Prof. George Vatchnadze

George Vatchnadze has appeared with orchestras and in recital throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Israel, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, as well as Central and South America. He has performed at the Hollywood Bowl Festival, Ravinia Festival, Stresa Festival, and Rotterdam Philharmonic’s “Philips Gergiev” Festival. He has also been a frequent guest of St. Petersburg’s “White Nights” and “Mikkeli” (Finland) festivals. In 1997 Mr. Vatchnadze made a sensational recital debut at the prestigious Edinburgh International Music Festival and received the “Herald Angel Award” presented by the “Scottish Herald” newspaper. He has appeared on live broadcasts of the Dutch National Radio, BBC, RAI, NPR’s “Performance Today” and WFMT. In 1999 Mr. Vatchnadze made his New York recital debut at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.  Critic and writer Faubion Bowers wrote in American Record Guide: “Vatchnadze is a consummate artist, now at the height of his musical and intellectual powers. He can do absolutely anything he wants at the piano. He commands delicate pianissimi, massive diapasons and everything in between”.

Mr. Vatchadze’s engagements have included appearances at London’s Covent Garden and Wigmore Hall, Salzburg Festival, Maggio Musicale Festival, Stresa Festival, Gilmore Festival, Ravenna Festival, Osaka Symphony Hall, St. Petersburg’s Great Philharmonic and Mariinsky Halls, Stravinsky and Shostakovich Festivals in Washington DC, Woodstock Festival (NY), Stanford Stravinsky Festival, Pacific Symphony Rachmaninoff Festival, SYArts Festival in Taiwan.

He has collaborated with prominent conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Fedosseev, Paavo Jarvi, Norichika Iimori, Jansug Kakhidze, Gianandrea Noseda and others. 

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Mr. Vatchnadze recorded Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 and Ravel Concerto for the Left Hand with the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Jansug Kakhidze (Sony Classical). The recordings have been reissued several times and received the highest critical acclaim. His other releases include the recording of Prokofiev Sonatas (Triton, Japan) and Gia Kancheli’ 33 Miniatures for Piano (Piano Classics, Netherlands). Mr. Vatchadze’s laatest recording of the live performance of Rachmaninoff Piano concerto no.3 at the Osaka Symphony Hall has been released in 2022 on Audiophile Society label. It has recently recieved the LA Audiophile Society recording of the year award.

He is a winner of numerous International Piano Competitions including 1994 Gina Bachauer Competition, 1998 Palm Beach Invitational Competition, 1996 Alabama competition, and 1997 World Piano Competition.

Mr. Vatchnadze is the Associate Professor at DePaul University School of Music in Chicago. Throughout his teaching carrier, his students have won top prizes at the numerous international competitions and have performed extensively throughout the world. 

He is a founder and artistic director of the Villa Sandra International Piano Academy in Lesa (Lago Maggiore), Italy.