Happy First Birthday, Blog!
My blog is officially one year old, and I am so happy to have this outlet to express myself in ways one cannot do with concerts alone. It has become a place for me to share my life story, what drives me as an artist, my most meaningful musical experiences, and even some fun musings. To be honest, I started out pretty nervous about writing publicly, and it took a lot of effort to write my first few pieces. I am so glad that I kept it up though, as writing now feels like a natural part of my life as an artist.
To celebrate this milestone (and help any new readers looking for a good place to start getting to know me), I’m sharing my four favorite posts from the past year.
No. 1
My Musical Life: Republic of Georgia (Part 1)
My very first blog post was about of growing up in post-Soviet Georgia, and how against the backdrop of economic turmoil, I found myself surrounded by a vibrant musical life that would be the beginning of my journey. This piece gives a glimpse of my childhood and the people who made me the person and artist that I am today.
No. 2
Groundbreaking Female Composer: Francesca Caccini
From my series “Groundbreaking Female Composers,” I look at the life and work of Francesca Caccini. Quickly rising as a star musician in the Medici court, Francesca was the first woman to ever compose and publish an opera. I wrote about a lot of great female composers, but to me, she is the original trailblazer. I was inspired to write this post when I was in Florence a year ago, which seems like another world now. Also, don’t miss her beautiful song “Lasciatemi Qui Solo.”
Francesca Caccini was a uniquely gifted musician and composer, the first woman to ever compose and publish an opera. Thankfully for us, Florence in the early...
No. 3
Connecting To The Childlike Innocence in Schumann’s Kinderszenen, Op. 15
Here, I revisited a work that brought me immense joy as a child and describe the new challenge of recreating childlike innocence when playing it again as an adult artist.
No. 4
Finding Revelation In Messiaen’s Music: My Fulbright Year in Paris
Discovering Messiaen’s music was a crucial event in my life: one that would bring me to Paris to delve deep into his work, bringing me profound experiences of musical transcendence.