Founded in 1968, the Rustavi is Georgia’s leading vocal ensemble. Since its formation, the company has performed not only in Georgia, but also beyond the country’s borders, holding concerts, participating in competitions, performing on radio and television, and making commercial recordings. Since it is polyphonic, each singer in the Rustavi Choir is both a trained soloist and choral musician with an impeccable command of the art of improvisation. Rustavi incorporates representatives from different parts of Georgia. The choir members infuse its repertoire with the unique vocal traditions of their native areas, as well as with their local songs and an instinctive knowledge of their performing style. Each individual thus lends his own unique timbre of the national color and brilliant mastery in performance.
Rustavi is also performing a high-quality comprising national and diverse traditional dances. Excellent costumes, brilliant performance, and elaborate choreography - this is Rustavi dance ensemble. Black, red and golden traditional costumes come to life with abrupt movements to the rhythm of applause and Georgian traditional drums. Rustavi is performing dances where youths dance on their toes without the aid of "block" shoes and young women who seem to be rather flying than dancing. The ensemble displays both vivacity and fantastic coloring, which bring out the beauty of Georgia's women. There is much subtlety and delicacy in the whole performance.
Rustavi has successfully toured more than 60 countries of the world, performed about 5000 concerts, always receiving the most glowing comments – even from the toughest of critics. Rustavi’s performances include such major world venues as Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall (The UK), Olympia, Zenith, Mogador (France), Herodes Atticus on the Acropolis, Ancient Olympic Stadium in Olympia (Greece), Les Etoiles(Monaco), NAC Opera, North Bay Arts Centre (Canada), Carnegie Hall, Beacon Theatre, Civic Opera House (the US), Aspendos, Konyaalti (Turkey), Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Frits Philips Eindhoven (The Netherlands) Wiener Konzerthaus (Austria), Roppongi Hills Garden Arena (Japan), Moscow International House of Music, St.Petersbourg Conservatory Grand Concert Hall, P.Tchaikovski Concert Hall (Russia) and many more concerts in Sweden, Yugoslavia and African countries.
The ensemble has performed and recorded more than 600 folk songs, 10 LP’s and 10 CD’s. The ensemble’s craftsmanship is a deeply rooted one; its source is folk music, the mastery of folk performance. Rustavi is genetically linked with this source, deriving special energy and evolving from it.