General Musical Education in Georgia

Rusudan Takaishvili
Some Historical Facts regarding General
Musical Education
In the beginning musical education was connected
to religion

• From VI century monastery life

• Study of chanting is a necessary component of monastery schools
Saint Giorgi Mtatsmindeli
I. Javakhishvili: "The difference between Greek and Georgian chants
was well understood by Caesar, which demonstrates high level of
Georgian musical art and its name in the Christian world of that time".
Terms
Teaching the art of chanting
• “ხმითა სასწავლელი სწავლაი”
• “სულიერი შესხმის მოძღვრება”

Chanting teachers
• “გალობის-მოძღვარი”
• “მგალობელთ-უხუცესი”
• In XVIII century, in Mtskheta, under king Erekle II reign
Svetitskhoveli was founded. A great Catholicos school, where
pupils learnt different subjects and also Georgian chanting.
From this school Learning became popular in Kartl-Kakheti. "
Anton Catholicos invited teachers from eastern and western
Georgia.
• Folk art is fully based on oral tradition. The song was accompanied by
all forms of human activities, every detail of life

• Naturally, the future generation were descended with folk song. In

this way different folklore was kept in Georgia's different regions.
"The rare phenomenon of the unity of the secular and ecclesiastical
music beginning from the 4th century was weakened in the 19th
century"

• In 1862 Georgian chanting school was opened In the Bodbe

Monastery.
• In the 80s the "cabinet of the Orthodox brothers" opens, where a
circle of chanting scholars existed.
• The "chanting cabinet" was also created in Ozurgeti.
In 1878 I. Gogebashvili re-issued his “Deda Ena” and applied folk music
to it.
“It has been noted that, pupil who like and know to sing, are in touch
with their mates with pleasant, attractive nature and abilities. This only
doesn’t define the importance of singing. It brings happiness at school
and revives its atmosphere.”
Besides the fact that Gogebashvili mentions, it is important that by
including singing in school environment, he made folk more popular
and also students were acknowledged with national culture.
• From the XIX century in Georgia the interest of European professional
music is stronger and corresponding atmosphere is forming.
• 1851 Opera theater opened in Tbilisi
• Private lessons
• Caucasian Music Society and its public concerts
• Free choral classes
St. Nino's School,
The classical gymnasium for boys

• M. Balanchivadze,
• A. Karashvili,
• I. Kargareteli,
• G. Paliashvili
• 1917 Tiflis Music School - Conservatory
• 1924 State Scientific special commission-
A. Shanidze, m. Zandukeli, Sh. Nutsubidze, I. Javakhishvili
Two Conservatoire reorganization
State Conservatoire
Four faculties
• Piano
• Vocal
• Orchestral
• Theoretical

Later the Faculty of Pedagogy

I Degree maturity certificate II Degree maturity certificate
(all subjects "5")
Regent in secondary school (gymnasium, Regent in secondary school (gymnasium,
seminar) seminar)

Military Orchestra Kapelier Military Orchestra Kapelier

Teacher of music school

Georgia, as part of the Soviet Union, is considered in a single centralized educational space. General music
education is also in this condition.
There are some changes from the late 1970s, from which:
Let us note on O. Taktakishvili's article about 1980 "National Music - The Basis of Musical Education", where the author -
famous Georgian composer and conductor, the Soviet Union's public artist, Georgian Culture Minister, notes that "the rare
phenomenon of unity of secular and ecclesiastical styling, beginning in the 4th century was weakened in the 19th century".
At this time curriculums also had connection with music and the author establishes his own position: that it requires revision
and transformation.
Despite the richest folk traditions and advanced musicians, achievements gained in the sphere of musical training are hanged
in the air. O. Taktakishvili is against every experimental programme, just like ISME’s soviet experimental programme
(Kabalevsky), also followin K. Orff’s and Z. Kodai’s systems dogmatic without considering own national specifics and he
demands creation of appropriate rearing system.
It was a kind of a big change when the teachers book of 1997 came out,
that relied on Georgian singing repertoire and aimed at making the first
musical impressions in the native environment.
• Since 2000s under educational reform the subject has been
commonly established as “music” and considers integration,
creativity, practice, listening-analyzing, between the theoritical topics
of general musical education. Since 2005 three study syllabi editions
have been created, currently second edition (1-6) has completed
approval process and teacher’s exams are held for the third time.
• Since 2012 music teachers are being trained according to different
training modules (Georgian music, music history, music theory,
methods, conducting grounding, general course for music
practitioners, music teaching methods and using museum as a
resource)
• It is fourth year since the center is among the supporter organizations
for children and choral collectives and responds by holding
informative events for teachers, organizes masterclasses, participates
in events and awards successful participants.
• In parallel with the existing standard of music teaching, the center's
initiative created standard of kindergarten music teacher.
• არსებობს მასწავლებელთა გადამზადების სხვადასხვა
ალტერნატიული ტრენინგი და ვორქშოფი, როგორიცაა ორფის
ქართული საზოგადოების სემინარები და HEART (Healing
Education through ART) საბავშვო ბაღების
აღმზრდელებისათვის.

