvili has collaborated with violinist Renaud Capuçon and pianist Khatia Buniatishvili, and others, often in chamber music settings. She has participated in ensembles such as the Freixenet Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Jaime Martín) and chamber groups including the Deloitte Mozart Trio and the Sibelius Ensemble.

Awards and recognition

In addition to her competition prizes, Ramishvili has received honors recognizing her musical promise. In 2017 she was awarded the Zhvania Tsinandali Award for Young Scholars and Artists in Georgia. In 2021 Forbes Georgia named her to its "30 Under 30" list in Culture & Style, citing her contributions to the arts. She has also won scholarships from major music foundations (Rostropovich, Myaskovsky, Pergamenschikov), as noted above.