The competition was founded in 2013 in Kutaisi—the hometown of Meliton Balanchivadze, where, in 1918, he established the first professional music school in Western Georgia. Throughout its existence, the school has nurtured generations of renowned Georgian performers, teachers, and composers. Its graduates continue to study at prestigious higher music education institutions abroad and successfully pursue their careers in various countries around the world.
The idea of establishing a competition named after Meliton Balanchivadze also originated at this school. The aim of the first competition, held in 2013, was to promote the work of the great Georgian composer Meliton Balanchivadze by creating instrumental transcriptions of his vocal compositions. The competition was held with the active involvement of the Georgian Composers’ Union. A competent jury identified numerous interesting interpretations.
In 2015, a competition for young musicians and performers was established under the organization of “Art-League.” From 2015 to 2018, the competition held national status and was conducted in four categories (piano, string instruments, wind instruments, and classical singing).
In 2018, the competition’s nine-member jury included, alongside renowned Georgian musicians, four professors from the I. J. Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznań, Poland. The renowned Georgian conductor, Professor Gogi Chichinadze, chaired the competition jury in 2015, 2018, and 2022. His professionalism and authority, together with other significant factors, ensured from the outset that the competition met high standards and secured a prestigious place among music competitions. During this period, numerous talented musicians distinguished themselves in all performance categories of the competition. Masterclasses were held. One participant, together with their teacher, was invited to international masterclasses at the Summer Academy of Wind Instruments in Kalisz, Poland.
To align more closely with contemporary trends, share experiences from different countries around the world, and invigorate and expand the competitive field, the competition became international in 2022 and was held in the piano category.
The jury included renowned performers and professors from leading higher education institutions in Georgia, Brazil, Poland, and Lithuania, and students from Lithuania also participated in the competition. International masterclasses were traditionally held as part of the competition.
The 2022 Meliton Balanchivadze International Competition for Young Musicians and Performers was dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the birth of Meliton Balanchivadze, one of the founders of the Georgian school of composition and professional music education in Georgia.
In 2025, the renowned Georgian pianist Gigla Katsarava, based in Japan, became chairman of the competition jury. His professional experience and dedicated commitment greatly contributed to increasing the competition’s recognition and prestige both nationally and internationally.
The jury was composed of world-renowned musicians from Japan, Italy, France, Portugal, and China. It was through the active participation of the chairperson of the jury and the other members that the foundation was laid for a number of new initiatives. Among them was the organization of a concert tour in Italy and France for the winner of the competition’s Grand Prix. There are plans to expand the touring area for the winners of future competitions and to hold solo concerts in three cities: Paris, Bergamo, and Shanghai. There are also other interesting new developments, which we are confident will provide great encouragement and motivation for the contestants. Another interesting new feature will be introduced to the 2027 competition: a festival programme will be added to the masterclass segment, along with solo concerts by the jury members and the Grand Prix winner of the previous competition. The status of the competition will change, with a corresponding change in format, and it will become a competition-festival.
The next competition will take place on April 1–6, 2027, in Kutaisi, at the Meliton Balanchivadze Central Music School (address: 30 Ak. Tsereteli Street, Kutaisi).