• There are various alternative training and workshops for teacher

retraining, such as Orpha Georgian Society Seminars and HEART
(Healing Education through ART) for Kindergartens.
Thank you for your attention!
Tbilisi
• კავკასიის სამუსიკო საზოგადოების სკოლა (1871-1875)
• ქართული გიმნაზიის სამუსიკო კლასები (1892-1906)
• შვეიგერისა და პიშნოვის კერძო მუსიკალური სკოლა (1913-1918)
• მუსიკალურ მოღვაწეთა საზოგადოების სკოლა (1911), 1918 წ-დან პერცოვის
სახელობის სამუსიკო ინსტიტუტი, რომლის ბაზაზე თბილისის ზ.
ფალიაშვილის სახელობის II სასწავლებელი შეიქმნა
• თბილისის სომხური სამუსიკო საზოგადოების სკოლა _ “აკადემია” (1918- 1919)

• School of Caucasian Music Society (1871-1875)

• Music classes of Georgian gymnasium (1892-1906)
• Private School of Schweiger and Pishnov (1913-1918)
• School of Musicians (1911), Percov Musical Institute from 1918, on the basis of Tbilisi Z.
Paliashvili II School was created.
• Tbilisi Armenian Music School - "Academy" (1918-1919)
Kutaisi
• ტ. ვიხოვსკის მუსიკალური სასწავლებელი დაწყებითი,
საშუალო და უმაღლესი კურსებით (1916-1918);
• ქუთაისის მ. ბალანჩივაძის სახ. სამუსიკო სასწავლებელი
(1918).

• T. Vikhosovsky's music school with primary, secondary and higher

courses (1916-1918);
• Kutaisi str. Balanchivadze's house Music school (1918).
• ბათუმი - 1929 წ. სამუსიკო სასწავლებელი მ. ბალანჩივაძისა
და შ. თაქთაქიშვილის თაოსნობით
• სოხუმი - 1919 წ. საქართველოს სამუსიკო საზოგადოების
ფილიალი და სამუსიკო სკოლა ძუკუ ლოლუას ინიციატივით

• Batumi - 1929 Music school Balanchivadze and Sh. Taktakishvili's

leading
• Sokhumi - 1919 Georgian Music Society Branch and Musical School
Duku Lolua
• 1874 წ. – ხ. სავანელის, ა. მიზანდარის, კ. ალიხანოვის თაოსნობით დაარსდა
მუსიკალური სკოლა, რომელმაც მთელ შემდგომ ქართულ პროფესიულ მუსიკალურ
განათლებას ჩაუყარა საფუძველი.

1886 წ. რუსეთის მუსიკალური საზოგადოების (РМО) სასწავლებელი

მუსიკალურ-კულტურული ცენტრი, სადაც პროფესიული მუსიკის პოპულარიზაცია
ხდება. იქმნება სტუდენტური ორკესტრი, გუნდი; ტარდება კონცერტები; იდგმება
საოპერო სპექტაკლების ფრაგმენტები.

სასწავლებელი იზიდავს ქართველ და უცხოელ მუსიკოსებს. ეს კერა უდიდეს როლს

ასრულებს ქართული მუსიკალური პედაგოგიური სკოლის ჩამოყალიბებისათვის.
1874 - h. Savannel, A. Mizandari, K. The school was founded by Alikhanov, which laid the basis for
further professional music education.

1886 Russian Music Society (РМО)

Music-Cultural Center, where professional music is popularized. A student orchestra, team. s
created; Concerts are held; Fragments of opera performances are performed.

The college attracts Georgian and foreign musicians. This hub is playing a major role in forming
Georgian musical pedagogical school.