composer / conductor
Nikoloz Rachveli (born 1979) is a Georgian composer, pianist, conductor and arranger whose artistic profile is defined by a rare synthesis of creative roles and a strong international presence on Georgia’s and Europe’s classical music scenes. He currently serves as General Music Director of the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Center of Music, where his artistic leadership has played a central role in shaping Georgia’s contemporary orchestral identity.
Rachveli was recognized as a musical prodigy at an early age. At the age of ten, he made his conducting debut with the Georgian State Orchestra, performing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. From the age of twelve, he began presenting concerts of his own music in Georgia and Germany, appearing both as a pianist and organist. In recognition of his exceptional early achievements, his name was included in UNESCO’s Golden Book “New Names of the Planet” in 1995. He later continued his musical education at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, an experience that played a decisive role in shaping his artistic outlook and strengthening his connection to the European musical tradition.
His music and arrangements are regularly performed by leading orchestras and ensembles, reflecting a broad stylistic range that bridges contemporary symphonic writing, refined orchestral arrangements and genre-crossing concert concepts. Rachveli’s works and arrangements have been performed by renowned orchestras including the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Luxembourg Chamber Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, Kyiv Camerata, Ukrainian National Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Kammerphilharmonie Ingolstadt, and many others. His music is widely present across Europe, from Germany and France to Switzerland, the Baltic states, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.
He has collaborated with leading figures of contemporary and classical music, including Giya Kancheli, Arvo Pärt and Michel Legrand; internationally renowned soloists, singers and conductors such as Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet, Kim Kashkashian, David Geringas, Natalia Gutman, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Lisa Batiashvili, Khatia Buniatishvili and Anita Rachvelishvili; as well as artists from the worlds of jazz, popular and crossover music, including Sting, Björk, Till Brönner, Chris Botti, Avi Avital, Miloš Karadaglić, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Sergei Nakariakov, Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, Katie Melua, Gregory Porter and Giorgi Gigashvili. These collaborations span symphonic, chamber and crossover projects, frequently centered around Rachveli’s own compositions and orchestral arrangements.
His music has been presented in many of Europe’s major concert venues, including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berlin Konzerthaus, Philharmonie de Paris, Salle Pleyel and UNESCO Hall in Paris, BOZAR Brussels, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall in Saint Petersburg and NORDEA Concert Hall in Tallinn, as well as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York. Recent seasons have included major premieres at the Beethoven Festival in Bonn, as well as in Zurich, Lugano and Ljubljana.
Rachveli’s discography includes the album City Lights, released by Deutsche Grammophon in collaboration with violinist Lisa Batiashvili and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. The recording, featuring Rachveli’s compositions and orchestral arrangements, has been praised for its cinematic scope, refined orchestration and distinctive artistic voice.
Since 2022, Nikoloz Rachveli has been widely recognized for his artistic solidarity with Ukraine. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion, he initiated and conducted numerous concerts, performances and international collaborations in support of Ukraine, both in Georgia and across Europe. He has performed and worked extensively with Ukrainian orchestras and musicians, including the Ukrainian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Kyiv Camerata and INSO Lviv, and has appeared in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during wartime as part of humanitarian and cultural support initiatives. Through music, fundraising concerts and international advocacy, Rachveli has become a visible cultural voice standing with Ukraine on Europe’s concert stages.
Alongside his international conducting activity, Rachveli is widely respected as a composer whose symphonic, concerto and stage works combine emotional directness with contemporary musical language. His catalogue includes symphonies, concertos, ballet music, as well as film and theatre scores, many of which have received international premieres and continue to circulate among European orchestras.
Through his artistic work and civic engagement, Nikoloz Rachveli has emerged as a significant cultural figure from the Caucasus region, actively shaping dialogue between Eastern European musical traditions and the wider European concert landscape. His career reflects a deep commitment to artistic freedom, international collaboration and the belief in music as a moral and unifying force in times of crisis.
Nikoloz Rachveli has been elected three times as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in Georgia by the United Nations. He has received numerous national and international awards, including Georgia’s highest honor, the Shota Rustaveli State Prize, in recognition of his lifetime achievements.