Sandro Sidamonidze Cello Studio

Each cello student is so different from one another that it is impossible to have one set

method that will be successful for every student that's why I try to find different approach for every student.

I usually start with Suzuki and then I switch to different books and methods of cello studies.

Teaching has always been my passion and the process of teaching makes me super happy.

A little bit about me:

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, cellist Sandro Sidamonidze won his first solo competition at the age of 9, winning the Vladimir Spivakov prize in 2007. Since then, he has won numerous national and international solo and chamber music competitions, such as the American Protégé Competition, where he made his debut at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and the Dombrovski International Competition in Riga, Latvia. Other national awards in Georgia include first prize of the Sixth Georgian Competition of Musician-Performers, where he also received a special prize from musical foundation “SOLO," first prize of the Chamber Music Competition in Tbilisi, Georgia, and the grand prix and three special prizes of the Second Amirejibi competition in Georgia. He was the Second prize winner of the Michigan ASTA competition and the 2017 winner of the MSU Honors Competition-string division. Most recently, he was the Second prize winner of The Naftzger Young Artists Auditions and Music Awards.

Significant live performances include performing at a special reception for the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, in the headquarters of the Government of the UK, at the invitation of the founder, Chairman and Artistic Director of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, Dame Fanny Waterman. He was also invited to participate in a charity event organized with the support of the first ladies of Georgia and Lithuania dedicated to the children affected by Tuberculosis in Lithuania. As part of the 2014 Cello Season Festival held in Georgia, Sandro was invited to perform with the Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra and was featured during the festival alongside legendary cellists such as Natalia Gutman, David Geringas, Istvan Vardai and Nicholas Altstadt. in 2018 May Sandro was invited to participate in the project "Georgian Overtones" at the United Nations celebrating Georgia’s 100th independence anniversary.

Sandro has performed as a guest artist in many festivals, such as Telavi International Music Festival, organized by legendary pianist Eliso Virsaladze, International Music Festival in Batumi, Georgia,Newport Music Festival, “Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festspiele, and “Mozartaugsburg, where he was awarded a new cello. He performed festivals all around the world including Italy, Russia, Armenia and Germany. In 2017, he appeared as a guest artist at the “easter to ascension” festival where, during this festival tour, he played three concerts with chamber orchestra “Georgian sinfonietta." He has also participated in the Lansing Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series and has appeared several times with MSU faculty on the MSU West Circle Series.

Sandro has collaborated with a multitude of well-known musicians, including Anatoly Levin, Dmitri Berlinsky, Stephanie Chase, Boris Vayner, Ian Watson, Misha Keylin, Francisco Fullana, Jacqueline Choi, Sergey Antonov, Gianluca Marcianò, Walter Verdehr, Yuri Gandelsman, Giya Kancheli and many others. He has also appeared on a live broadcast in Georgia and was headlined in newspapers in both Georgia and Germany.

He has had a rich and masterful education in cello performance, cooperating in master classes with high

reputable people such as Natalia Gutman, Suren Bagratuni, Wen-Sinn Yang, Peter Bruns, Wolfgang

Emanuel Schmidt, Jacqueline Choi and Wolfgang Boettcher.

Sandro Sidamonidze graduated from Z.Paliashvili Central Music School in Tbilisi, Georgia. His former teachers were Peter Bagration-Davitashvili and Otar Chubinishvili. Sandro is currently working on his Bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University under the tutelage of Professor Suren Bagratuni. He is a member of Georgian Duo, Trio Revolution, and Trio Elements. He continues to be an active chamber musician and a passionate collaborator of new music.