Igor Ruhadze began his impressive musical career as a solo violinist at the age of 12. He graduated with honors from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and continued his studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he specialized in early music. Igor has lived in the Netherlands since 1999, where he has further developed his career and made a name for himself internationally. He has won several prestigious international violin competitions, including the “Locatelli Violin Competition” in Amsterdam, the “Taneyev International Chamber Music Competition” in Moscow, and “Musica Antiqua” in Bruges.
From 1996 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2005, Igor taught at the Moscow Conservatory and the Moscow “Central Music School for Young Talent.” From 2006 to 2007, he was a visiting lecturer at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Since the age of 18, Igor has also been giving private lessons, something he still does with great passion. He is currently affiliated with Muziektalent Almere, where he shares his knowledge and experience with young talents.
Igor has an impressive number of performances to his credit on various international stages and at festivals, including the Tartini program at the Festival of Flanders and “Russian Tartini – Handochkine” in New York. A particular highlight of his career was his contribution to the Dutch film “Erbarme Dich,” in which he performed Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion.” In addition, from 2005 to 2020, he served as solo violist and first concertmaster with the Bach Orchestra, where he made numerous recordings and participated in many projects.
With his ensemble Violini Capricciosi, Igor has produced several successful recordings, including the Complete Locatelli Violin Concertos and J.M. Leclair’s Complete Violin Concertos (2020), as well as the album Nardini Complete Music for 2 Violins (2023). Together with harpsichordist Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya, he worked on projects in 2022 and 2023 featuring music by Francesco Geminiani (CD box set with the complete Violin Sonatas Op. 1 and Op. 4) and Luigi Boccherini (5-CD box set of Complete Violin Sonatas), which were received with great enthusiasm. All of his CDs have won international awards, underscoring his exceptional talent and craftsmanship.
Fanfare Magazine:
…"The early-music world needs more performers like Igor Ruhadze… His sound in Geminiani’s Op. 1 sonatas is sweet and majestic, with a wonderfully sustained and developed melodic line…"
In his performances, Igor plays a 1693 violin by C. Jacobs, made available by the National Musical Instrument Fund. Igor’s career is a testament to his unparalleled dedication to his instrument and his passion for sharing his musical knowledge with the world.
