About

Born in 1948 in Batumi, Georgia., studied at the Music Academy in Tbilisi under Aleksandr Shaverzashvili, where he graduated with a Doctor Degree in composition in 1976.
Bardanashvili was Director of the Music College in Batumi (1986-1991), Culture Vice-Minister in Adjaria (1993-1994) and in this capacity organized numerous international music festivals.

He settled in Israel in 1995.

Bardanashvili served as composer-in-residence of the Raanana Symfonette Orchestra in Israel from 1996-99, Musical Director of the International Biennial for Contemporary Music “Tempus Fugit” in Tel-Aviv (2002, 2004,2006) currently is a composer-in-residence the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
He taught at Camera Obscure College, at Bar-Ilan University, and the Sapir Academic College. Currently, he is a faculty member of the Academy of Music at Tel-Aviv University and Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and Rimon School of Music

Bardanashvili from 1999 to 2010 was a member of the public council of the Ministry of Culture and Art of Israel, permanently invited as a member of the jury of different musical competitions, to musical academies and schools for performing different master classes and lectures and meetings.

Josef Bardanashvili has composed more than 100 works
5 operas ”A Journey to the End of the Millennium” Opera in Two acts (2005) libretto A.B.Yehoshua, commissioned and performed by The Israeli Opera( in commemoration of its 20-th anniversary) and he ”Dybbuk” Opera in Two acts( based of the famous novel by An-sky) commissioned by The Israeli Opera (in commemoration of its 35th anniversary)
4 Ballets, 4 symphonies (1980, 2001, 2006, 2016), Symphony No. 3 ”Bameh Madlikin” (”With what do we light”) commissioned by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in commemoration of its 70th anniversary.
Concertos for Piano, Violin, Cello, Mandolin, Flute, Guitar, String Quartets, Quintets, Piano Trios, Piano Sonatas, choir music, and songs.

He has written music for 55 films and 65 theater productions

His numerous compositions have successfully been performed all over the world – in Israel, Georgia, the USA, Germany, Russia, France, Spain, Italy, Finland, Armenia, Hungary, Canada, Japan, and the UK

Among his honors are the title of Honored Artist of Georgia (1988)
The Paliashvili Award (1987)
The ACUM’s Menachem Avidom Achievement Award for Concert Music Piece (1998)
The Margalit Prize for Dybbuk incidental music (1999)
The Prime Minister’s Award for Composition (2000 and again 2011)
The ACUM Prize for “Life Achievement (2002)
The ACUM’s Menachem Avidom Achievement Award for Concert Music Piece (2004)
The Rozenblum Prize for Performing Arts-Tel-Aviv (2005)
The Landau Prize (received the National Lottery Prize for Composition).(2006)
The Prize by Shtern from the Ministry of Absorption (2009)
The Israel Theater Oscar for Music (2003, 2010, 2011, 2012)
The Engel Prize for Performing Arts-Tel-Aviv (2013)
The Prize for the best music (international festival of Cinema Montpellier) 2014
The Zionism from the Ministry of the culture (2015)
The Arik Einstein Prize from the Ministry of the culture (2017)
The ACUM’s Menachem Avidom Achievement Award for Concert Music Piece (2018)
BIAFF Lifetime Achievement awards for music (2018)
Laureate Azrieli Prize for “Jewish Music” (2024)