Josef Bardanashvili

Born in 1948 in Batumi, Georgia. He studied at the Music Academy in Tbilisi under Aleksandr Shaverzashvili, where he graduated with a Doctor Degree in composition in 1976.

Bardanashvili was Director of the Music College in Batumi (1986-1991), and Culture Vice-Minister in Adjaria (1993-1994), and in this capacity organized numerous international music festivals.

             He settled in Israel in 1995. Bardanashvili served as composer-in-residence of the Raanana Symfonette Orchestra in Israel from 1996-99, and Musical  Director of  the  International  Biennial  for  Contemporary  Music "Tempus  Fugit" in Tel-Aviv (2002, 2004,2006) and  currentlyis  a composer-in-residence the Israel Camerata Jerusalem. He taught at Camera Obscure College, at the Bar Ilan University and the Sapir Academic College. Currently he is a faculty member of the Academy of Music at the Tel-Aviv University and Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.Bardanshvili from 1999 to 2010 was a member of public council of the Ministry of the culture and art of Israel. He is permanently invited as a member of jury of different musical competitions, to musical academies and schools for performing different master classes and lectures and meetings.

            Josef Bardanashvili has composed more than 100 works: 3 operas, 3 ballets, 4 symphonies. Symphony No 3 ''With what do we light’’ (2006) commissioned by the Israel philharmonic Orchestra in commemoration of its 70-th anniversary.  Concertos String Quartets, Quintets, Piano Trios, Piano Sonatas, choir music, songs.

He has written music for 45 films and 55 theater productions. His numerous compositions had successfully been  performed all over the world - in Israel, Georgia, USA, Germany, Russia, France, Spain, Italy, Finland, Hungary, Canada, Japan, the UK, by orchestras like the Israel Philharmonic, the St.Petersburg Opera Orchestra, Berliner  Symphoniker,the Georgian st.Symphony orchestra  the Dochnany  Orchestra (Hungaria), the Jerusalem  Symphony Orchestra - IBA, the Rishon le-Zion Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Chamber Orchestra, the Raanana Symphonette, the Beer-Sheva Sinphonietta, the Musica Nova Ensemble, the Israel Contemporary Players, Ensemble, Contempo (USA),New Juilliard ensemble (USA) , Continuum(USA) Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (Canada) and in music festivals in Israel and  abroad.

            Among   his honors are the title of Honored Artist of Georgia (1988), the Paliashvili Award (1987), the ACUM ''Composer of the Year'' Prize (1998), the Margalit Prize (1999)s for Dybbuk incidental music), the Prime Minister's  Award for Composition (2000 and again 2011), the ACUM Prize for "Life Achievement" (2002), the ACUM prize-'' Composer of the Year''(2004), the Rozenblum  Prize for Performing Arts-Tel-Aviv (2005)  the Landau Prize (received the National Lottery Prize for Composition 2006). Prize by I.Shtern from Ministry of Absorption (2009) the Israel Theater Oscar for Music (2003, 2010, 2011, and 2012) and Engel Prize for Performing Arts-Tel-Aviv (2013). - The Zionism (2015) and Arik Einstein Prize (2017) from the Ministry of the culture