“You have to understand the world you live in.”
Lisa Batiashvili is always on the move: Philadelphia, Oslo, London, Los Angeles. In her luggage: her violin, trainers — and neck patches. Since October, the Georgian-German violinist has also been a professor of violin at Mozarteum University. We talked to her about young musicians, the boundaries of musical genres, and the question of what music has to do with a vigilant society.
Lisa Batiashvili always carries certain things with her when she travels. Her trainers, for example. And neck patches. She needs them when all the flights, hotel rooms and concert halls take their toll. “Travelling and constantly facing new situations are physically exhausting,” she says. You have to learn to cope with it. In between: family, rehearsals, her foundation. And now there’s another responsibility to add to the mix: The new academic year sees her taking on a professorship in violin at Mozarteum University Salzburg.
You've been performing as a soloist for decades. How do you manage to stay fresh on stage at this pace?
(laughs) At some point, you know pretty much exactly what it is you need, and you have to make sure you create as much comfort as possible so you can still perform well on stage. That’s why, for example, I try to work out wherever I am.
You also have to learn to switch off when you’re travelling. In everyday life, you’re constantly busy with something. When I’m on the road, I try to be completely immersed in the music. And I focus on it 100 percent.
Why is now the right time to take up a professorship?
It was a conscious decision to wait this long. As long as my two children were young, I wanted to spend the time between my concerts at home. My son has now turned 18 and has just graduated from high school. Now the time has finally come for me to pass something on. After more than 25 years on stage, I feel the need to share my knowledge, my experiences and my love of music with a younger generation.
What makes this generation different from your own?
They are more versatile, have more interests, are more open-minded and gain access to much more information at an earlier age — through the Internet, but also through the opportunities they have for travel. When I was a child, a lot of people couldn’t even leave their own countries. Today, that’s much easier. And I believe that, as a result, classical music as a whole has gained more opportunities.
The boundaries between genres also seem to be becoming more fluid …
Yes. In the past, you were either a classical musician or you played crossover or jazz. Today, however, people have come to realise that, with good taste and at a high level, you can play any kind of music. And that’s changing classical music too. Because when you engage with different kinds of music, you’ll interpret a Brahms sonata differently than if you were only dealing with classical music.
Through your foundation, you support young musicians in Georgia. What are your experiences there?
When I first heard some of the young musicians, it was immediately clear to me: I want to work with these talented artists for the long term, not just support them briefly. Take, for example, the composer Tsotne Zedginidze. Or Giorgi Gigashvili, a fantastic pianist who plays classical, pop, and jazz. Through this generation, I’ve discovered a new way of making music myself — it’s a give-and-take. In general, generosity inspires me — especially in music. When people are willing to share a part of themselves, it makes me very happy. I believe this generation will shape the future of classical music.
What do young musicians need today — besides a curiosity about music?
These days, it’s no longer enough to simply play very well. Young musicians need to develop their own identity, because while the market is open, it’s also oversaturated. Furthermore, it’s no longer enough to focus exclusively on music. You also have to understand the world in which you operate and grow. We need greater awareness overall — in society, in the arts, and in music — especially among people who are truly there for others. We no longer live in a time when we can focus solely on our own affairs. We have to face reality. Perhaps that is precisely something that has been forgotten in the West in recent years. Thank God there has been peace for a long time, and many conflicts were far away. But I believe it is now time for Europe to wake up and foster a society that is highly vigilant.
(Published in the Uni-Nachrichten / Salzburger Nachrichten on 3.10.2026)