Artist-in-Residence: Lisa Batiashvili and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker

Lisa Batiashvili (photo: Stefan Höderath)

Lisa Batiashvili and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker are turning their attention to the nonet, an often-neglected form of chamber music. The big attraction of this scoring: with its four string and five wind instruments, a nonet is able to sound as intimate as chamber music, but can present itself in symphonic dimensions. Probably the most famous work of this genre is Louis Spohr’s blissfully melodious nonet. In contrast, the elegant, graceful nonet by the unjustly-overlooked Louise Farrenc, a successful French pianist and composer of the 19th century, counts as a true discovery. 

Lisa Batiashvili violin

Members of the Berliner Philharmoniker

Amihai Grosz viola

Dietmar Schwalke cello

Janne Saksala double bass

Emmanuel Pahud flute

Jonathan Kelly oboe

Andraž Golob clarinet

Barbara Kehrig bassoon

Stefan Dohr french horn

Louise Farrenc

Nonet in E flat major, op. 38

Louis Spohr

Nonet in F major, op. 31

Dates and Tickets

Biographies

Lisa Batiashvili

Lisa Batiashvili's playing is acclaimed for its wonderful, nuanced tone, and the praise is well-founded. She says: "Many musicians think that the beauty of the sound is less important than the expression. You need that, too. But for me, the sound of the violin - like the human voice - reflects the soul of the musician." Lisa Batiashvili, who studied with Mark Lubotsky in Hamburg and Ana Chumachenco in Munich, is without a doubt one of the world's most renowned violinists. She regularly works with orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and has also been a regular guest with the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2004. The partnership will be further intensified in the 2023/24 season when Lisa Batiashvili appears as the orchestra's Artist-in-Residence, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician. The German-born Georgian musician, who received an honorary doctorate from the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts in Helsinki in 2018, set up her own foundation in 2021, in which she is committed to supporting young, highly talented Georgian musicians. Lisa Batiashvili plays a violin from 1739 by Joseph Guarneri "del Gesu". Her recordings - Secret Love Letters and City Lights are her most recent albums - have won numerous prizes, including the Echo Klassik and the Midem Classical Award.

Artist in Residence

The Reflection of the Soul: Portrait of Lisa Batiashvili