Zacharia Paliashvili

Zacharia Petres dze Paliashvili (), also known by his Russian name Zachary Petrovich Paliashvili (; 3 August 1871 – 6 October 1933), was a Georgian composer. Regarded as one of the founders of Georgian classical music, his work is known for its eclectic fusion of folk songs and stories with 19th-century Romantic classical themes. He was the founder of the Georgian Philharmonic Society and later, the head of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire. The Georgian National Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi was named in his honor in 1937. Notably, Paliashvili’s music serves as the basis of the National Anthem of Georgia. Although Paliashvili has composed works for symphony orchestra (e.g., Georgian Suite on Folk Themes), he is probably best known for his vocal music, which includes operas Abesalom da Eteri (based on a folk tale “Eteriani”), Daisi (Twilight), and Latavra. Biography Family and youth Paliashvili was born on 16 August 1871 in Kutaisi in the family of Petre Ivanes dze Paliashvili (1838–1913), an elder at the Kutaisi Georgian Catholic Church, who was said to be a model father and husband. Zacharia’s mother was Maria Pavles asuli Mesarkishvili (1851–1916). Zacharia was the third chi