Siwon [see-one] Kim, a native of Seoul, South Korea, is “an exceptional pianist with artistic charisma who presents deep understanding and dedication to every moment of her performance” (Alexander Toradze, World-Renowned Concert Pianist). She has been actively performing in concert venues throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, including Mariinsky II (Russia), Toppan Hall (Japan), Harbin Concert Hall (China), Hill Auditorium (USA), and Universal Arts Center (South Korea). Praised in The Segye Times, Siwon’s playing demonstrates “masterful musicality with the distinct, unrestrained sound.” On the stage, she is “commanding and decisive” (South Bend Tribune).

Siwon appears as a guest artist at the invitation of such festivals and concert series as the Harbin International Piano Music Festival (China), SNU Chopin Concert Series, SNU Piano Duo Ensemble Series (South Korea), and Ultreia Stage Concert Series (USA). Siwon has appeared as a soloist with orchestras worldwide, including the Gunpo Prime Philharmonic orchestra, South Bend Symphony, and The Mariinsky Orchestra. She has performed under the batons of maestros, including Jakyung Year, Tsung Yeh, Dean Whiteside, and Valery Gergiev. Besides giving performances as a solo musician, Siwon is also a versatile pianist in demand in chamber music. Siwon has performed and worked internationally with Maestro Alexander Toradze as his designated Piano Duo Partner since 2017. Most recently, she was invited to perform with the Contemporary Directions Ensembles of the University of Michigan for the “The Legacy of George Crumb: Angels and Stars” tribute series. Siwon performs for the Eisendrath Series of Ann Arbor, MI, and is a soloist with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (2023).

Siwon won prizes at numerous competitions, including The Korean National Students Competition, The Segye Times Competition, The Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition, and W. Byrd International Piano Competition. Siwon began studying piano at three in Seoul under Young-Ja Lee. She continued her musical studies at the country’s most prestigious music schools, such as Sunhwa Arts School, Seoul Arts High School, and Seoul National University. She received multiple merit-based scholarships for most of her studies, as she ranked first in her class. Her teacher during this time includes Youngsil Kim, Sekyoung Park, and Hyoung-Joon Chang.

After graduating from Seoul National University with a Bachelor of Music degree, Siwon moved to the States, joined the Alexander Toradze Piano Studio at Indiana University South Bend, and received an Artist Diploma and Master of Music degree. Siwon is a Rackham doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, studying with Arthur Greene (2023).

Pianist Edisher Savitski is an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama School of Music and an Artistic Director of Toradze International Music Festival. As a clinician he regularly conducts master classes throughout USA, Europe and China.

He has enjoyed critical acclaim throughout his career: “As each of Savitski’s convulsive trills and ominous chords would hang in the air, it became clearer that indeed something special was happening. We will be lucky to hear Scriabin played anywhere near this powerfully any time soon” (Jack Walton, South Bend Tribune). “The piano of Edisher Savitski prays, laments and also makes joyful sounds; This amazing Georgian simply takes off to the sky!” (Hanuh Ron, Yediot Akhronot, Israel).

Dr. Edisher Savitski has been performing at prestigious venues worldwide.  To name a few: Carnegie Zankel Hall and Carnegie Weill Hall, New York; Wigmore Hall, London; Great Hall of Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria; Mariinsky Theater and Concert Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia; Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy as well as in other venues in USA, Canada, Germany, Georgia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, France, Russia, United Kingdom, Israel, Austria, Morocco, China, Japan and New Zealand.

He performed at major music festivals such as: Salzburg Festival, Austria; Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Ravinia Festival, USA; Ruhr Festival, Germany; Ravenna Festival, Stresa Festival, Maggio Musicale Festival in Florence, MITO Festival, Italy; Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky festivals through Pittsburgh Symphony. His performances were also heard in Grande Auditorio at Temporada Gulbenkian de Musica in Lisbon, Portugal; at Teatro la Fenice, Venice; Italy;  Stadt-Casino Musiksaal in Basel, Switzerland; Salle Cortot in Paris, France; at Dame Myra Hess series in Chicago; Segerstrom Hall in California.

In November 2007, Dr. Savitski became first pianist who performed in an unprecedented live performance/press conference, from his home in South Bend, Indiana on a Yamaha Disklavier piano that was connected to another Disklavier piano in the Recital Hall of Yamaha Artist Services International in New York City.  He is a Yamaha Artist. 

