Mzia Simonishvili
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Mzia Simonishvili was born in Tbilissi (Georgia) in 1965. In 1973 she began taking piano lessons from Professor Wanda Shiukashiwili at the Central Music School "Z.Paliashvili". She gave many recitals throughout the former Soviet Union while still being a student. She won the first pize in the National Music Competition in 1980. Mzia Simonishvili entered the Conservatory in 1985. During her studies, she found the time for frequent appearances as a soloist, performing with the Georgian Symphony Orchestra under Jansug Kakhdze and David del Pino in Georga, for instance, but also in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Erivan etc. She obtained her diploma in 1989 and won a special prize at the F. Busoni Competition in Bolzano that same year. In 1990 she performed at piano festivals in Finland and Holland and gave solo recitals in Italy. She also completed her Conservatory studies "summa cum laude" that year and immediately took on a post as assistant to Professor Shiukashvili. In 1990 Mzia Simonishvili was awarded a permanent contract as soloist with the Tbilissi State Philharmonic. She made her successful debut in Switzerland with concerts in Lucerne and Zurich in February 1992, and won the first prize at the F. Busoni Competition in Bolzano in 1994.