Giorgi Gigashvili and Nini Nutsubidze / Ar Madzinebs (I Cannot Sleep)

ABOUT

The joint project of Giorgi Gigashvili and Nini Nutsubidze represents a daring synthesis of Georgian folk-music tradition, contemporary songwriting, and classical sophistication. Title Ar Madzinebs (“I cannot sleep”)draws on ancestral Georgian melodies and poetic imagery, re-imagined through modern vocal and pianistic rendering. According to the artist’s own presentation, the project aims to bridge genres — blurring the lines between folk, art song, and concert music — offering audiences a living expression of Georgia’s rich musical heritage adapted for today’s sensibilities.

Giorgi Gigashvili is no ordinary pianist; along with concert repertoire, he actively explores experimental and cross-genre forms. His work often juxtaposes classical pieces with Georgian folk idioms, underlining his commitment to cultural memory and contemporary innovation. Meanwhile, Nini Nutsubidze’s vocal presence brings a deeply rooted emotional timbre — her singing evokes the intimate immediacy of folk storytelling and personal reflection, giving voice to collective memory and identity.

In Ar Madzinebs, the familiar and the novel meet: traditional Georgian modes and melodic contours are refracted through modern harmonies, contemporary piano textures, and expressive recasting. The title — “I cannot sleep” — evokes both vulnerability and longing, intimations of personal or collective unrest, dreams and memories. The resulting sound world resonates with raw authenticity and subtle sophistication, inviting listeners to reflect on heritage, transformation, and the emotional power of song.

This programme embodies a living tradition: not a nostalgic revival, but a creative re-imagining. It celebrates Georgia’s musical roots while situating them within a contemporary context — offering a bridge between past and present, tradition and innovation, folk soul and concert hall

Programme

Frédéric Chopin: Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op. 30, No. 4

Inola Gurgulia: Shentan (With You)

Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo in B minor, Op. 117, No. 2

Andante non troppo e con molto espressione

Giorgi Tsabadze: Trialebs (Fly with Me)

Giorgi Gigashvili: Improvisation

Traditional: Me khom sheni landi var / Tsiskara (I Am Your Landi)

Johannes Brahms: Intermezzo in E-flat major, Op. 117, No. 1

Andante moderato

Traditional: Lavnana / Lullaby

Maurice Ravel: Alborada del gracioso from Miroirs (Morning Song of the Jester)

Robert Schumann: Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 11

Traditional: Ar Madzinebs (I Cannot Sleep)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
Prestissimo (2nd movement)

Giya Kancheli: When the Almond Trees Were in Bloom

Domenico Scarlatti: Piano Sonata in D major, K. 29

Traditional: Only You

Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 7, Op. 83
Precipitato (3rd movement)

Performers

Giorgi Gigashvili – piano, vocals, Nini Nutsubidze – vocals