Giorgi Mikadze trio

Giorgi Mikadze – piano
Cyril Drape – double bass
Raphaël Pannier – drums

Giorgi Mikadze is a pianist born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1989. Trained in the tradition of the Russian school of piano, Mikadze is first and foremost an immense virtuoso. An early winner of prestigious international classical music competitions, a great future as a concert performer lay before him. However, he quickly chose to expand his musical world to other aesthetics. Passionate about the folk music of his country, he became involved in creating new forms combining Georgian tradition, acoustic jazz and fusions, micro-tonalities. He firmly believes in the power of intercultural exchange to continually shape the evolution of music. His particular attraction to improvised music and jazz led him to collaborate with such great figures as Jack DeJohnette, Roy Hargrove, Dave Liebman, Lee Ritenour, Meshell Ndeogeocello, Antonio Sanchez and Chris Potter. In 2021, he became an associate professor at the prestigious Berklee School.

With “Face to Face”, recorded in June 2023 for the French label PeeWee!, Giorgi Mikadze offers to his brilliant partners an exploration inspired by the rich tradition of his native Georgia: a repertoire of emblematic melodies and vibrant memories from his childhood:original compositions influenced by Georgian folk harmony, with vibrant melodies meticulously composed to create new jazz standard forms. In addition to the elegantly arranged music, all drawn from the rich repertoire of Georgian films, animations, and theatrical music composed in the 20th century. Giorgi Mikadze presents his audacious vision of the world. He seamlessly integrates clear references to the giants of American jazz while conducting harmonic and melodic research within the traditional modes of his country.
It’s quite possible that, in a realm where everything seems to have been said, the novelty could emerge from this other prodigious pianist from the Eastern Europe.