Musical Dynasty
Author: Marina Kochetova
The name of the great ballet dancer and choreographer Vakhtang Chabukiani is known throughout the world. Yet hardly anyone knows that one of his blood relatives — his great-nephew — lives in Ottawa. It is time to meet a successor to this renowned musical dynasty.
Shalva Chabukiani was born and raised in Tbilisi and was surrounded by music from early childhood. He knew his legendary relative personally, not merely through stories. A “diamond of ballet,” the “king of the air,” and a “magician of dance” — as the Georgian prodigy was called in the ballet world — Vakhtang Chabukiani was very down-to-earth with his relatives.
Vakhtang Chabukiani was the first Soviet ballet artist to be awarded the title of People’s Artist of the USSR. After retiring from the stage as a dancer, he served for 23 years as director of the Tbilisi Choreographic School, which today bears his name.
Shalva remembers that the entire family was always proud of such an illustrious relative and spoke of him with great warmth. Unlike many other prominent artists, Vakhtang Chabukiani had a government dacha and a black Volga car with a chauffeur, which he used when attending family gatherings.
Their final meeting took place when Shalva was 15 years old. On that occasion, Vakhtang Mikhailovich gave his niece’s son a copy of his own book, The Magic of Dance, written in Georgian, complete with a personal dedication in Georgian.
Shalva’s grandmother played violin in the orchestra of the Georgian National Opera Theatre. Her grandson, however, chose a different musical instrument and became a professional violist. The viola resembles a large violin but has a deeper, more velvety sound.
Shalva earned his bachelor’s degree at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, after which he moved to Israel. At a Tel Aviv University summer camp, he met his future wife, Natalia, the daughter of the well-known Soviet composer Valentin Bibik, an award winner at international competitions and a member of the Union of Composers of the USSR.
Natalia Bibik began studying music at the age of five, entering the preparatory class of the famous ten-year music school in Kharkiv. After graduating, she chose the Chamber Music Department at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where she studied for five years.
Like her future husband, she later moved to Israel, where she continued her musical education at Tel Aviv University and earned a master’s degree in performance.
Natalia and Shalva married. All three of their children were born in Tel Aviv, where Natalia taught at a music school and performed in concerts. Shalva spent most of his time playing in an orchestra. Historically, the viola has most often been used as an orchestral and ensemble instrument, with one of its main functions being to create a rich and solid musical “foundation.”
In 2018, the Bibik-Chabukiani family moved to Ottawa. What brought them to Canada was a desire for something new.
Once in Canada, the ever-energetic Natalia — a mother of three and a pianist of the highest calibre — decided to continue her musical education at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto.
Over the past eight years, Natalia has given more than one hundred concerts in Ottawa, many of which have featured music composed by her father. His works continue to be performed at numerous international music festivals to this day, something Natalia is very proud of.
In addition to her concert performances, which require an enormous amount of preparation, Natalia is also a highly sought-after piano teacher.
Experiencing the world through music is a special state of mind. Musicians have a unique ability to interact harmoniously with the world around them because they know so much about harmony itself.
Ottawa is fortunate that musicians of such distinguished heritage and calibre have chosen to make their home here. And we, the residents of this city, are privileged to experience and share in their creativity.
Author: Marina Kochetova
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