about us

about our school

our story

The women’s ensemble Ialoni was formed in 2009 in Tbilisi. Our repertoire includes all three streams of Georgian Traditional Vocal Polyphony: ecclesiastical, folk, and city music.

ABOUT IALONI

In 2016, Ialoni won the 1st prize in the category of « Women’s Folk Ensemble » of Georgia, in the frame of the National Folklore Festival organized by the Folklore State Centre.
In 2017, the group won the grand prix at the Tbilisi Competition of Choral Music in the nomination of Georgian traditional chant as well as the first place and gold medal in the Georgian traditional song.

We select our repertoire from archival records and manuscripts, expedition findings and published notated collections, with a special emphasis on reviving relatively unusual, original and complex samples.

The ensemble considers it important to understand the character of the different chanting schools as well as the folk and city songs originating from different regions, comprehending them intimely and then bringing them to life with the ensemble’s own signature.

OUR HISTORY

Initially and until 2014, Ialoni was performing only Georgian orthodox lithurgical polyphony. Its aim was to study and to popularize relatively unknown, original samples of Georgian traditional ecclesiastic chant. Examples include the Chants Devoted to the Mother of God (released on CD in 2010) and several chants in 8 modes system: God the Lord and the Troparia of Easter (released in 2011). Notably, in 2013 Ialoni revived the Paraklesis of Sweet Jesus, performing it in Vake’s Sameba Church and at Tbilisi State Conservatoire’s Small Concert Hall; 2 years later, in the Zugdidi Cathedral, Ialoni performed the Paraklesis of the All-Holy Mother of God. Both marathon services, which each feature almost one hundred chants, were realized in their complete form.

Creative-educational tours of the traditional music held in the regions of Georgia, were another important project of the group that was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia. Within the framework of the project, the ensemble traveled to various regions of Georgia, performing solo concerts and masterclasses with local groups. In connection with the mentioned project, there was prepared a short documentary film Folkloric Sketches as well as an exposition of an art photographer Levan Vaznareli.

Among the important tours of the last period, there must be mentioned a cycle of concerts and masterclasses of Ialoni in four towns of the Netherlands, within the limits of the festival organized by the group Oktoich.

Since 2018 Ialoni is a partner of London’s Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance as well as of the ensemble Maspindzeli studying the Georgian polyphony and the Cambridge group Chela – in terms of sharing the experience, holding masterclasses and joint concerts for the international students and funs of the Georgian music.