Badridze premieres composition

For Ketevan Badridze, music has always been in her blood. At only 5 years old, she began playing piano by ear after hearing her mother give lessons. Since then, she has continued playing and has made it her career.

“From the beginning, I knew it would be my profession,” said Badridze, a music lecturer in the Raclin School of the Arts.

On Wednesday, March 3, Badridze performed a recital of three pieces, one a world premiere of a piece composed by fellow IU South Bend lecturer Marjorie Rusche entitled “Eclipse”.

Rusche asked Badridze to perform the piece years ago, after the composition was already completed.

“It is interesting always to play a new piece,” said Badridze, who was born in the Republic of Georgia, and has traveled the world to perform various pieces. She came to IUSB because of Alexander Toradze, the Martin Endowed professor of piano at IUSB.

Badridze was interested in his work and wanted to study with him. She studied here to attain her Master’s degree in Arts for piano, and then was offered a position with the university.

She works with him now and is also a member of the Toradze Piano Studio, and has recently played with both the South Bend and Elkhart Symphony Orchestras.

Though she loves playing compositions, Badridze does not want to compose anything herself. She prefers performing pieces for an audience, even if the profession is sometimes difficult.

“I am always telling my students: when you are performing music, [people] will enjoy that,” she said. “It gives us great pleasure. We are practicing to make people happy, to make people listen. It’s a hard profession.”

Despite any difficulties Badridze finds in her profession, she still finds the motivation to continue with her career and perform recitals because it is who she is.

“Nobody pushes me to play the recital. It’s for myself. It’s my air. I’m just a performer.”

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