Photo by:
Georg Anderhub

"During Virzaladze's performance we witness a marvelous synthesis: intellectual control, musical sovereignity, and technical facility. Her work in music starts in her head, which gives direction to her imagination and commands to her fingers. The public was enchanted and expressed its desire to hear her again soon."

Milano

Biography

Elisso Virsaladze grew up in a family in Tbilisi, which was for generations involved in the art and culture of Georgia. She received her first piano lessons from her grandmother, Professor Anastasia Virsaladze. After attending the conservatory, she left her native city and moved to Moscow. At the age of 20 she won the third prize in the Tchaikovsky Competition.

In Moscow, she continued her studies with Heinrich Neuhaus and Yakov Zak. These gifted teachers not only deeply influenced her artistic development, but also immersed her in the renowned tradition of Russian piano pedagogy. It is therefore not surprising that she is recognized today as an exceptional teacher whose students have won sensational recognition at competitions. The Moscow Conservatory and Munich Musikhochschule have made Elisso Virsaladze a regular professor and there is hardly any important international competition where she has not been invited to take part in the jury. To mention only a few where she is regularly invited: Santander, Geza Anda in Zurich or Rubinstein in Tel Aviv as well as of course Tchaikovsky (and lately Richter) in Moscow. In 2006, she judged competitions in Munich, Japan, Lisbon and Brussels; others will follow in 2007.

Her deepest love is for the composers of the late 18th and 19th centuries, especially Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Schumann. At the age of 24, she won the first prize at the Schumann Competition in Zwickau, and has been described by the international press as one of the great contemporary interpreters of Schumann. At the same time, Ms. Virzaladze is well-known for her wide repertoire up to and including modern Russian composers. The Soviet Union has honored her with its highest artistic awards.

Elisso Virsaladze regularly performs in London, Milan, Rome, Paris, Lisbon, Berlin and Barcelona; duo concerts with cellist Natalia Gutman took (and repeatedly take) place in Vienna, Berlin, Brussels, Madrid, Munich, Milan, Geneva and Lausanne, some of Europe’s most important cities. In chamber music and with orchestras such as Petersburg Philharmonic or Royal Philharmonia London she has toured North America, Japan and Europe extensively. Aside from this, Elisso Virsaladze regularly appears with prestigious orchestras in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Japan, the U.S. and other countries.

Elisso Virsaladze has worked with conductors such as Rudolf Barschai, Kyril Kondraschin, Ricardo Muti, Kurt Sanderling, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Evgeny Svetlanov, Yuri Temirkanov or Antoni Wit – to name a few. In 2005 Elisso Virsaladze again toured the USA and South America in addition to her many European appearances. In the fall of 2006, she toured Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia, performing Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Rachmaninoff and Beethoven concertos. The year was crowned with a Tchaikovsky concert at La Scala as well as a tour throughout Israel in December 2006.

In 2007 Ms. Virsaladze will participate in competition juries all over the world, including Brussels, Japan, Busoni and Portugal. Her orchestra performances for 2007 include Royal Philharmonic London. With Natalia Gutman she will perform duo concerts in Spain, Belgium, Italy, Great Britain and Germany. In 2008, she will perform with I Musici de Montréal, under the baton of Yuli Turovsky.

The label Live Classics, where a number of her recordings have been published, opens a wide perspective onto the musical personality of Elisso Virsaladze.

May 2007
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Excerpts from the Press

"Thunderous, encompassing technique, an obvious affinity for works by her compatriots, and strong ideas about other repertoire."

Louisville Courier-Journal

"During Virzaladze's performance we witness a marvelous synthesis: intellectual control, musical sovereignity, and technical facility. Her work in music starts in her head, which gives direction to her imagination and commands to her fingers. The public was enchanted and expressed its desire to hear her again soon."

Milano

"The art of the left hand is obvious. She has the most astounding, phenomenal left hand, amazing at staccato and/or staccato pianissimo, cantabile in melodious passages, raging in octaves, persuasive in accompaniments, no matter how simple they may be. This should not mean that her right hand is less sensitive to all nuances of touch; still this is simply taken for granted. However, homage still needs to be paid to her right hand, which similarly controls staccato octaves on the high treble, where the piano sound is often distorted. She fascinates and captivates her public."

Munich

"Among the many pianists who are crowding concert halls is only a handful who are miles ahead of general mediocrity --one of them certainly is Elizo Virzaladze. She reminds the listener of Martha Argerich. She combines a powerful sonorous espressivo with outstanding intellectual sovereignty and infallible technique. Her energetic interpretations are a result of an utmost intellectual concentration and critical self-control."

Hamburg

"Elizo Virzaladze played Haydn's Piano Concerto in D Major No. 11 and fascinated the audience not only with her sparkling, infallible technique, but also with her unusual musicality. She proved that even today a piano concerto by Haydn can still be a great artistic event."

West Berlin

"The audiences were jubilant as such concerts are not often actually attended but mostly remain 'wishful thoughts.' Two exciting interpreters, brilliant also as a duo. There remains only a simple expression: a simply masterful performance."

Vienna