Irakli Kakhidze

Ensemble: (Former) Nationaltheater Mannheim

Freelancer: Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Bergen National Opera, Daegu International Opera Festival, Opéra National de Lorraine

Georgian tenor Irakli Kakhidze studied at the Batumi Conservatory under Marina Jakhutashvili, graduating in 2005. He began his stage career at the Opera Studio of the State Music Centre of Batumi, performing early roles such as Alfredo (La Traviata), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana), and Aleko in Rachmaninoff’s Aleko. He also appeared in Georgian repertoire, including Malkhaz in Daisi and Koté in Keto and Koté.

In the 2023/24 season, Mr. Kakhidze appeared as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana at Deutsche Oper am Rhein. He has recently performed roles such as Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Manrico (Il Trovatore), Don Alvaro (La Forza del Destino), and Don Carlo at venues including Theater Dortmund, Theater Kiel, Wiesbaden State Opera, Finnish National Opera, Latvian National Opera, and houses in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

From 2016 to 2018, he was a member of the ensemble at Nationaltheater Mannheim, where his roles included Pollione (Norma), Radames (Aida), Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana), Cavaradossi (Tosca), and Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor). Other notable appearances include Rodolfo (La Bohème), Nemorino (L’Elisir d’Amore), and Alfredo (La Traviata) at Bergen National Opera, and Don José (Carmen) at the Daegu International Opera Festival.

Earlier international engagements included performances with CNIPAL in Marseille and Avignon, where Mr. Kakhidze took part in recitals and the staged production Dans le Salon de Mr. Puccini. He appeared at the Opéra National de Lorraine, the Gemenos Theatre, and gave recitals in Marseille, Toulouse, Avignon, and Bordeaux. In 2014, he sang at the European Commission’s “Good Morning Europe” concert in Brussels and participated in a charity concert in Tbilisi alongside Tamar Iveri and Giorgi Gagnidze. He has worked under the mentorship of Lado Atanéli and attended masterclasses with Leo Nucci and Ruggero Raimondi.

Mr. Kakhidze is a laureate of the Lado Atanéli Competition and was awarded by the Georgian Theatre Society for his performance of Turiddu. In 2013, he was a finalist at the Paris Opera Awards. He also holds the title of Commander of the Georgian Dignity Order.