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Lisa Batiashvili, Violinist
"Sounding Defiance: Georgia & Ukraine"
A conversation permeated by live performance, moderated by Ara Guzelimian
When
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 | 7:30PM
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04/29/2026 7:30 pm 04/29/2026 9:30 pm America/New_York Lisa Batiashvili, Violinist"Sounding Defiance: Georgia & Ukraine"
A conversation permeated by live performance, moderated by Ara Guzelimian
Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall
Where
Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall
Tickets
General: $27 | Student: $11 | Princeton University Student: Free through Passport to the Arts.
The prices listed are inclusive of all processing fees.
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I smile with you when I think of you, Georgia, as the most amazing country, filled with love and generosity. I see the sparkle in the eyes of your people and the beauty of your nature. I cry with you in times of pain, when some try to destroy your vision and will for freedom out of their obsession with power. Yet, you will forever be a diamond of the earth, glowing in my heart and in the hearts of many."
—Lisa Batiashvili
Music & Healing
About the Event
In 2014, in response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea, violin superstar 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, which are persistently under attempted eradication. Join us for an intimate conversation—moderated by Ara Guzelimian, Artistic and Executive Director of the Ojai Music Festival and former Dean and Provost of The Juilliard School—in which Lisa Batiashvili will explore how the ongoing struggles of Georgian and Ukrainian identity have influenced her understanding of art, resilience, and cultural perseverance. The discussion will be complemented by live performance, featuring the violinist alongside her fellow Georgian, pianist Girogi Gigashvili. As Lisa Batiashvili poignantly reminds us, “first of all, we are human beings, and then we are musicians; not the other way around.”
Lisa Batiashvili will also perform a recital with pianist Giorgi Gigashvili on Thursday, April 30, 2026 as part of the Concert Classics Series. Learn more>
Read More About Event
In 2014, in response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea, violin superstar 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, which are persistently under attempted eradication. Join us for an intimate conversation—moderated by Ara Guzelimian, Artistic and Executive Director of the Ojai Music Festival and former Dean and Provost of The Juilliard School—in which Lisa Batiashvili will explore how the ongoing struggles of Georgian and Ukrainian identity have influenced her understanding of art, resilience, and cultural perseverance. The discussion will be complemented by live performance, featuring the violinist alongside her fellow Georgian, pianist Girogi Gigashvili. As Lisa Batiashvili poignantly reminds us, “first of all, we are human beings, and then we are musicians; not the other way around.”
Lisa Batiashvili will also perform a recital with pianist Giorgi Gigashvili on Thursday, April 30, 2026 as part of the Concert Classics Series. Learn more>
Program
- "Sounding Defiance: Georgia & Ukraine"
A conversation with violinist Lisa Batiashvili, featuring live performance with fellow Georgian pianist Giorgi Gigashvili, and moderated by Ara Guzelimian.
