Irma Gigani

Irma Gigani was born in Tbilisi in 1996. She studied at the Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Central Music School with L. Firashvili and at the Tbilisi V. Sarajishivli Musical Seminary with Tengiz Amirejibi. Since 2013 Irma studies at the Tbilisi State Conservatory with Manana Doijashvili alongside the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where she is a student of Stefan Arnold.

Irma is a laureate of many piano competitions including Minerbio International Competition Italy, Georgian National Music Competition, Aarhus International Competition (Denmark). She participated in number of master classes held by renowned musicians such as Arie Vardi at the Piano Academy Eppan Italy, Norma Fisher at the London Master Classes and many more. Irma Gigani performed the the international Festivals around the world and played concertos with number of prestigious orchestras. Her performances include concerts with Ankara Symphony Orchestra organized by V. Spivakov Fund, recital at Nice Opera Theatre organized by UNESCO, music festival ‘Beethoven Superstar’ at the Tel Aviv Museum of art, concert with Israel Camerata Orchestra – conductor Avner Biron, Concerto performance in the Big Hall of Moscow Conservatory with Chamber Orchestra of Bolshoi Theater, recitals in the S.Rachmaninoff Hall and Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, concert with the Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra – conductor Burak Tuzun and many more.

As a little girl I walked with my mother in Naarden Vesting, on the way to the Turfpoortstraat, on the way to my grandmother. I can’t remember much about my visit to grandma, but what I still remember clearly are the high sidewalks and the buildings! The Spanish House, the Andreas Church! The former church building that was built by the Robert F.W. Bruinsma foundation was converted into a concert hall. How did that happen?

In my youth I listened to the St Matthew Passion many times in the Grote Kerk in Naarden. My parents were both organizationally involved in these beautiful performances by the Netherlands Bach Society. At that time, the seeds were sown for my development in and love for music. After my childhood and schooling, my husband and I have done a lot of work abroad and have lived in France for 25 years. The music then came into the background a bit, but it never really left my head. My husband passed away in 2005.

During that period I started organizing piano concerts on our estate in France. It was a success! And it gave me the energy and the idea to take up that also in the Netherlands after I sold the estate. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, the Robert F.W. Bruinsma set up. The main objective of our foundation is to support young musicians, especially piano students, on their way to their future.

The Andreaskerk in the Turfpoortstraat in Naarden Vesting has been purchased with the aim of creating a home base for the activities of our foundation. After three years of renovation, we have transformed the former church into a small-scale concert hall. In the initial phase of the renovation I met the pianist Nino Gvetadze. She was introduced to me by Jan Wijn, a well-known piano pedagogue in the Netherlands. Nino and I had a few conversations and it soon became clear that we are on the same page regarding thoughts about music and youth. So Nino presented her plan to me. An idea to bring young top talent from the piano master’s program at the conservatories into contact with people who are important for their development on the way to their career. And this was the starting signal for the ‘Naarden International Piano Festival’. We are both very proud that it has come to this.

You have a dream but you have to dare to stick your neck out to make it come true. Persevere, don’t hesitate, go after your goal!
Music connects people!
We hope to connect students with master pianists!
With a small team of employees, we are doing our best to put this festival on the map for the future.
We hope to offer you as an audience a few days of beautiful music!

Hankie Bruinsma Verbrugh (December 14, 1946 – October 23, 2023)
Co-founder of the Naarden International Piano Festival
Founder and former chairman of the Robert F.W. Bruinsma Foundation