Nikoloz Rachveli

Nikoloz Memanishvili (Georgian: ნიკოლოზ რაჭველი; born 15 May 1979) is a Georgian conductor, composer, and cultural manager. He is currently the Principal Conductor of the Georgia National Symphony Orchestra and Head of the Georgia National Music Center, and has been leading the Mikeladze Symphony Orchestra since 2007.

Memanishvili began his musical career at an exceptionally young age. At just ten years old, he was invited by Artistic Director Jansugh Kakhidze to conduct the State Symphony Orchestra of Georgia. A year later, he conducted Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony with the same orchestra. At thirteen, he performed his own piano and organ works on a tour of German cities at the invitation of artistic director Hermann Wedekind.

In 1995, Memanishvili was included in UNESCO’s publication New Faces of the Planet, and in 2001 received a State Prize from the Georgian Ministry of Culture for his original music to the theatre production Late Requiem. In 2003, he conducted the world premiere of Giya Kancheli’s vocal-instrumental work Little Imber in the United Kingdom, later released by ECM Records.

He was appointed Artistic Director of the Tbilisi Music and Drama State Theatre in 2004 and became Head of the Georgia National Music Center in 2005. The centre includes the National Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, the National Choir, and the National String Quartet. During his tenure, he founded two major festivals: the contemporary music festival Kontrapunkt and the String Quartet Welcomes festival.

In 2007, Memanishvili became both Principal Conductor and General Director of the Georgia National Symphony Orchestra, expanding its repertoire to include works by Georgian composers alongside symphonic and operatic masterpieces from the international canon.

In 2010, he received the award for Best Theatre Music at the Croatian International Theatre Festival for his work on David Doiashvili’s production of Macbeth. As a composer, he has written numerous orchestral works and created music for theatre and film, often blending Georgian and international influences.

His musical Keto and Kote, staged in Tbilisi and Batumi in 2010, combined Victor Dolidze’s opera with A. Kereselidze’s film adaptation. Following its success, he orchestrated Vera District Melodies—original music by G. Tsabadze from the 2012 film of the same name—which was later staged in Tbilisi and Batumi under the direction of producer and choreographer Redha Benteifour.