Vaja Azarashvili
Georgian composer, pianist and teacher Vaja Azarashvili was born in Tbilisi on 13 July 1936. He studied and later taught at Tbilisi State Conservatoire.
He wrote music in diverse genres: for piano, symphonic suites, operettas and ballets, plus pop music. His cello concerto was particularly successful. Many of his songs, making use of the work of classical and modern Georgian poets, were dedicated to the city of Tbilisi.
He was chairman of the Union of Composers of Georgia (1998-2007).
Vaja Azarashvili died on 7 February 2024, aged eighty-seven.