“Hibla Gerzmava Invites...” — a musical festival in Abkhazia, launched by Hibla in 2001. It has begun in her native Pitsunda, then gradually expanded its geography, and today runs in the capital and other cities of this wonderful country on the Black Sea coast. Hibla managed to make a real breakthrough in the cultural life of Abkhazia, turning Pitsunda Church (Patriarchal Cathedral) and other places in the well-known scenic site in the South Caucasus, returning them strong positions once dismissed.

For 10 years of the Festival in Abkhazia, lots of great musicians performed in numerous concerts and solo recitals, among them: Vladimir Spivakov (violin) and Moscow Virtuosi State Chamber Orchestra, Musica Viva under Alexander Rudin, Chamber Orchestra of the Moscow Conservatory and conductor Felix Korobov, Oleg Yanchenko (organ), Elena Obraztsova (mezzo-soprano), Vassily Ladyuk (baritone), soloists and orchestra of the Moscow Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre and, of course, Hibla Gerzmava herself. On stage of the Abkhazian Drama Theatre the troupe of the Moscow Musical Theatre performed Die Fledermaus, an operetta by Johann Strauss, staged by Alexander Titel, which, especially for this event, was enriched with the Abkhazian language inserts. An actor Vassily Lanovoy, La Primavera Kazan State Chamber Orchestra (artistic director and conductor — Rustem Abyazov), Ekaterina Ganelina (piano) and New Abkhazian Names have participated in the Festival. Permanent conférencier of the Festival concerts over the years has been and remains a well-known Russian music critic Svyatoslav Belza.

Hibla’s passion for the jazz inspired her with the idea to combine Festival concerts of classical music with jazz. The recital Opera. Jazz. Blues that was produced as a result of joint experiments of Hibla and pianist Daniel Kramer and became one of the brightest events in the musical life of Moscow, made a huge success in Sukhum and Pitsunda. Along with the Jazz Trio of Daniel Kramer, well-known American singer Deborah Brown and MosGorTrio led by pianist Yakov Okun had also performed at the Festival.

The 10th Anniversary Festival is no exception: Hibla Gerzmava still manages to secure outstanding musical personalities among the Festival performers. In 2011 Abkhazia will feature both well-known and unfamiliar musical works performed by Vladimir Spivakov, Moscow Virtuosi State Chamber Orchestra and Denis Matsuev (piano).

The Festival takes place with the permanent support of the Government of the Republic of Abkhazia. Festival friends and patrons and personally Mr. Andrei Dudko made a huge charitable assistance in organizing the Festival. All the money raised from ticket sales went to children’s music schools to support gifted kids. In 2009, the Festival was dedicated to the anniversary of a renowned writer Fazil Iskander, and the funds received from the concerts went to support the release of his premium works collection in three volumes. The Festival held in July 2010 in Sukhum, Pitsunda and Tquarchal under the auspices of the cultural program Russia-Abkhazia 2010 was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

The most important thing for Hibla is to let the Festival continue to live, breathe, grow, so every year people have the opportunity to see and hear the “best at its best.” To her, the Festival is like an air, like a sea, like a song. It is a fascinating musical journey into infinity...

Text: © Elena Kharakidzyan