Allow yourself to be seduced: Tsinandali Festival features the Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra at historic estate in Georgia

Tsinandali Festival amphitheatre

The current Foreign Office travel advice for Georgia is somewhat inconclusive, yet the country has long seduced European travellers. Friends of mine travelled to Tblisi last year and not only had a terrific time but would have no hesitation in returning.

Which means that I feel moderately comfortable about sharing information about the eight edition of the Tsinandali Festival which returns to the Tsinandali Estate in the centre of Georgia's wine country. The Tsinandali Estate is noted for the manor house and historic winery-estate which once belonged to Georgian poet Alexander Chavchavadze (1786–1846), and is now owned by one of the leading private investment groups active in the Caucasus and Central Asian region. They have restored the manor as a luxury hotel.

Festival performances are housed in two new buildings, an open amphitheatre with a retractable roof seating 1,200 people and the Chamber Concert Hall which seats 600 people. This year's festival runs from 3 to 13 September 2026.

The beating heart of the festival and perhaps a real reason for travelling there is the Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra, which brings together young musicians from across the Caucasus countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The young musicians are given the opportunity to learn from internationally renowned conductors, coaches and soloists in a four-week residential training programme culminating in four performances under maestros Gianandrea Noseda, the Festival’s Music Director; Daniel Harding and Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider.

The orchestra gives four concerts as part of this year's festival:

• 03 Sep: Gianandrea Noseda, Lisa Batiashvili & Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra — Szymanowski Violin Concerto No. 1; Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade 
• 06 Sep: Gianandrea Noseda, Pinchas Zukerman & Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra — Beethoven Violin Concerto; Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition 
• 09 Sep: Rafael Payare, Chen Reiss, Okka von der Damerau & Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra — Mahler Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection’ 
• 13 Sep: Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, Davit Khrikuli & Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra — Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2; Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite; Ravel La Valse 

Festival highlights also include the Sukhishvili National Ballet of Georgia, a Lisa Batiashvili Foundation Concert and Bizet’s La Tragédie de Carmen. 

The historic manor house on the Tsinandali Estate

Further details from the festival website.