Edisher Savitski is the first prizewinner of the Third International Piano-E-Competition in 2006 and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition in 2001, and took top prizes at the First International Piano-E-Competition in Minneapolis and the William S. Byrd International Piano Competition in Michigan.

In 2007 Savitski’s CD was released on Schubert Club’s Ten Thousand Lakes label.  His performances are frequently broadcasted on live TV and radio throughout Europe and USA.  

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Dr. Edisher Savitski studied in the Central Music School under Maya Beridze and in the Tbilisi State Conservatory under professor Nana Khubutia. During this time he became a prizewinner of the international charity program

“New Names”, Russia, and won collaborative piano competition arranged at the Tbilisi State Conservatory.  In 1998 he joined the renowned Alexander Toradze Piano Studio at the Indiana University South Bend, where he earned Master of Music degree, Artist diploma and has been awarded with the Performers Certificate.  In Spring 2013 he earned Doctor of Musical Arts degree in performance from Michigan State University. 

Tamar Mikeladze joined the piano faculty of the Michigan State University College of Music in 2015 where she serves as instructor of piano.

A native of Tbilisi, Georgia, Mikeladze made her orchestral solo debut at age 11. She started her study at the Special Music School for gifted children that same year. She holds graduate and post-graduate degrees from Tbilisi State Conservatory. While in Georgia, she actively performed with national orchestras and appeared numerous times on national television and radio. Upon completion of her degrees, Mikeladze was appointed to the piano faculty of the Special Music School, where she taught for five years. In 2003 she began studies at Indiana University, South Bend, where she travelled with her studio to perform at music venues in Europe, and received Artist and Performer Diplomas and a Master’s Degree in piano performance. In fall 2006, Mikeladze joined the piano faculty at the University of Notre Dame. Her most recent performances include appearances at Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall and Steinway Hall. A recipient of the Rosamond P. Haeberle Memorial Piano award, Mikeladze served as adjudicator at the Michigan Music Association 47th Annual Competition.

Aslan Chikovani was born in the capital of Georgia – Tbilisi in November 16 of 1996.

His interest in music, especially the classical and baroque genres was discovered at the age of four. At the age of five he entered 21st Art school in Tbilisi, Georgia in the class of professor Marina Vardoshvili. By the age of six he performed a piano concerto with a symphony orchestra in the small hall of the Tbilisi State Conservatory under the direction Revaz Takidze.

During his studies at the Art school he repeatedly took part in various musical projects and became a winner in many contests: Laureate of the third and the winner of the fourth Tbilisi International Young Pianists Competition; winner of the International Young Pianists Competition in Frankfurt (Germany) “Golden Note”; laureate of the XVIII Frederic Chopin International Competition of Young Pianists in Szafarnia (Poland); winner of the Grand Prix of the First International Republican Contest-Festival “Future Stars”; winner of T. Amiredjibi International Piano Competition. Having successfully completed his studies at the Art School in 2014, Aslan Chikovani entered the Vano Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire in the class of Professor Nino Katamadze. In 2022 he began he studies at the University of Alabama as a graduate teaching assistant in the class of Dr. Edisher Savitski. In the same year he became a first-place winner of Alabama MTNA competition.

Born in Georgia, Irma Svanadze began studying piano at the age of six. After spending her first formative years in Georgia, Irma continued her education in France and in Belgium – at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, where she studied with Evgeni Mogilevsky.

In 2001, Irma Svanadze was invited by the legendary Alexander Toradze to join “Toradze Piano Studio” at the Indiana University South Bend, regularly touring worldwide with the acclaimed group of pianists. At Indiana University, Irma earned a Master in Piano Performance, Artist’s, and Performer’s Diplomas. She then continued her studies for the Doctorate in Musical Arts at Michigan State University.

Irma has appeared in festivals around the world, including the Ravenna Festival (Italy), the Bologna Festival (Italy), the Ruhr Piano Festival (Germany), the Rock Hotel Piano Fest (USA), the Salzburg Festival (Austria), the Gulbenkian Festival (Portugal) and the Russian Music Festival in Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome, Italy).

Irma also appeared in several documentaries, such as “Kicking the notes the Toradze way “and “The Rachmaninoff Journey in Italy.”

Besides her career as a musician, Irma is an entrepreneur who has founded and managed several successful non-for-profit organizations, as well as companies such as “Music on the Go” and “Legato Artists Management”- supporting musicians while empowering them to find and engage with their audience.