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Anzor Erkomaishvili is a full professor of Tbilisi Institute of Culture, People’s Artist of Georgia, the laureate of Shota Rustaveli, Zakaria Paliashvili, Dimitri Arakishvili, Iakob Gogebashvili, Ekvtime Takaishvili and Niko Berdzenishvili awards. Dr.Anzor is a prize-winner of Albert Schwarzer’s award (together with ensemble Rustavi) as well as the state prize laureate with boys’ ensemble Martve. Dr.Erkomaishvili is a head of the Georgian Folk Song International Centre.
Anzor Erkomaishvili is a progeny of a three-hundred-year-old musical dynasty. His ancestors were prominent singers and choirmasters. He has a profound knowledge of Georgian folk musical culture and its performing traditions.
One year after entering the Tbilisi State Conservatoire in 1961 Erkomaishvili with his friends founded folk ensemble Gordela, which under his guidance became a world folk festival laureate in 1968. The same 1968 year Erkomaishvili founded the legendary Rustavi choir and starts working as a musical director.
He was a presenter of the famous TV show Mravalzhamieri dedicated to the Georgian folk music preservation. He takes part in various radio and TV-shows and music festivals. Among them it is worth to be admitted the BBC Music festival in 1992 and 1997.
In 1976 Anzor Erkomaishvili founded boys’ ensemble Martve. With Martve he successfully traveled to many countries of the Europe, North America, likewise, several times to Japan. Until now generations grown from Martve boys’ choir are famous conductors of various folk ensembles in Georgia. With the establishment of ensemble he laid foundation to development of the folk music among younger generation.
Dr.Erkomaishvili has published numerous interesting articles and books such as: Babua(Grandfather), Khma Ucnauri (Strange voice), Mival Guriashi mara and many more. For more than 40 years he worked at locating and reviving old folk songs and religious hymns from 1901-30, which finally were illustrated on CD.
From 2001-06 Dr.Erkomaishvili was the member of the UNESCO folk committee. In 2001 he prepared and presented the project Chakrulo to the UNESCO and it recognized Georgian folk music as “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”
Dr.Erkomaishvili traveled through the whole Georgia for ten years gathering unique examples of Georgian folk songs from old folk singers. Finally, in 2006 he produced the unique folk songs collection CD from 1901-50. Its worth to be admitted the note repertoire of Artem Erkomaishvili, the famous Georgian singer and choirmaster, who was the grandfather of Anzor.
In the same 2006 professor Erkomaishvili published his article about the unique recording of Georgian folk songs from 1901-14.
Dr.Erkomaishvili taught and continues teaching Georgian folk songs to many foreigners from Japan, USA, UK, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Israel, Canada and others.
During many years Rustavi choir and Martve was the only ensemble and Anzor Erkomaishvili the only choirmaster who has been engaged in active educational activities. He dedicated all his professional life to Georgian folk song research and the contribution of this person in popularization of Georgian polyphony abroad is really inestimable.