Lisa Batiashvili: Sounding Defiance, Georgia & Ukraine (Video)

About the Video

In 2014, in response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea, violinist Lisa Batiashvili commissioned composer Igor Loboda to create a “Requiem for Ukraine”—a deeply personal act rooted in the echoes of Russian aggression that had previously shaken her native Georgia. Since then, she has remained a staunch advocate for both nations, using music as a powerful tool of resistance to defend their cultural identities. On April 29, 2026, she joined Ara Guzelimian for a conversation about how the ongoing struggles in Georgia and Ukraine have influenced her understanding of art, resilience, and cultural perseverance. As Lisa Batiashvili poignantly reminds us, “first of all, we are human beings, and then we are musicians; not the other way around.” The program opened with this short film, produced by Princeton University Concerts in collaboration with There We Go Films.