VIRA's BIO
Mariam Vardzelashvili
pianist
Mariam Vardzelashvili is a Vienna-based Georgian pianist. She played her debut as a soloist with the National Radio and TV orchestra at the age of 8, and has since enjoyed numerous successful recitals as well as orchestral collaborations. She has performed in more than 20 countries, on five continents, both as a soloist and a chamber musician, in prestigious venues such as the Musikverein Wien, Flagey in Brussels, Danish National Opera, Kyiv Philharmonie, CRR Concer Salonu in Istanbul, Konzerthaus Wien, Teatru Manoel in Malta, Grand Hall of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and participated in Morelia Festival in Mexico, Istanbul Festival in Turkey, Durtal Festival in France, Tarapaca Musica Fest in Chile and the GolfStream Festival in Kyiv.
Mariam’s studies began at the age of six in her native Tbilisi, where she attended two of the country’s main music education institutions: The Zakaria Paliashvili music school for specially gifted children and the Vano Sarajishvili State Conservatoire under the guidance of the famous Georgian pianist Dr. Nino Katamadze. After receiving a Music Talent Award, Mariam continued her education in the U.S. where she obtained her Master’s degree. She moved back to Europe for postgraduate studies in Paris and Vienna in solo and chamber music fields. She received significant artistic impulses from legendary musicians such as Alfred Brendel, Menahem Pressler and Claus-Christian Schuster.
Her international music education gave Mariam keys to the repertoire that spans over 300 years of music of different styles, with a particular interest in Viennese music, as well as the works from composers of our day. She has worked with legendary composers such as W. Rihm, J. Widmann, E.M. Staud and B. Gander, and plazed numerous, regional or world premieres of works bz Georgian, Ukrainian, French, Austrian and American composers.
An avid chamber musician, Mariam is a founding member of the renowned Trio Immersio from Vienna. This distinguished chamber music ensemble is a proud member of Le Dimore del Quartetto organization and the New Sound of Austrian Music Program of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that chooses young musicians to represent Austrian music traditions around the world.
Mariam is passionate about piano pedagogy and has taught Masterclasses in Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, U.S., Mexico, Kosovo and Senegal. She runs a successful private studio in Vienna.
Mariam can be heard in four commercially released CDs, including ‘3’ from Trio Immersio and #onthemove with violinist Vira Zhuk.