A Musical Dynasty
The name of the great ballet dancer and choreographer Vakhtang Chabukiani is known throughout the world. Yet almost no one knows that one of his blood relatives—his great-nephew—lives in Ottawa. It is time to meet a successor to this celebrated musical dynasty.
Shalva Chabukiani was born and raised in Tbilisi and was surrounded by music from early childhood. He knew his legendary relative personally. Called the diamond of ballet, the king of the air, and the magician of dance by the ballet world, the Georgian prodigy was warm and unassuming with his family. Vakhtang Chabukiani was the first Soviet ballet dancer to be awarded the title of People’s Artist of the USSR. After retiring from the stage, he served for 23 years as director of the Tbilisi Choreographic School, which now bears his name.
Shalva remembers that the entire family was always proud of their famous relative and spoke of him with great affection. Unlike many distinguished artists, Vakhtang Chabukiani had a state-owned country house and a black Volga with a chauffeur, in which he arrived at family gatherings.
Their last meeting took place when Shalva was 15. On that occasion, Vakhtang Mikhailovich presented his niece’s son with a copy of The Magic of Dance, a book he had written in Georgian. What made the gift even more special was the personal inscription, also written in Georgian.
Shalva’s grandmother played violin in the orchestra of the Georgian National Opera Theatre. Her grandson, however, chose a different 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 from the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and then moved to Israel. At a Tel Aviv University summer camp, he met his future wife, Natalia, the daughter of the renowned Soviet composer Valentin Bibik, a prizewinner at international competitions and a member of the Union of Soviet Composers.
At the age of five, Natalia Bibik joined the preparatory program of the renowned ten-year music school in Kharkiv. After graduating, she entered the Chamber Music Department of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where she studied for five years. Like her future husband, she later moved to Israel and continued her musical education at Tel Aviv University, earning a master’s degree in performing arts.
Natalia and Shalva married, and all three of their children were born in Tel Aviv. There, Natalia taught at a music school and performed in concerts, while Shalva spent most of his time playing in an orchestra. Historically, the viola has been used primarily as an orchestral and ensemble instrument, with its principal role being to create a rich and solid musical foundation.
In 2018, the Bibik-Chabukiani family moved to Ottawa. They were drawn to Canada by a desire for new experiences. 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 of Music 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, a source of great pride for Natalia. Alongside her concert career, which requires countless hours of preparation, she is also a highly sought-after piano teacher.
Experiencing the world through music is a unique state of being. Perhaps only musicians can communicate so harmoniously with their surroundings, because they understand so much about harmony.
Ottawa is fortunate that hereditary musicians of such a high calibre have chosen to make this city their home. And we, the residents of Ottawa, have been given the privilege of experiencing their artistry.
Author: Marina Kochetova