Balanchivadze Meliton Antonovich

Balanchivadze, Meliton Antonovich (1862-1937), Georgian composer, founder of Georgian school of composition. Born in a village near Kutaisi Banodzha 12 (24) December 1862 in the family of a village priest. He studied at the seminary in Tbilisi, sang in the choir of the Exarch of Georgia, was an assistant regent. In 1880 he sang at the Tbilisi Opera House (had a beautiful baritone). From 1889 he studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory (class vocal in 1891 for the composition class of Rimsky-Korsakov). At the same time, leaving Georgia, begun in 1881 continued to work on the recording of folk songs. In St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia arranged to provide them with ethnographic choirs TN. Georgian concerts. Composing music began in 1888. Balanchivadze - one of the founders of the Georgian National Opera, in 1897 in St. Petersburg, . and then to Tbilisi was performed in excerpts of his only opera "Tamara insidious" (in Russian libretto by the same name drama A. Tsereteli), . inspire assessment contemporaries (2 nd edition of the Georgian language set in 1926, . the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater, 3rd edition, entitled "Darejan insidious" - together with his son, . delivered in 1937, . ibid, . shown in Moscow during the Days of Georgian art and literature),
. In 1899 he published an article "The Georgian folk singing secular '(' Russian Music Newspaper '? 11). At their funds issued (first) letter Glinka (over 250), collected NF Findeyzenom (St. Petersburg, 1908). In 1918 he returned to Georgia, founded in Kutaisi School of Music (now his name), in 1921-1924 was the musical director of the department Narcompros Georgian SSR. Since 1928 - Chairman of the Music Society of Georgia.

Among the works devoted to Soviet themes, the cantata "Glory ZAGESu" (opening Zemoavchalskoy HPS), as well as Georgian national march (1928). Balanchivadze - author of the first Georgian Romances. In 1933 he was awarded the title of 'People's Artist of the Georgian SSR'. Died in Kutaisi Balanchivadze November 21, 1937.

His younger son Andria Balanchivadze (1906-1992) - Composer, People's Artist of USSR.

His eldest son - choreographer George Balanchine