Masterclass in flute | Meri Zhvania

Meri Zhvania is a flutist, educator, and festival organizer from Georgia. Born on March 3, 1970, she studied at the Z. Paliashvili Central Music School before continuing her education at the Vano Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire, where she completed both her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in flute performance. She has been teaching since 1991, starting as a flute instructor at the Experimental Music School under the Tbilisi Conservatoire. Since 1993, she has been a flute teacher at the Z. Paliashvili Central Music School, and, from 2005 onward, an associate professor in the Orchestral Wind and Percussion Instruments department at the V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire. From 2017 to 2024, she was the head of the BA/MA Doctoral Educational Program in Performing Arts for Wind and Percussion Instruments. She also served as the head of the same department from 2022 to 2024. In addition to her teaching career, she has played in major orchestras. 

From 1993 to 2005, she was a flute section leader in the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra. She was the principal flutist of the Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra from 1994 to 2002 and previously held the position of assistant principal in the Evgeni Mikeladze National Symphony Orchestra. From 1994-2010 she was a soloist of Orpheus ensemble. Meri Jvania is active in organizing and promoting flute education and performance. Since 2012, she has been the founder and artistic director of the Flute Festival in Georgia. 

Her dedication to education extends beyond Georgia—she has given masterclasses in Azerbaijan, Estonia, and was part of the Erasmus exchange program at the Norwegian Music Academy, Sibelius Academy and the University of Limerick during the 2023–2024 season. She has also served as a jury member for international competitions in Baku and Pesaro. Fluent in Georgian, Russian, and English, she is recognized for her structured teaching approach and commitment to fostering young talent in the field of flute performance.