Irakli Kakhidze

Georgian tenor Irakli Kakhidze began his musical journey at 17 in Batumi, Georgia. An alumnus of the Batumi Conservatory under Marina Jakhutashvili, he graduated in 2005 and joined the Opera Studio of the State Music Centre of Batumi. There, he performed roles such as Aleko in Rachmaninoff's Aleko (The Young Gypsy), Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata, Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, and Turiddu in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. His expertise in Georgian operas was demonstrated through his performances as Malkhaz in Paliashvili's Daisi and Koté in Dolidzé's Keto and Koté.

Mr. Kakhidze's repertoire expanded with roles such as Don José in Bizet's Carmen, Nadir in Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème, Don Basilio in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni, and Nemorino in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore. He became a soloist at the Tbilisi Opera House, adding Ismaele in Verdi's Nabucco, the Messenger in Verdi's Aida, and reprising Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana to his portfolio. His portrayal of Alfredo in La Traviata and roles in Georgian operas further solidified his reputation.

Since 2010, supported by the charity group "Tanadgoma" founded by Maestro Lado Atanéli, Mr. Kakhidze performed as Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca and the Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto. Under Atanéli's guidance, he performed scenes from Tosca at the Roustavéli Theatre in Tbilisi in 2011. That year, he was awarded by the Georgia Theatre Society for the best performance of Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana during the 2007-2008 season and won the Lado Atanéli Competition. He also joined the Centre National d'Artistes Lyriques (CNIPAL) in Marseille and Avignon, performing in recitals and participating in the CNIPAL spectacle Dans le Salon de Mr. Puccini, directed by Jean-Louis Pichon.

In 2012, Mr. Kakhidze featured in Le Voyage Lyrique en Europe at the Gemenos Theatre and performed roles such as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor and Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Batumi Opera House. He gave recitals at the Opera National de Lorraine and portrayed Alfred in Strauss's Die Fledermaus with CNIPAL. He was named Commander of the Georgian Dignity Order and performed as Don José in Bizet's Carmen at the Daegu International Opera Festival in South Korea. In 2013, he was a finalist at the Paris Opera Awards and performed recitals at the Marseille, Avignon, and Toulouse Opera Houses, as well as the Bordeaux National Opera House. Notable roles included Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore, Rodolfo in La Bohème at the Bergen National Opera in Norway, and Alfredo in La Traviata.

In 2014, Mr. Kakhidze attended master classes with renowned singers Leo Nucci and Ruggero Raimondi in Marseille, France. He performed as Don José in Carmen at the Batumi State Musical Centre, conducted by Zaza Azmaiparashvili and directed by Gizo Zhordania. Additionally, he performed at the "Good Morning Europe" concert organized by the European Commission in Brussels and the charity event "Protected Society," organized by soprano Tamar Iveri's charity foundation, alongside Tamar Iveri and Giorgi Gagnidze.

During the 2017/18 season, Mr. Kakhidze joined the ensemble at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, performing as Pollione in a new production of Norma, Turiddu in a revival of Cavalleria Rusticana, and Radames in Aida. The 2016/17 season featured his portrayals of Sir Edgardo di Ravenswood in Lucia di Lammermoor and Cavaradossi in Tosca at the same venue.

Mr. Kakhidze's engagements have taken him to esteemed venues such as the Opéra National de Lorraine (Nancy), the Tallinn Opera Festival, the Daegu International Opera Festival (South Korea), Theater Dortmund, Theater Kiel, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Latvian and Finnish National Operas, Wiesbaden State Opera, the Opera House in Tbilisi, Taiwan, and the Hong Kong Opera. He is regularly heard internationally as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly and in numerous Verdi roles such as Manrico in Il Trovatore, Don Alvaro in La Forza del Destino, and the title role in Don Carlo.

In the 2023/24 season, Mr. Kakhidze's performances include Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. He has been recognized with awards from the Georgian Theatre Society and the Lado Atanéli Competition and was a finalist at the Paris Opera Awards in 2014.